The semi-weekly messenger. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1897-1908, 1897-12-21

not imagine 1t was dull, Tor it mas fuIl
OF interest. As usual it had but one
fault, and that was, that you say far
too little OF yourself! Do Won not
know it is Of you I would rather hear
than OF anything else? You tell me
how nicely your little hospital is pro-
crossing, and OF the successful work
ing OF many of our other little schemes.
so as these could not possibly be in ex-
istence without you, I can realize how
hard you must be working. There are
others, though, who take pity on me,
and send me news Of you. Poor Dick
thinks he has not e succeeded in
cutting me OUT and begins to feel
that you will never understand the real
feelings hidden away in his manly
bosom! Mother, too, writes me that
you seem overworked, n are fast
trying to shirk your social duties, and
spend all your enegies on hobbies or,
as I e she is inclined to think,
waste your sweetness on the desert
air. But I am still longing for the
day when I can come home and work
in partnership with you once more!
I can scarcely believe that only six
months have passed since / left home;
1t seems almost as many years.
IAN still I am very happy. W.
never can complain of u hours here;
there Is always something going on to
fill them. With five young men in the
house, you may imagine the times are
often pretty lively; then my LUZ al
ways has some young girls staying
here to keep her company. so the house
is pretty full, and the leisure hours
are nearly as busy as the business
ones. 1 told o how we'll Fred was
getting along? Well his success is
something wonderful, and everybody
loves him that even the cats and dogs
look happy when he comes near them,
to say nothing Of the women.
You know I have always a a
great taste for medicine, and working
first with you and now with Fred has
so fascinated me that I have decided
to go in in earnest and come out a
legitimate M. D. What do you think
of this scheme? I have been doing a
good deal Of preparatory study for sew
eral months, but in n week I begin
work at the medical school. And nov
you see for another three ears I shall
be getting poorer instead of richer, but
when I have concluded the three years
course n come out with anything
like decent honors, my uncle will pro-
vide the capital, I will hang out my
sign, and the death rate will at once
begin to increase.
II have told you all about my work,
but nothing about my ~recreatiOns, have
I? Well, as I have said, my aunt al
ways has with her two or more young
ladies-she thinks it SO unfortunate
for boys to grow up without the in
f1uence of nice girls-so they have to
be entertained, though I will confess
they do their share! There are card
parties, theatre parties, teas, lunch
cons, dances, and all the regular o
tine Of social doings that go on every
where, but, to tell you the truth, I
don't take as much interest in such
things rs I should do, and am always
glad when my place can be filled by
one Of the other boys.
but the length of his letter is over
whelming, and I will reserve the rest
of my news for another time. I am
afraid my long letters will have to be
few and far between for some months
now as every moment will be taken
up with my work, but the short ones
will come as usual, no work shall inter-
fere with that pleasure-making you
bear me in mind.
"With much love for all at home,
believe me, as ever, yours affectionate-
ly, Wallace.
Jan. 1st.
MY Dearest Mag: I wrote You a
long letter just before Christmas, but
again to-day, at the beginning of this
new year, I must send you all good
wishes and sincere hopes that the new
year will bring you much happiness
and prosperity. I have made s. mary
efforts to get to you during the past
six months, since you have had SO
much trouble and undergone SO many
| changes at home. You have had your
hands and heart so full that I can
quite realize that you have been I'M
able to send me your usual long let
tiers, and I have felt very much at a
| lass to know what your plans for the
future were to be. However, thanks
to the DEAR, ever faithful Dick, from
whom 1 had a long newsy letter two
| or three days ago, I have had my mind
| put at rest on many points that hav
| troubled me.
H tells me that as you m others
dea,, has left you entirely alone and
independent you have decided to give
yourself up to the carrying out of your
lifelong hobby, to organize a real hos
pital for our village, and become head
nurse yourself! He also says that in
stead Of putting up an entirely e
building, you are going to have your
old house in the village enlarged and
remode::ed for hospital purposes, etc.
The building will be ready for use in
another six months, I understand.
81 feel sure you will hardly believe
me when I tell you that Early two
years and four months ave passed
over our heads since I wrote that let
ter telling you of my decision to be-
come a physician. I car scarcely be-
lieve it myself ave been 50 in
terested in my work that the tins
has fairly flown. In another five
months 7 will have taken my 1egren
and I shall once more launch out into
the weird Of one making. My uncle
has been more than kind, and insists
on starting me out in my profession
just as he does his own boys. Fred
also has offered me a post as assistant
to him.: so you see my prospects are
pretty bright. But before I settle or
my couIse I want first to consult With
YOU.
Gyou Epou T bo y-o a1v,avc hoop any.