Evening journal., 1891-08-12
A DOCTORS STORY.

A DUCIUhO DIUK1.
| met Laura at a charity ball It was
case of love at first sight on my part. an,
/ got introduced.
"Dr. Sprigge-Miss Laura Wyatt" TIL,
| introduction was made in an instant. w,
had one waltz, only one, which we dance,
from start to finish; and then. when tha
| glorious waltz was over, we both felt al
though we had known and loved eacl
/ other all our lives.
How managed it don't exactly know
but did manage il. succeeded in getting
| introduced to old Mr.. Wyatt, Laura.
| papa ! danced several other dances with
Laura, and at the end of those dances
! vowed her the one thing undefled
That lived and breathed In this world OF sin
The purest, tenderest, truest child
That man ever trusted in.
You may say that il did not take me long
TO arrive at this conclusion. It did not
take me long, simply because | am man
OF great mental promptitude, and have
grown accustomed to arrive rapidly at a
correct diagnosis. You have to arrive at q
rapid diagnosis when you see hundred
and twenty patients in three hours, which
had been in the habit of doing as assist
ant physician to St. Skinflint's.
| fancy made a rather favorable i'm
preston on old Wyatt had cultivated
good professional manner. Some people
say that IN my profession manner is every
thing. was what may be termed extra
proiessional-youry young consulting physi
clan always is. | had the etiquette and
the ethics OF the profession at my fingers
ends, and at that time / honestly felt that
If it had not been for my peculiarly pre-.
possessing appearance, and the fact that
was deficient in the physicians crown oi
glory Il mean a bald head), large and
lucrative practice must be mineeventually,
and till the night | saw Laura was absO
lutely devoted to the profession Of medi
cine, and / longed-I actually longed-foi
that bald head and the ACCOMMODATING
large and lucrative practice.
| called, and / was very favorably re
ceived. Mr.. Wyatt asked me TO dinner,
and he made very favorable impression
upon me, and he gave me very good din
ner; and the interest the old gentleman
took in medicine was something wonder
full. Old Wyatt lived III very large house,
in thoroughly respectable style ~ butler
who looked like an archdeacon and two
parlor maids.
Well, ! was very much in love with
Laura dt was fifteen years ago, and am
as much in love with her now as / was
them proposed for Laura in form; and
then had to confess to old Wyatt that
had only six thousand pounds of my own
left had got through four Thousand OF
my original ten in the rent Of consulting
room, the hire Of a broughaln, and the
usual taxes TO which the young consultant
SO Ia fnI a 4 a.
| did not want his money; il was his
daughter | wanted and not his ducats.
This statement was absolutely genuine, foi
| was very much in love. explained to
Mr.. Wyatt that by the time the rest of the
| ten thousand was gone l might honestly
expect to be in receipt of the magnificent
| professional income Of five hundred year.
Then old Mr.. Wyatt threw himself back
in his chair and laughed aloud Thought
he would never leave off laughing. l re-
monstrated with him upon his heartless
conduct.
"My dear fellow, he said, Il can't help
it; it's too ridiculous. You deliberately
throw away e1O,O0O and the best years ol
your life for the sake of possible income
of five hundred year. Now, DR.. Sprigge, ]
will not attempt to conceal from you that
my daughter is much attached to you. You
are young, you are enthusiastic, you are
ready to sacrifice everything for your pro
fession. Now, the question Is; Are you
ready to sacrifice your profession for my
daughterg am bit Of a doctor myself
he said with a curious chuckle, "and I've
great respect for doctors, but there ar,
reasons-good and substantial reasons
| why my daughter could never marry
medical man, or, rather, to be more accu
rate, there are reasons why no medica
man could marry my daughter"
What could he meang 1t was a mos
mysterious statement.
MY dear sir" / said, "if I threw up m,
profession for your daughters sake, W
should not have enough to live on; G6,O
would not last very longn
you need not trouble yourself ab0u
that" said Mr.. Wyatt, VI am fairly wei
off. / should be prepared to give You
share in my business-its very GOO
business-and I'm very fond OF my daugh
. ter Laura, and she is my only child, yor
/. know. Don't be alarmed" said Nj
Wyatt, Il shouldn't want your money
should only want your assistance in devel
oping my business. / could give You
salary, If you liked-say, a couple Of thor
sand year; or, as | said before, you coul
l nave "A snare IN bhe business"
/, "But am not business man. - / remoI
! strated; besides, / know nothing wha
I ever of the nature Of the business" (" l ad,
!, ed, for was altogether puzzled.
You will not betray my confidence;
: said Mr. Wyatt, with an air of myster,
'of course you won't. Well, I'm a ben
y factor Of the human race. Did you ev,
hear Of Bumstead's Infallible Tinctureg
married Bumstead's widow. Laura is N
" daughter by a second marriage-this wi
as give you all the necessary particulars, " I
W said, as he thrust a little pamphlet into m
q hands. 'PH come back for your answ
W in few minutes" Then he left me. an
u the room began to turn round and round
- Of course had heard Of Bumstead's /
w fallible Tincture-who hasn't? Who n
not read the well known advertisement /
ginning;
in Have you got a cold in the head? Try "Bui
y, stead"
ta Do you suffer from indigestion Try "Bui
stead"
o. Is old age creeping upon your Try "Bu
~ stead"
And so on for a whole column. Had no
been continually irritated by my patier
m at the hospital telling me that they h
all tried ''Bumstead" before they tried n
cy Was not "Bumstead" familiar in tn
mouths as household wordf And l