Spirit of the age. [volume] (Woodstock, Vt.) 1845-1913, 1897-05-08

IIltNRklS 10 begin with, 1
l took up medicine
~-' comparatively late
in life. They had made an architect
of me, but soon found myself kick.
ing vigorously against that honorable
profession. After deal OF persuasion
I was allowed to enter as student at
Bart's. and for two years worked
hard.
l read good deal at the British
Museum, like other fellows, from the
Sth of August, 1SS-, always at the
B. IL seat.
Why, you ask, always at that place?
Well, because it was on that date
that the most charming little woman l
ever saw first came and occupied the
seat marked B II. I hoped she would
keep to that seat, and so she did. The
pile of books she used daily staggered
me, and OF course it would have been
troublesome to alter the indications
on all her reference slips if she had
changed or been ousted from B IL.
From the 9th of August, 1SS-, it
was generally toss up which of us
was the first reader to appear in the
reading room. The assistants often
smiled.
Her name was Bella Whitcomb. l
learned that very soon. An official
left one OF her slips on my table by
mistake. She had asked for Strauss's
famous "Lecture on Cardiac Trou.
bles." and the slip came to me marked
"In use." had the greatest pleasure
in the world in returning the slip to
her with a smile. Then she smiled
back at me with those sweet, brown
eyes of hers and remarked, "What a
nuisance! did so want it"
After this we often exchanged words.
Trivial words Any pretext was good
enough for me that procured me a
glance or smile from her.
did not get on at all with studies.
If had not been fool (from the pro-
fessional point OF view, / should have
bolted to the W or Y part of the room ;
but I had come to the conviction that
it was more enjoyable to fail in my
exams. and see Bella every day than
pass with distinction at the cost of
severance from her.
Blissful, lazy, heart breaking, anxious
hoursl Day after day, from half-past
nine until three with an interval OF
three. quarters of an hour for lunch.
Bella was brought to the Museum
every morning by maid; the maid
took her off for lunch, and the maid
was always waiting among the pigeons
under the portico from five minutes to
three in the afternoon.
There was no getting rid OF that
precious abominablo domestic.
When we had known each other a
month l proposed (it was wild, foolish
thing to do) to accompany her toward
Bayswater on an omnibus. The maid
was to go inside, she and I outside.
But it was no 60.
"My father wouldn't like it, Mr..
Marrable," she said, with sympa.
thetic smile.
I tried whispering conversations
about the weather, text books, exams.
and SO on; but, to say nothing OF the
frowns l raised on other studious faces
and formal protest from the gentle.
man ON his throne in the middle O.
the room, Bella did not greatly en-
courage me.
81 am here to work." she wrote OF
q slip at one time and pushed this to
ward me.
1t will hardly be credited, but os
tentatiousy put that slip to my lip
and then folded it and placed it il
my watch.pocket-the heart pocket
How she looked at me when / dit
this. An ordinary girl would hav
giggled. She did not giggle, an;
thenceforward her smiles were no
quite what they had been. The pen
sive seriousness in them, however
made her more and more dear to me
Even when, for joke, recommends
her to ask for Spencer ON "Shoulde
Blades"-a well.known absurdity-sh
only gave me little reproving nod @
her pretty head, with the bronze col
ored hair and the tiny shell ears.
So it went on until November, whe
] could bear it no longer. knew les
!. about surgery and medicine than j
. July.
: 81 must speak to you at luncheon,
I whispered to her that morning NJ
4 face impressed her. Besides, ther
was another reason why she shoul
assent.
We came out among the Egyptia
!. tombs, mummies and things. tol
her she was everything to nellie
/ blood, ambition, happiness, and, d
, was right, she believed me. Bette
: still, she admitted that l was much t
her.
! "But, Philip" she added Il We
, holding her hand; we had wandere
into Greek statnary room, wher
there was no soul else), ''it must n
depend upon my father. If you satisG
him, l shall be a very happy girl.
The Greek statues had, daresay
seen great many people kiss eac
other two or three thousand years agt
Q br. they never saw more earne
, exchana of such tokens of affection
i than ours.
/ "To. morrow. DEAR" said Belin, &C,
a II O'Clock, would be the best lime ft
!, !, him."
= An exciting but felicitous evenir
: followed, unmarried by my sister
;, scott at the idea of my marrying
: medicine woman-so she termed II
Bella.
But when / was at Bella's father
door l did not feel happy. What we
nv prospects? | had a hundred II ye
" OF my own nothing else.
OF all things, too, Professor Viii
/ comb was teacher Of philosophy.
6 is ust those men who are so concernt
e with ideals that look so tremendous
/ sharp after the downright materi
y good things of this life.
e The gentleman disconnected me fro
the outset by his formal manners al