Pittsburg dispatch. [volume] (Pittsburg [Pa.]) 1880-1923, 1892-01-02
PART |.

L.
Beware, nv friends, of fiends and thei!
Of little angels wiles yet more beware
thee.
Just such one TO kiss her did ensnare me
But coming, l got wounds, and not EN-
Beware of old black cats with evil faces:
Yet more of kittens white and soft be
wary.
NY sweetheart was just such little fairy.
And yet she well-nigh scratched my heart to
pieces.
measure.
How could those eyes so bright and clear de.
ceiVe me?
That little paw so sore heart-wound give
Ny kittens tender paw, thou soft, small
treasure,
Oh: could to my burning lips but press
My heart the while might bleed to death and
bless thee.
am very sorry to have to say it, yet 1
must speak the truth even of her I love
most; and I repeat, what 1 always have
maintained, not only that she was comp lete-
ly in the wrong, but that she ought to con-
fess it.
We had loved each other all our lives.
Our fathers were old brother officers and the
closest of friends; and each being widowed
and the father of an only child, what was
more natural than that when they left the
service and her father settled
on his estate, my father should
take up his quarters in a pretty cottage on
his friends domains? What plans the two
old fellows used to make for their children's s
future, 1, of course, should enter the old
regiment; and she, of course. should marry
me. Alas, l myself was the cause of the
shattering of the first dream; and subse-
quent events very nearly put an end to all
chance of the seconds being realized.
When had reached the age of II, when
sound of the drum, and my sleep dis
turbed bv dreams of the glories of
war nv dear old father discovered
through an intolerable odor which
pervaded the house, and was traced to a
mysterious box in my bedroom-that my
mind turned toward science, and that a
macerating pot or tine dissecting table was
more to me than the determination of the
entire British army. L often sigh now as
think of the sad headshakings the poor old
gentlemen must have INDUCED in as they
discussed my extraordinary fancy over their
wine; and | know that my little playfellow,
Avis, treated me to good deal of contempt
when it was confessed that l actually turned
from ''the only profession suitable for a
gentleman" and deliberately chose that of
a mere sawhones.
Poor old father. He loved me too well to
oppose me; and one dull autumn morning [
LETT the old home to enter upon my studies
at the University of Edinburgh. Why did
] go to Edinburgh, and not London? Well,
l think it was partly because had feeling
that 1 was breaking with all the old life;
ard, therefore, wanted to put hundreds of
miles between me and the old home, as 1
lad put hundreds of difficulties between my
father and the realization of his old hope.
How well | remember my arrival that
cold, gray morning in the beautiful city! 1
LETT nv luggage at the station, and climbed
up the steep hill that leads from the land of
steam and noise to the most beautiful street
l have yet seen in my wanderings. How
erandly. away to my left, rose the magnif-
cent 'Old Town., topped with its castle;
and to nv right, the gardens and splendid
buildings of Princes street; while behind
me couched the Lion" watching over
the safety of the maiden city. How lonely
] felt among it all-how utterly lost! L
think that, if all had approved my design
10 become a doctor, 1 should at that mo-
ment have turned and gone back to Eng
land, and promised my old father to do
anything he might wish But the
tiant face, and hands clasped behind her,
came across my mental vision. She had re-
fused to bid me goodby. How she would
triumph if came home again, my work un-
done! No! L must go on. SO plucked up
heart, and wandered on alone in that un-
known city, looking for place wherein to
lay my weary head. Before long l found
lodgings, and had my things removed to a
little street near the theater. And not
many weeks had passed before l was as
happy as king, drinking III all the new
mysteries of my chosen profession. All.
that first enthusiasm, why doesn't it last?
Why, as tie years go on, does there come in
its stead such utter loathing of each
fresh step? L did not in the least
mind the d:ssecting room; but the operating
theatre-the hospital-the horror of it ali!
Well, it is over; and to that supercilious
little figure with the flying hair and the
clenched hands do l owe the obstinacv that
carried me through these four years of sun
shine and shadow. Give in, when she had
said: "I know you will hate it. l hope
YOU will give it up.'' Shall I give it up?
Never! The thought of the look Of triumph
l should see in the eyes of that young girl
acted as spur to me.
worked on. / hardly ever went home:
for l was really 'keen on nv work, and
spent most of my spare time among the
foreign hospitals and schools. Then a
serious illness, coming upon me just as l
had completed nv course, made me decide,
on ny recovery, to go as a doctor on board
a great ship sailing to the other ends of the
earth. So thanks to one thing and another,
it was not till the slim, awkward boy OF
eighteen had changed into great weather
beaten man of four or five and twenty, that
] once more stood on the old walled terrace
of the home of my little love. And by nv
side was the little love herself And such
a little love At twenty she WAS no bigger
than she had been at fifteen; but oh so
much prettier. The hair that had then been
often dragged back into stiff pigtail now
wandered in wondrous waves over her
little head, poised like a flower
on her sweet neck. No more
ink-bespattered pinafores and scratched
hands; no more long, thin spindle-shanks
showing undera short and skimpy skirt! No: |
she was as dainty as fairy, and took now |
as much pains to adorn her already perfect !
little self as at one time she had seemed to |
expend on irving 10 personate scarecrow, /
Yes; L stocd by her once again, and knew |
that l was likely to be near her for the rest !
of our lives. For nv dear father was get !
ting old, and longed to have his only son |
beside him. So | was only too delighted !
when the offer came of a practice in the !
Yes, L had come home ito |
live and die" as NV AGED nurse
put it, in the home of NV /
and could hardly believe L was
not child again, as once more I settled |
into the well-known routine: dined with the /
two old gentlemen; strolled out as of old on
the terrace with my early playmate; climbed
at night once more to the familiar room
,lar +h hot orl l