The Coeur d'Alene press. (Coeur d'Alene, Idaho) 1892-1907, 1892-05-07
SLEEPING ON THE co.
why tbs Lat Of \ Country Doctor u Not
Exactly y He'd Of Danodiis.

why the Lat of y Country Doctor u Not
Exactly y He'd Of Danodiis.
Yes. said the doctor whipping up
his horse--ii was a sprinter-until the
light buggy bounded over the stones OF
the country road like freight train on
the sleepers. II was night and the
lantern swinging underneath only made
the darkness ahead seem more Opaque
than ever Yes. the life Of a country
doctor is what you might call picnic
In q minor 1t is IA cake with more
spice than pluIils. for II has more vari
ETY. to the square inch than any other
pursuit that ii has ever been my for
tune to encounter
II have been riding about this coun.
try for twenty-five years. and have
what you might call II pretty extensive
practice. attend about everything In
the two counties, from ehilblains to
childbirth. | am the medical foster
father Of the present generation any,
where within twenty miles OF my home.
! have closed the eyes and. trust,
eased the pains Of some thousands OF
good people Many of my constituency
do not know my name. am simply
The Doctor to them Bad debts
Well. ! don't know. never did keep
books But If had got a dollar for
every professional visit that | have
made would be about eight times
richer than am,
II am on the go eighteen hours out
of the twenty four and seven days in
1 the week. The res; Of my time have
, for rest and recreation. But a doctor
does not need the sleep Of other people !!
! always keep five horses in the stable
and change off several times day. |
ain IA hard driver. When horse goes
lame or breaks down put him out to
! pasture. II the breakdown is Il bad
one ! sell the animal and buy fresh
one Sometimes ! drop asleep sitting
bolt upright III my buggy. while my
own accord
81 try to keep awake, because il is not
sale To sleep that way. but there are
times when | would sleep If was
/ riding straight into the teeth OF hostile
artillery simply cannot keep wake
/ Considering that there are three busy
coal railroads and canal within fur
/ long Of my house the luxury Of sleep
7 ing Oh the GO is extremely Hazardous.
I yet have ridden for miles on the tow.
path with the canal not Fix inches from
my buggy Wheels on one side and the
( iehigh river no, six inches Oh the
other | have done il nj night. too
Z Never had "a tumblef Oh. yes. have.
Some pretty bad ones Bur am no,
dead yet, IA you see. and on the whole
! have had remark obi, good luck
! That lantern between the wheels
has saved me many IA journey. People
st'e il coming. know that il means the
doctor. and run out to intercept me.
Ii isn't every one who can swing a
lantern that way II you were 10 try
10 do without learning the secret Of il
the lantern would SO out before you
had gone ten rods
peiiss pas eIAat Htt oiu anu usr
less and sell out my practice and retire
Bui fear | will have To be very old
aud extremely good for nothing Oh
else, perhaps, ! shall pitch out on III,
head some night and get my quie,u,
that way Then there will be splen
did chance for some young doctor
But until one or the other contin
eeucy arises the young doctors hav.
got Ia whistle for patients IN my bali
wick. | tell YOU love my business
!, il wife and child to me And pro
pose Ia rcruain monarch Of all | survc,
a. long as my eyes can sec the horse
flank and my good right hand can liolt
the rcins. There's strong bit o.
pride abou, me II am only a countr,
doctor, and am going 10 do the doc
toring of this countryside il have Il
do IL for nothing. because when do il
know ii is being done just right. -
New York Herald