The Monitor-register. [volume] (Woodstown, Salem Co., N.J.) 1892-1972, 1896-11-20
The Doctor Taken at His Word.

The Parlor Magazine relates pleasant
anecdote in which the unhesitating trust
of child opened the heart of man on
whose word he relied.
When Doctor Bryon was one day pass
ing into the house, he was accosted by
very little boy, who asked him if he
wanted any sauce, meaning vegetables.
The doctor inquired If such little thing
was market man. "No, sir; my father
u.s." was the prompt answer. The doctor
said: Bring me some squashes," and
paid him the money. In few moments
the child returned with the change. The
doctor told him he was welcome to it, but
the child would not keep it, saying his
father would blame him. Such singular
manners in child attr acted his attention,
aud he began to examine the child atten-
lively. He was evidently poor; for his
jacket was patched with almost every
kind of cloth, and his trousers darned
with SO many colors it was dificult to tell
the original fabric, but very neat and
the scrutiny of the doctor while examiHc
ing his face. At length he said, "You
seem like nice little boy, won't You
come and live with me and be doctor2"
eyes, sir" said the child.
''Spoken like man," said the doctor,
Diminishing him.
A few weeks passed, when one day Jim
came to say there was little boy with
bundle down stairs, waiting to see the
doctor and would not tell his business 10
any one else.
"Send him up" was the answer, and
in few moments he recognized the boy
who sold him the squashes. He was
dressed in new though coarse suit of
clothes, his hair nicely combed, shining
shoes, and little bundle under his arm,
Deliberately taking off his hat, and lay
ing it down with his bundle, he walked
up to the doctor, saying, 81 have come,
SIR"
''Come for what, my childP''
ITO live with you and be a Doctor"
said the child with the utmost naivete.
The first impulse of the doctor was to
laugh immoderately, but the imperturb-
able gravity of the little fellow rather SO.
bered him as he recalled too, his former
conversation; but he silently felt he
| needed no addition to this family.
ibid your father consent to your COM
ing?" he asked.
| Eyes, sr.''
| "What did he say?"
81 told him you wanted me to come
and live with you and be doctor, and he
said you were a very good man, and 1
might come as soon as my clothes were
ready"
'And your mother, what did she say?"
"She said Doctor Byron would do
what he said he would, and God had pro.
vided for me. And" said he, 81 have on
a new suit of Clothes" surveying him
self, "and here is another in the bundle"
undoing the kerchief and displaying them,
with two little shirts white as snow, and
couple of neat checked aprons so care.
| fully folded, it was plain none but
mother would have done it. The doctors
sensibilities were awakened to see the
undoubting trust with which that poor
couple had bestowed their child upon
him, and such a child His oogitations
we're not l)ng. He thought of Moses in
the bulrushes, abandoned to Providence,
and above all he thought of the child that
was carried into Egypt; and that the
Divine Saviour had said: BLESSED be
little children" and he called for his
wifs. saying, "Susan, dear, 1 think we
pray in church that God will have mercy
upon all your Children
"To be sure we do" said the wondering
wife, land what thep?''
Sand the Saviour said, 'Whoseever re-
ceiveth one such little child in my name,
receiveth me- Take this child in His
| name, and take care of him."
From this hour the good couple received
him to their hearts and home. 1t did not
then occur to them that one Of the most
| eminent physicians and best men of the
age stood before them in the person of
that child, nor that he was destined to be
their staff and stay in declining age-a
protector to their daughter, and more
than son to themselves. All this was
at that time unrevealed; but they CHEEK:
fully received the child they believed
Providence had committed to their care.
and if ever benefoence was rewarded it
| was in this case.