The Mount Holly news. [volume] (Mount Holly, Burlington Co., N.J.) 1891-1942, 1893-01-31
MY FRIEND, THE DOCTOR.

MY FRIEND, THE DOCTOR.
How He Was Caught Making
Moonshine Whisky.
Strabismus Dollarhide, NJ D., was
Pine Hills physician. The balsam
which resin is thought to give to the at
mosphere was not natural antidote
for malaria. as the shriveled, hide
bound look of majority of the people
of that region indicated. Even the
hogs were generally thin and puny and
the cattle were apparently lineal
descendants of the stock whose blue
meat furnished food for soldiers in the
days of the southern confederacy. So,
at crossroads, in a wild waste of
pines, the doctor had erected double
log house, where he lived with his wife
and one daughter. Here he had built
up, as he expressed it, "a lucrative
practice Though numerous, his pa
tients were all poor, and 1t seemed
strange that he should thrive so well;
yet he averred that he never took
truck for a bill-only cash-and I'm
pretty well fixed, as you can see" He
was well fixed. His house was neatly
furnished as are many such houses in
these backwoods, rough without, and
attractive within-and he had farm
of two hundred acres, planted in corn.
which he said never failed of crop"
His daughter was pretty girl, well
grown, with natural grace and un-
affected hospitality that was charming;
her mother in feature and manner, so
like her-she seemed not a day older
that no one would suspect the real re-
lationship
There was no reason why he should
not be happy, he said, though settled
down in the woods, away from So
called civilization. At any rate he
was satisfied, while his wife and daugh-
ter we're delighted with their hermit
like existence. The doctor was a ven
cradle man. His beard and forehead
were Tennysoniali, and the intelligent
stranger, coming upon him here, was
half inclined to doubt the evidence of
his own eyes. He was well educated,
too, and talked like a book, rs the
natives declared among themselves
when recounting his accomplishments.
The doctors home was situated be-
tween two railway lines, the distance
between them being eighty miles.
was riding through the wilderness one
afternoon in autumn; my horse-a flea
bitten, spawned, iron-gray relic, which
had purchased solely for the purpose
of the journey-was ambiing down
rocky steep to reach a brook that
flowed at the foot. He stumbled, fell,
rolled over. remained on the ground,
unable to move; he rolled on and only
stopped when he reached the water,
where he lay still attempted to rise.
You can't do it, said person
whose voice bespoke that he was near
me. II saw you fall and know you got
1t in the hip. A fracture he pro-
ncunced, after an examination. LET
me assist you into my buggy and take
you to my house.
thanked him. my horsep' sug-
gested, pointing to the animal, prone
on the ground.
.sHis neck's broken. 1t was the most
beautiful fall ever saw. If your in
jury is as interesting, l will have a
readable story for my next letter to
the medical journal"
'sYou are physician, then?"
Eyes. It's not much loss" he re-
marked, as I gave sympathetic look,
despite my own almost mortal pain, at
the old gru<S,s body. "He's served man
many years ana "a. now gone to serve
the bnzzards. I'll send 0he OF my hands
down to skin him, though hes hardly
worth it.
! was put to bed The case proved
an interesting one, and the doctor
cared for me with skillful hand, the
wife doing me mothers part and the
daughter lessening pain by her cheer
full presence and entertaining conversa-
ton.
Days waned; frost glistened in the
moonlight, then glittered in the morn
ing sun and melted into the purple
haze which wrapped the pines in its
embrace and scattered its flmy threads
among the red and golden glory of oak
and hickory leaves. Days, succeeding
themselves. became weeks; the weeks
grew into month.
One evening, when ] was able to sit
up and hobble about, occupied a chair
beside an open window. A fire was
burning. Opposite me sat the daugh-
ter reading. ] felt that it would be no
great punishment were l doomed to
sit there forever looking at her. Her
A. Int ~
smoothness; hair and eyes black. This
photograph is conventional but true.
! was not in love with her and can
hence add that she was beautiful.
ssAre you not afraid you will catch
cold with that window up?n she spoke,
closing her book and laying it on her
lap.
ssNo," l answered. 1.-THE air is
pleasant; besides love the landscape,
and imagine I cannot see it to good
advantage with the sash down" She
knew that | had been gazing at her
face instead of the landscape, but said
nothing.
Are you named for Shaxesreare's
Rosaliud?" | asked, that being her
name
"Yes. Father knows this book" tap
ping the volume with her finger, 'by
heart and in dreamy moment named
me for that splendid woman. But she
had too much spirit for me-"
II don't know about that" re-
sponded. in tone to indicate my doubt
Of her estimate of herself
'sDo you really think sop catching
my meaning and folding her hands be-
hind her head
At this moment the father came in,
aud the girl, placing the book on
shelf, went out. He was accompanied
by tall, large man, with smooth face
and short, curly hair / was intro
dnced and the two sat down.
YES. doctor said the man; I've
located the plant. It's been the hard
est job ever undertook"
cts an abominable traffic." spoke
the doctor. half musing, stroking his
beard and looking thoughtfuily at the
FIRE. II wish it could be wiped out.
am speaking now of the whisky trade
under the law When it gets outside
the law it is no more immoral, but
often leads--forces men to grave
crimes. Yes. I'm glad you worked
alone, old fellow" looking gratefully
at his new guest For, though you've
known me long, it would have looked
like putting too much on me to assist
you in bringing perhaps some OF my
best patients to the penitentiary.