Barton County democrat. [volume] (Great Bend, Kan.) 1885-1915, 1896-09-24
BX WInnIAM T. NICHOLS.
Copyright. 1895. by J. B. Lippincott Company.


cast it commanded a view of the bay, a
broad eNpanse of water sheltered from
ocean gales by a long cape jutting out
from the mainland some miles to the
south and then curving so as to extend
almost parallel with the line of the
inner beach. To the west was the plain,
and beyond it the ridge. To the north
and south was the amphibious region
where marsh and dry land joined. But
the great attraction of the place was
it's isolation. Nobody dreamed of in
vading my retreat, and there I could
imagine myself monarch of all I sur
veyed, ruling a realm so deserted that
the very loneliness of it, for which
loved it, sometimes terrified me.
My uncle's death, cutting short my
stay in Rodney town, led to my removal
to the far different scenes of a small
city in central Illinois. where dwelt an
other of my fathers brothers, child
less widower. He was an austere man,
intensely practical, and well calculated
TO cure me of the romantic moods had
learned to cherish, had we but come to
terms of affection. Unluckily, however,
we had too little in common to reach
even amity. At 10 / was told the time
for study was over, that the time for
toll had arrived. He took me into his
shop-he was p merchant in a small
way-and for a year strove zealously
to discover some trace of business ca
pacity in his assistant. Failing utterly
in this, he called me before him, gravely
passed his verdict on my manifold de-
ficiencies, 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 a neighboring city; and, on the spur
of the moment, I elected to follow his
example. My guardian-he held that
post in virtue of the small estate left to
me by my first protector Offered no
objections, though he gave formal no
tice that the funds in his possession
would hardly suffice to do more than
carry me through the school. Unde
tered by the warning, I matriculated.
and for two years studied faithfully,
receiving 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
still some money to my credit, de-
termined to spend year at famous
eastern school; and ] carried out the
plan, only to meet one of the keenest of
disappointmeuts at the close of the
period, through failing to secure a COW
eted appointment as hospital inferno.
Just at this time, too, came news of
the death of my uncle. He bequeathed
to me letter of sound advice and a
thousand dollars. By means of the lat
ter-and disregarding the former-I
spent fourth year in study, this time
selecting another of the great institu-i
tons. The balance left at the 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
tients who did not come. Add to these
troubles share of anxiety as to my
health, and one can understand the will
ingness with which became surgeon
of the Mary Peck.
She was almost a new ship, Maine
built, Yankee-officered and manned by
a crew representing many nations. She
was of about thousand tons burden,
and was freighted with a cargo of con-
siderable value. Her living quarters
aft were, comfortable, If not luxurious,
and the cabin fare was excellent. The
captain and his wife, the two mates and
I, 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
to delight both the skipper and the
pair who were making their first deep
water voyage. Barring a sharp gale
soon after she 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 to her
cheeks, and her strength increased, I'M
til we almost forgot that she had begun
the voyage an invalid. She herself
credited old 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, bronzed husband counted for
more with the little woman than sea
air and sunshine combined. At Ill
events, however, the surgeons post
promised to be sinecure.
To the line. as has been said, fortuns
showered her favors upon us, but no
sooner was our prov cIeaving the waters