Juniata sentinel and Republican. [volume] (Mifflintown, Juniata County, Pa.) 1873-1955, 1890-01-29
HIS FIRST CASE.

1t froZe, and II continued to freeze!
There was lace work on the panes of
the most exquisite beauty, and icicles
Of crystal depended from the caves of
my house. The trees were so covered
with fairy frostwork that when the
sun shone the eyes were dazzled, while
g mind was-no. ought to have been,
filled with wonder.
l say ought to have been, for mine
was not. Ia fact, 1 was too IlI-tem-
pered at that time, and the more it
froze the worse my temper grew. L
walked up and down my little surgery
to keep myself warm, and abused
everything and everybody, myself worst
Of all.
l abused Lcng Pogis for being the
prettiest and healthiest place that was
ever situated twenty miles from a town
and railway stasi;'n, and called myself
an idiot for buying a practice in SO
out-of-the-way a spot, and thinking
hat /, a young doctor, would be sure
20 get on.
But had not ''got on" for l had
been there a year, aud SO far had found
that my practice really was to practise
patience, for no one would give me
chance III medicine. Not but that
there were plenty of people about; the
trouble was that either they would not
lie i'll, or, when they were i'll, they
would go to old Doctor Robson at
funston, twenty miles away, when
they might have come TO me and been
cured for half the money.
/ was not what Is commonly called
''hard up" for 1 had enough money
left TO last me, with economy, for an-
other year; but i was sick and tired OF
The terrible inaction, and of being pitie
or laughed at, or treai ed wi h contempt,
as the ne " doctor.
In such frame OF mind ought to
have sensibly set TO work to heal myself
by prescribing exercise and fresh air,
and forced myself TO go out, instead OF
sitting indoors studying, and fearing to
leave home In case that long-expected
patient should come, as come he would,
was sure, directly went out.
l walked 10 the fire and poked it that
frosty day, and then i walked to tie
window, rubbed away a little OF the
erny ice pattern, and looked out.
Two ruddy-faced young fellows and
three merry-lookiDg girls, evidently
their sisters, were walking sharply by,
With the frozen snow creaklng and
crunching under their feet, as each
swung pair of glistenIng skates de-
pendent from the wrist.
"Off skatingl" l said aloud, and n
thrill OF pleasure shot through me.
Well, why not? l had a splendid
pair of nearly new skates, which had
been ground and oiled before they Were
put away TWO seasons before. The ice
was perfectly safe, the sun shone, the
sky was blue. In Imagination 1 began
TO glow and feel the blood throbbing in
my VEINS as heard the hollow, metallic
ring of the hard Ice. and saw the puffs
Of white dust fly at every stroke Of my
steel blades as sped along.
They are going up to the big sheet
of water on the way 10 the hall. Lord
John Is in town, and the bailiff has
given them leave. Hurrahl I'll be a
boy again for q day, and skate as
used to skate. It'll do me good, and -"
A second thought struck me, and l
threw myself In my chair with my fore
head all in lires, for L caught a glimpse
Of 1t in the glass.
s'Selr-denial, John Russelll'' L saId.
Master yourself, for so sure as you 20
skating somebody will come and want
you. Stop at home and study up, ready
for the patient who will come. Your
surgery's weak yet.
"Of course it isl'' roared angrily, as
if in answer to somebody who had
spoken, 80 would yours if you had no
practicel''
l jumped up and went to the window
again, for party of young men were
going by, talking End laughing, and all
carrying the skates but one, who had a
gun.
As L reached the window 1 shrank
back and felt the blood tingls in my
cheeks, Tor one tall young fellow. whom
l recognized as a gentleman farmer 's
son, looked at my house ana said some
thing to his companions, at which they
laughed.
'Ah, meIn said to myself. They
are plying the poor doctor, when, per
haps, that fellow with the gun will
shoot himself. or half q dozen OF them
will 90 in and be drowned, or-who's
that they're talking TO in a CHASER Oh,
old Morton, the veterinary surgeon,
Pity 1 was not brought up q vet
Plenty of horses, COWS, pigs and sheeF
want doctorIng, but no people"
The skaters went on, and took down
book which, off and on, stuffed all
| day, going deeply INTO the construction
/ of Joints and their muscles, and Ques-
at any time 1 was called in TO attend Z
/ patient with sprained ankle, knee
/ wrist, elbow, or dis ocated limb.
Just as 1 resumed my seat aftel
l lunch the skaters came back, evidently
/ 10 their own dinners, and just then Mrs
! Dinion came in 10 clear away.
81 knew it would be, SIR she said
THE pump-it's froze hard"
''Restore its circulation with kettl,
OF boiling water, Mrs. Dintcn," said
land have it tandaged with ha,
bands"
"Why, sir, any one would think tina
you were a country gentleman, instea'
of from town. That's just what
was going to do.'
went on reading; Mrs Dinton wen
on talking.
They tell me some Of the youni
peoples got a whole bundle OF torchei
from funston, and they's going Il
skate tonight by torchlight. And O.:
what do you think, sirY Marty, tn
carrier, tells me that the old docto
over at Tunston's Ill in bed with goui.
"Humpl Might send for me TO heil
h'ml'' L muttered to myself
And that he has got local demo-
down from London to help him"
"Ah what?" / roAred.
"Well. sir. I thought it strange, bu
that's what Mlrly said"
mo. no; locum tenens. Mrs. ID L
ton."
mo, sIr; he said local demon a
vya;~ a.. rl.yr opd nirH narlv,a yer