San Antonio daily light. [volume] (San Antonio, Tex.) 1886-1907, 1892-06-18

fOre-wlsan 1T had now become a con
slant habit, rather than a casual gesture
TO press bis hand over his heart? Wa
he weary of his labors? Did he wish {,
die? These questions were solennly pro
pounded to Mr.. Dimmesdale by the eide
ministers of Boston and the deacons O
| his church, who, to use their own phrase
"dealt with him" on the sin of rejecting
| the aid which providence so manifestly
held out. He listened il silence anC
finally promised to confer with the ply
stefan.
"Were it Gods WILL" said the Rev
erend Mr.. Dimmesdale, when, in fulfill
ment of this pledge, he requested old
Roger Chillingworth's professional ad
vice, Il could be well content that my
labors, and my SORROWS, and my sins, and
my pains should shortly end with me.
and what is earthly of them be buried
in my grave and the spiritual go with
me to my eternal state, rather than that
you should put your skill to the proof in
my behalf"
"Ah," replied Roger Chillingworth,
with that quietness which, whether inn.
posed or natural, marked all his deport-
ment, lit is thus that young clergy.
man is apt to speak. Youthful men,
not having taken a deep root, give NJ
their hold of life so easily! And sanity
men, who walk with God on earth,
would fain be away to walk with him
on the golden pavements of the New
Jerusalem"
May" rejoined the young minister,
putting his hand to his heart, with
flush Of pain fitting over his brow,
''were worthier to walk there l could
be better content to toll here"
Good men ever interpret themselves
too meanly," said the physician.
In this manner the mysterious old
Roger Chillingworth became the med
ical adviser of the Reverend Mr.. Dim
mesdale. As not only the disease in
terested the physician, but he was strong
ly moved to look into the character and
qualities of the patient, these two men,
SO different in age, came gradually to
spend much time together. For the
sake of the minister's health and to en-
able the leech to gather plants with
healing balm in them, they took long
walks on the seashore or in the forest;
mingling various talk with the plash
and murmur of the waves, and the
solemn wind anthem among the tree
tops. Often, likewise, one was the guest
of the other in his place of study and
retirement. Il
Thus Roger Chillingworth scrutinized
his patient carefully, both as he saw
him in his ordinary life, keeping an &C
customed pathway in the range of
thoughts familiar to him, and as he ap-
peared when thrown amid other moral
scenery, the novelty of which might call
out something new to the surface of his
character. He deemed it essential it
would seem, to know the man before
attempting to do him good. Wherever
there is a heart and an intellect the
diseases of the physical frame are tinged
with the peculiarities of these. In Ar
thur Dimmesdale thought and imagina-
ton were so active and sensibility so
intense that the bodily infrmity would |
be likely to have its groundwork there.
So Roger Chillingworth-the man of |
skill, the kind and friendly physician
strove to go deep into his patients |
bosom, delving among his principles,
prying into his recollections and prob |
ing everything with cautious touch,
like treasure seeker in dark cavern. |
n
After a time, at a hint from Roger |
Chillingworth, the friends of Mr.. Dim |
mesdale effected an arrangement by |
which the two were lodged in the same |
house, SO that every ebb and flow of the |
minister's life tide might pass under the |
eye of his anxious and attached physi-
clan. There was much joy throughout |
the town when this greatly desirable OBJ |
ject was attained. 1t was held to be the |
best possible measure for the young
clergyman's welfare, unless, indeed, as
often urged by such as felt authorized
to do so, he had selected some one of the |
many blooming damsels, spiritually de- |
voted to him, to become his devoted |
wife. This latter step, however, there |
was no present prospect that Arthur |
Dimmesdale would be prevailed upon to
take; he rejected all suggestions of the
kind, as if priestly celibacy were one of |
his articles of church discipline. Doomed |
by his own choice, therefore, as Mr.. |
Dimmesdale so evidently was, to eat his |
unsavory morsel always at another's |
board, and endure the lifelong chill
which must be his lot who seeks to warm
himself only at another's fireside, it tru-
ly seemed that this sagacious, expert |
enced, benevolent old physician, with
his concord of paternal and reverential