Oxford Democrat. [volume] (Paris, Me.) 1833-1933, 1895-05-07

| Being reprint from the remtntscence'
Of John II. Watson, N. d., late Of til.
army medical department.l
CHAPTER L
In the year 1878 took my degree Of
doctor of medicine Of the University Of
London and proceeded to Netley to &c
through the course prescribed for sur
gcons in the army. Having completed
my studies there, / was duly attached
to the Fifth Northumberland Fusiliers
as assistant surgeon. The regiment was
stationed in India at the time, and be-
fore / could join it the second Afghan
war had broken out On landing al
Bombay, learned that my corps had
advanced through the passes and was al
ready deep in the enemy's country.
followed. however. with many other
officers who were in the same situation
as myself, and succeeded in reaching
Kandahar in safety, where found my
regiment and ut once entered upon my
new duties.
The campaign brought honors and pro-
motion to many. but for me IL had moth
ing but misfortune and disaster. was
removed from my brigade and attached
to the Bcrkshires, with whom / served
at the fatal battle Of Maiwand There
was struck ON the shoulder by Jezail
bullet, which shattered the bone and
grazed the subclavian artery. / should
have fallen into the hands Of the muir
derous Ghazis had it not been for the
devotion and courage shown by Murray.
my orderly, who threw me across pack
horse and succeeded in bringing mo safe
" to tho British lines.
Worn with pain and weak from the
prolonged hardships which had under
gone, / was removed. with great train
Of wounded sufferers, to the base hos
pital ut Peshawur Hero rallied. and
had already improved so far rs to be
able to walk about the wards, and even
to bask little on the veranda, when ]
was struck down By enteric fever, that
curse Of our Indian possessions. For
months my life was despaired of, and
when at last came to myself and be-
came convalescent was so weak and
emaciated that medical board deter
mined that not day should be lost In
sending me back to England. / was dis
patched accordingly in the troopship
Orontes and landed a month later on
Portsmouth jetty, with my health ire
,rieyably ruined, but with permission
from a patornal government to spend
the next nine months in attempting 10
improve it,
had neither kith nor kin in Eng
land. and was therefore as free as air
or rs free as an income OF lis. Cd. day
will permit n man To be. Under such
circumstances | naturally gravitated to
London, that great cesspool into which
all the loungers and idlers Of the entire
empire are irresistibly drained. There l
staid for some time at private hotel In
the Strand, leading comfortless, mean.
inglcss existence and spending such
money as had considerably more free
ly than ! ought. So alarming did the
state Of my finances become that i soon
realized that l must either leave the
metropolis and rusticate somewhere in
the country, or that must make com.
plete alteration in my style OF living.
Choosing the latter alternative, began
by making up my mind 10 leave the ho-
tel and to take up my quarters in some
less pretentious and less expensive domi-
cile.
On the very day that / had come TO
this conclusion l was standing at the
| Criterion bar when some one tapped
me on the shoulder, and turning round
recognized young Stamford, who had
been dresser under me at Bart's. The
sight OF friendly face in the great will
derness Of London is pleasant thing
indeed to a lonely man. In old days
Stamford had never been particular
crony of mine, but now ! hailed him
with enthusiasm. and he, in his turn.
appeared to be delighted TO see me. In
the exuberance of my JOY | asked him
to lunch with me at the HolbOrn, and
we started off together in hanson.
Whatever have you been doing with
yourself, Watson.' he asked, in undis-
guised wonder, as we ratified through
the crowded London streets. "You are
as thin as lath and as brown as nut "
gave him a short sketch of my ad-
ventures and had hardly concluded it
by the time that we reached our desti-
nation.
"Poor devilp' he said commiserat-
ingly after he had listened to my mis-
fortunes. "What are you up to now:'
Looking for lodgings, i answered,
trying to solve the problem as to
whether it is possible to get comfortable
rooms at reasonable price. F"
That's strange thing, remarked
my companion. "You are the second
man today that has used that expression
to me.
"And who was the first?' asked.
"a fellow who is working at the
chemical laboratory up at the hospital.
He was bemoaning himself this morn
ing because he could not get some one
to 90 halves with him in some nice
rooms which he had found and which
were too much for his purse.
.'By Jovev' i cried, ''if he really
wants some one to share the rooms and
the expense, l am the very man for
him. should prefer having partner
to being alone. "
Young Stamford looked rather
strangely at me over his wineglass.
"You don't know Sherlock Holmes
yet" he said. perhaps you would not
care for him as constant companion. y
"Why. what is there against himt"
"Oh, / didn't say there was anything
against him. He is little queer IN his
ideas-an enthusiast in some branches
of science. AS far as / know, he is a de-
cent fellow enough.
"a medical student, ! suppose? l
said.
"No. ! have no idea what he intends
to 90 in for. ! believe he is well up In
anatomy, and he is first class chemist,
but, as far as / know, he has never taken
ont any systematic medical classes His
studies are very desultory and eccentric,
but he has amassed lot of out of the
way knowledge which would astonish
his professors.
"Did you never ask him what he was
going in for?" i asked.
mo. He is not a man that 1t is easy
to draw out, though he can be commu-
nioaiive enough when the fancy seizes
him."
4 ST should like to meet him" said.