Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1891-10-10
YOUNG DOCTOR RAYS TEMP.
TATION.
WRITTEN EXCLUSIVELY FOR THE EVENING
STAR BY MIS- E. D. EN- soUTHwORTH.
THE fall thou darest to despise-
May be the angels slackened hand
Has suffered IL. that he may rise
And take a firmer. surer stand"
ADELAIDE A. PRO

l. night in the month Of March. But inside
the dining room of the Eagle Hotel IN the
country town of North Hills all was warm.
bright aud coy. The spacious room had been
engaged for the night by the Northchester
County Medical Society for their customary
Conference.
The scientific discussions and the business
part of the meeting was over. The festivities
we're in full flow. II was a very mixed crowd
of young. middle aged and old men. Of we'll
dressed iiI-elothed and poorly clad men. that
gathered around the table. Some seemed to
come from the cultured classes of society,
some from the middle and some few from the
very humblest
But with one alone have we anything to do
Lee Raw He was q tall. thin. delicate Young
man, with an intellectual head and face fine
and clearly cut features; fair compile xiou.
lightly curling faxen hair and beard and
large hght-grav eyes-a blonde Of the purest
type His hands were white and shspely as
any young girls The dainty cleanness OF his
threadbsre black dress suit and snow white
linen showed him to be poor gentleman.
Lee Hay was alone in the world. He had lost
both parents in early childhood. had been
reared by guardian and educated at public
school. He had spent nearly the whole of his
small patrimony in his medical training so
that when he received his degree he had
scarcely the means TO take him TO the country
town of UpperviIle.
He established his quarters in little white
ston cottage standing in its own shady yard on
Main street. on the same side and about midway
between the hotel and the post office. good ioca-
ton, he thought. for the practice OF his profess
n Ii was a double house. with a passage
inning through the middle from front to
psck and having rooms on the right and left.
1t was the right hand front room that the doctor
rented for his Office and the attic room over 1t
for his bed room He also took board with the
teen, who was mistress Of the house; three lit
tie brothers, aged eleven. nine and seven, re-
spectively, and finally good old country
woman. who everybody's Aunt Becky,
and seemed TO have no other name. She lived
with the orphans for the sake of a home.
Nay Pigeon. the young sister. was teacher
IN the primary department of the district pub
lie school. She just a plump little bru-
tie, with curly dark hair. soft brown eyes and
sweet smile. Her dress plain and neat
she did her duties faithfully.
At first she glad TO get a iodger and
boarder. whose paw would help to support the
title household. and she became happy in the
company of the refined and cultivated young
man.
With this good little girl Lee Ray began to
feel in love for the FIRST and only time In his
lie. Every lover thinks his sweetheart TO be
an angel. but Lee Ray knew MS own to be one
A child who worked hard and cheerfully to
support her orphan brothers TO keep them out
of the streets and at school: who denied her
self OF every bit of girllsh tnery that they
night be better clothed; Who stayed home from
young peoples gatherings in the evenings to
darn their socks or mend their clothes: who
wore a :hreadbare black cashmere gown with
out n single relief except the cheap little white
collar and cuffs All that tnreadbare black
gown, 1t was Just the match for his thread
bare black coat, IL was a boyish thought but
il seemed TO bring them nearer together.
The best of his lot now that he lived
under the same roof with May: sat at the same
table with her. and felt that his weekly pay
meEts helped 10 tighten the burden her young
shoulders had to bear. There were times when
this situation contented him. as IT always con-
tented May. She was happy She would not
have had anything changed in their circum-
stances She hoped that the doctor might
always board with her little family: that she
might always see him at breakfast. dinner and
tea, and when she sat sewing in her little parlor
of evenings feel that he was In his office across
the passage reading. and that he might. maybe.
come across and rap at the door and ask:
May come in and read to you something
She knew that the young doctor loved her
and that he was not able TO marry. But what
of that? Why neither was she She belonged
to her little brothers and Aunt Becky She
had them TO take care of. So she and the doc
tor were alike in that matter. and that an
other link of sympathy between them. And.
after ALL what could they want but just to live
happily together they were now living-hke
brother and sister in the same house together
with Aunt Becky and the little boys?
Lee Rays office rent, board and washing bills
were causes of great anxiety to him He could
not know ALWAYS how he should paw them from
one week to another. Yet. SO far he had man
aged to do SO but ah, not from his practice
He received small eompensations from a ew
medical magazine, to which he occasionally
sent articles. Meantime he was patiently
waiting for patients. He used every lawful
and honorable means for acquiring a practice.
Among the rest he joined the Northchester
County Medical Society. but without avail.
There were hive other physicians beside HIM
self in the town where there only business
for two. or al most three. And as far as in
luiry could inform him the profession was as
much oyercrOwded in every other town and
city = in Cppervile. And it
was getting more and more overcrowded
every year. SO many young men. with
out any consideration o: fitness. seemed TO be
instigated BY fatal ambition TO enter the
learned professions. to become LAWYERS. doc
tors or clergymen- The civil Offices OF the gov
eminent are largely filled with unsuccessful
professional men, who would have done much
better had they learned some mechanical trade.
And in the case Of Lee Ray. there were other
adverse circumstances. He WAS. perhaps, too
conscientious Tor the unscrupulous warfare
that is sometimes necessary TO success Ii is
generally believed that mems deprayity ONLY
stands IN the way Of their progress but it
really seemed as If Lee Rays integrity OBJ
structed his course. He would not break a
have done so. 20 save a reputation or to gain
q fee. no matter how strongly his beney olence
or his self interest might be invoked
Doctor, said nigh official diguitary. who
had vainly appealed to him one day for a con-
fidentlal service. when yOu shall have made
your reputation and have acquired lucrative
practice you NAV afford 10 be so extremely
righteous overmuch. but you really cannot
AFFORD so expensive q moral luxury at this stage
of your career
The young physician grsvely bent his head
and bowed his would-be patron out Of his
Office
But that patron" took his vengeance. He
went about among his neighbors ipsinuatiug
that young DIR. Lee Ray something of a
crank, whom II would be scarcely safe to trus,
with q serious case,
And now 10 add 10 his other troubles Ray was
seriously in love. No word o: love or love
making had ever passed between him and his
sweetheart On this evening of the meeting OF
The society he had taken a thoughtful and
scholarly part In the discussions of questions OF
medical science and ethics brought before the
meeting. but very small share in the festiy-
tiles that followed He sat near the foot of the
table mechanically turning "a nut cracker in
his fingers, watching his compeers as they
sipped brandy, cracked walnuts and nibbled
Cheese some Of ihem told unseemly stories
and made frivolous tests
Lee Ray was IN an evil mood: and ne watched
his companions cynically and Judged them un.
chsritabiy. But tncn he was the most unlnckv
OF all the men present Every one Of them mad