Grant County herald. [volume] (Lancaster, Wis.) 1850-1968, 1896-05-14
2 ' wInLIHM T. NICHOLS.

fading my retreat, and there / could
imagine myself monarch Of all / sur
eeyed, ruling realm 50 deserted that
the very loneliness OF it. for which /
loved il, sometimes terrified me.
Ny mclea death, cutting short my
stay in Rodney town, led 70 my removal
to the far different scenes Of small
city in central Illinois, where dxvelt an
other Of my fathers broshers. Q child
less widower. lie was on austere nan,
intensely practical. and well calculs ted
TO cure me of The romantic moods I hs.. l
/ learned 10 cherish, had we sut come 10
terms OF affection. Unlucllily, however,
we had toe little in common to reach
even amity. At IS | was told the time
for study was over, that the lime for
toll had arrived. He took me into his
sfor~-he was merchant in a small
" y-and for y ar strove zealously
/ TO discover some trace of business ca
pacity in his assistant. Failing utterly
| ia this, he called me before him. gravely
passed his verdict on my manifold de-
i fieienaies, and inquired whether had
any plans in mind.
! One of my friends-a few had been
acquired, perhaps by force of circum-
/ stances-had entered a medical school
in neighboring city; and, on the spur
of tie moment, | elected to follow his
t-~ampe. My guardian--he held that
| post in virtue of the small estate left to
me by my first protector-offered no
objections, though be gave formal no
tice that the funds in his possession
10 i
carry Inc through the school. Unde-
TERED by the warning, matriculated,
and for two years studied faithfully,
| receiving a degree at the end of the
second, and thus becoming entitled le-
gally to experiment on humanity. AS,
by virtue of strict economy, there was
| stfll some money to my credit, l de-
termined to spend year at a famous
eastern school; and / carried out the
plan, only to meet one of the lxcenest of
disappointments at the close of the
period, through failing to secure a coy
eted appointment as a hospital inferno
just at this time, too, came news of
the death of my uncle. lie bequeathed
to me n letter of sound advice and
thousand dollars. BY means of the lat
ter-and disregar,ing the former-I
spent a fourth year in study, this time
selecting another Of the great institu-
tons. The balance left at tie end of the
season served to equip modest office in
the city, in which Capt. Peck found me,
just entering my 25th year, with re-
sources exhausted and hopes blighted
by the dreary waiting for paying pa
e Es. 4. - /.
troubles a share of anxiety as to my
health, and one can understand thewill-
ingness with which ! became surgeon
of the Mary Peek
She was almost a new ship. Maine
built. Yankee Offered ard named by
a crew representing many nations. She
vas of about thousand tons burden,
and was freighted with cargo of con-
siderable value Her living quarters
aft were comfortable. if rot luxurious,
and the cabin fare was excellent. The
captain and his wife, the two mates and
|. made up the population Of that part
Of the vessel
The Mary Peck's run to the equator
was made in circumstances of the sort
~ delight both the skipper and the
pair who were making their first deep
water voyage. Barring a sharp gale
soonafter size cleared the coast, the ship
encountered fine weather down to the
line. with plenty Of wind. but not too
much of it-a very important qualifica-
tion in the eyes of the novices. As the
days grew warmer Mrs. Peck throve
amazingly. the color came back 20 her
~ ,,,,I b.s,. ],
til we almost forgot that she had berua
the voyage an invalid. She herself
credited oh ocean with her improve
ment. and the captain was much Of her
way of thinking. while my notion of the
matter was that the companionship of
her tall. EFonzed husband counted fer
more with the little woman than sea
air and sunshine combined. At ali
events, however, The surgeons post
promised 10 he a singcure.
To the line. as has been said. fortune
showered her faYors upon us, but no
sooner was onrprow clcaVingthew waters
of the southern hemisphere than the
gifts of the tickle goddess ceased. For
n fortnight we had Gains or breezes so
faint rs hardly TO give the ship steer
@ge way let she contriNed to crawl on,
daily putting some leagues of her road
behind her; for her master was a smart
seaman, and made the most of every
cat's-paw. Nevertheless il was slow
woyk, and all of us longed for cooler
days and fresh winds with nm invig-
Grating keenness ii their rush.
| was leaning against the rail one
night lingering beyond the uSual hn,r
and 10th TO quit the GOODNESS of the
deck, when the captain came up, and.
standing beside me, lighted cigar.
The night was still and moonlit. and the
ship lay almost modonless.
still ocean holiday weather." said I.
DO you look for Enuea more of it,"
Il hope not, said he, emphatically.
Its the sort of holiday that's worse
than labor
And when steam discounts canvas"