The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1896-04-12

was studying medicine in Edinburgh
when I met my first and only love, Mary
leslie. the daughter and only child of
Can't. Leslie a retired army officer, and
homeless invalid.
somehow, by some strange fatality, we I
seemed drawn towards one another from
the very beginning. and it was barely a
month from our first meeting that we
found ourselves betrothed. Marriage was
impossible at present Mary, possessing
nothing until the death of her father. and
NV own means not being anything like
sufficient to support a wife in comfort.
We therefore agreed to keep our en-
eaeement entirely to ourselves until 1
could get something to do that would
bring me in enough TO enable me to set up
housekeeping.
This, with ordinary luck, 1 hoped to
achieve before very long, and meanwhile
Mary and 1 contented ourselves with meet
ing each other as often as possible, and
arranging plans for the future TO our
hearts content 1 don't believe such cas-
ties as we two were the architects of in
our fertile imaginatiOns were ever built
before in the air or anywhere else.
There was only one obstacle to our love-
making and that was Mary's father, Capt.
leslie was by ali accounts a selfish world
~ man, with high aspirations for his
daughter as regards marriage, and there
fore, 1 had every reason to fear that when
IL became necessary for Mary and me to
tell him our secret, he would not be very
likely to receive it favOrably.
had never met him as yet, and had on
" seen him once or twice when out in his
bathchair, with Mary walking at his side.
AS for his daughter, though from what
] could gather he was systematically pee
wish and irritable, even with her, she never
said an unkind word of him. on the con-
ftrary, she seemed never tired Of singing
his praises undeserved though l knew
The tears would start to her eyes when
she spoke to me, as she often did, OF her
fathers great sufferings and the patience
and fortitude with which he bore them.
Poor child! The greatest martyr and hero
that ever existed was as nobody in COM
parison with Captain Leslie in his daugh-
ter's eyes, and | was glad to know 1t, for,
thought I, such a devoted daughter can
hardly fail to make good wife
Meanwhile my affairs went on in the
most hourishing manner. 1 passed my
final examination with flying cOlors, and
immedia tely afterwards was lucky enough
TO be offered the post of house surgeon to
one of the London hospitals Nor was thai
all-my grandfather, my only living rel
alive, and on whose bounty 1 was main
iy dependent, himself a retired physician
was delighted at my success, and wrote
10 say that when l had been at the hospit
al three years and gained a certain amour
of necessary experience he would buy mt
a practice and enable me to make star
on my own account.
How overlooking my heart was with joy
no words of mine can express.
The next day / started for London, anC
Mary came to see me off.
Only three years to wait, my darling,
sad to her "and then s ~, .,,,,,,,
There Is nothing like work and plent!
of 1t to make the time pass quickly, an'
cure. the three years stipulated by m.
grandfather slipped away in no time
Mary and l had correspondent regularly
and now we both agreed that the time ha'
arrived, when Captain Leslie must be toll
of our engagement. So l wrote.
I commenced with little penitence TO
wOoing his daughter without his knOWl
edge making the excuse that l did not Xix
to break the news to him until l was i
q. position to ask for his daughters hand
and wound up by saying that / should b
the last man in the world to separate ia
Their and child, and begged therefore tina
for the future he would take up his pei
maaent abode with us.
I received his apsE er by return of pos
Such a letter as could only have bee
penned by man frenZied with rage. Sui
flee it to say that after heaping every il
suit on me that 1t was possible for on
man to use to another, Capt. Leslie absC
lutely forbade my communicating again
any sort of way with his daughter, VIII
would, he informed me, write and tell m
that she desired no more of my attention
Mary's letter ran thus
Dear Mr.. Vereker: My father havin
other views for me, regret that came
think of accepting your proposal. Wisl
ing you every success, l remain, yours sin
oerely, Mary Leslie"
| felt chilled to the heart as 1 read i
and for a moment angry, but only for
moment for how could ! blame her, poo
child? Then l tore both letters into
thousand fragments and threw them I'M
the fire.
How / stood the sudden shock I had r
ceived / don't know; 1 believe, though, tn;
hard work enabled me to bear it. Many
man, / fancy, similarly situated, with tin
to brood over his wrongs-which l he
not, thank Heaven--would have mat
away with his existence from sheer I'M
bility to bear the strain upon the nerv'
chilled by the sudden reaction.
1t was different with me, ! fought again
my great trouble, with all my strengt
and came out the victor 1t made ms
IF me. in fact had done with love 70
ever, and l determined for the future
live for my profession, and that only.
| made a clean breast of 1t to my gran
father and begged him, instead of star
ing me in practice, to provide me wi
funds to enable me to go abroad al
study in the great hospitals on the CO
unent. A man of the world, and ami
tiOus for me as l was for myself, he
once consented
I lent my hospital in London and we
abroad at once, spending some time
Paris Vienna and Berlin. l had alwa
taken a great interest in all nervous di
orders and diseases of the brain, al
having determined to make this ST
calty with me for the future, L ma
these particular ailments my specl
study. AS it turned out, it was lucl
resolve on my part.
Returning to England at the explI
Lon Of four years, my grandfather Il
hlled his promise, and bought me pre-
Qce in the country. l had not be
there quiet a year before an event ha
pened which proved the turning point
my career.
The Marchioness of Lancaster, W
lived close by, whose servants attend'
was taken suddenly and dangerously
with what everybody thought was al
peXy; therefore, the best physician
the day was summoned from London,
addition to their own medical man fr'
ihe neiShboring town of -. Both ga
Aer up at once. The marquis, who "
devoted to his wife, and whose. gr
was pitiful to see, had always been friel
y TO me, and as a last resource he 81
!or me. / thought ! saw q chance
me patient, and said so. Never sinai
forget the family doctors look, VIII
having explained my views on the, m
YER the husband. half beside himself "
tfet, babe me lose no time in try
me experiment l proposed.
MY patient was insensihle, and had d.
20 Tor hours-was / In time? Ihat
the question. Thank heaven, | Wasl