The news & observer. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1894-current, 1896-02-16

My name is DR.. Macfarlane. ] have
practice in this neighborhood, " said
the physician, and ] should like the
fdvor of few words with YOU"
Certainly. BY all means-with
pleasure" replied BHliam. Come this
way"
And they went together into the sec
| ond OF the Montgomery Street garrets.
Ii was nearly as Iare of furniture as
the first, There uas no more than a
table, some bosses, and instrument
case, While roDnJ the room, arranged
SO as to make the most of themselves
stood BjIlian three chairs.
Take Ont said the student polite
~ liut ~. McFarlaue preferred to
stand till ne knew exactly where he
was.
Il have the honor OF addressing"
he said and paused.
William Reginald Setoun Oruiith-
waite, said Billiam quietly.
You are doctor" said his visitor
by no means, / am only a student, ~
said Billiam quickly. "But / give these
people a hand with any thing they
bring along
DO you possess any qualifications? -
persisted Dr.. Macfarlane.
Qualifications said Billiam, a lit
tie perplexed. "Wel, I've been patch
ing up dogs legs and things all my
life"
but, SIR cried the doctor, indig-
nantly, this is no better than an
equiyocation. / heard You with my
own ears prescribing for the man who
went out just now-an old patient Of
my own, il ! mistake not And / saw
you with these eyes taking a fee from
him as he passed through the door
Are YOU aware, sir, that the latter is an
ndictable offence?"
Billiam smiled with his usual quiet
~ infinite tolerance.
DIR Macfarlanc," be said, cit may
sound strange TO you, but the fact is
that man came to consult me about a
separation from his wife. And he
brought his family Bible out Of the
paWnshop to show me the dates Of his
marriage and birth Of his children I
gave him something when he went
away, So that ne would not need 10
take the Bible back into pawn, at least
not Immediately DO you think need
any qualification for that?"
And those people outsider" said the
doctor, not yet entirely convinced
"Vill YOU go round the wards with
me-" said Billiam, smiling brightly
and irresistibly.
Without another word he led the way
to the door of the next room. lit seem
ed to the doctor fuller than ever.
Lame dogs this way!" said Billiam,
in a matter-of-fact manner, and half
a-dozen men sloched after him. Very
deftly Billiam laid out a row Of small
shining instruments upon the table,
with salve, linen and bandages ar
ranged behind him.
Then he took animal after animal
into his hand, set it upon the table,
passed his fingers lightly to and fro
over its head and ears a time or two,
listened to the owners yoluble eXplana-
tions without appearing to notice them
and forthwith proceeded to deliver
little clinical lecture. His deft fingers
shipped away the matted hair from
neglected and fostering sore. He clean
ed the wound tendeTly, the dog often
instinctively turning to snap. Yet all
the time Billiam never once flinched,
but talked steadily, impartially, and
sympathetically to the animal and his
master till the sore was dressed and
the patient redeliyered with all due di-
rections to his owner.
Before long, DR. Macfarlane became
SO interested that he waited while case
after case was disposed of with the I'M
erring accuracy of an hospital expert.
Sometimes he would instinctively have
the lint or the bandage ready in his
hand, just as if he had still been dress
er at the old infrmary and waiting for
Lister to work off his batch
At the end Of half an hour he had
no more remembrance of Billiams
want of qualifications. He asked him
to come round for supper and smoke a
pipe. But Billiam only smiled and
said: THANK you a hundred times,
doctor, but | have some private cases
in the back room to attend to yet, and
then / must read up my stuff for to-
morrow"
After while there came to visit
Biiliam a minister or two familiar
with the district, the young resident
missionary from the Students Hall,
stray lawyers clerk or two-and the
Superintendent of Police. They all
came to cavil, but, one and all, they
handy with the vaseline.
On one occasion, the minister Of St.
Margaret's offered Billiam the use Of a
pew in his church But Billiam said,
Sunday is my day tor out-patients,
or ! should be glad" For Billiam was
a gentleman and always answered
even a dissenting clergyman politely
you should think of your immortal
soul" said the minister
WHO lnoweth," said BiIliam, "the
spirit of the beast, that gdeth down
ward into the earth?"
And Billiam could never find out why
the minister went away so suddenly
or why he shook his head ever after
wards when they met i'm the street.
Ii never crossed his mind that Mr.
Gregson, OF St. Margaret's, had taken
him for an infidel and dangerous sub
yerter of the system of religion as by
law established. Yet so it was.
In due time Billiam's nest of garrets
became known as the Lame Dogs
n