The pioneer press. (Miller, Hand County, S.D.) 1893-190?, 1899-09-14

fN IN Doctors mouse
III Z Jean-Marie did his
NE- horse and carriage
duty in the morn
ing; sometimes
helped in the housework: sometimes
walked abroad with the Doctor, to drink
wisdom from the fountain-head; and
was introduced at night to the sciences
and the dead tongues. He retained his
singular placidity of mind and man.
ner; he was rarely in fault; but he
made only a very partial progress in
his studies, and remained much OF a
stranger in the family.
The Doctor was a pattern of regu-
tarity. All forenoon he worked on his
great book, the Comparative Pharma-
copoeia, or Historical Dictionary Of all
Medicines" which as yet consisted
principally of slips of paper md pins.
When finished, it was to fill many
personable volumes and to combine an
tiQuarian interest with professional
utility. But the Doctor was studious
OF literary graces and the picturesque;
an anecdote, touch Of manners, a
moral qualification, or sounding cpl
thet was sure to be preferred before
a piece Of science; a little more, and
he would have written the Compare
tive Pharmacopoeia" in verse! The
article "Mummia," for instance, was
already complete, though the remain
der Of the work had not progressed be-
yOnd the letter A. 1t was exceedingly
copdons and entertaining, written with
quaintness and color, exact, erudite, a
literary article; but it would hardly
have afforded guidance to a practicing
physician of to-day. The feminine
good sense of his wife had led her to
point this out with uncompromising
sincerity; for the Dictionary was duly
read aloud to her. betwixt sleep and
waking, as It proceeded toward an in
fnately distant completion; and the
Doctor was little sore on the subject
OF mnmmies, and sometimes resented
snsa alaiafnn wifs, o--~-sl~-e
After the midday meal and a proper
period OF digestion, he walked, some
times alone, sometimes accompanied
by Jean-Marie; for madam would have
preferred any hardship rather than
SValk.
she was. as I have said. very busy
person. continually occupied about ma
terial comforts. and ready to drop
asleep over q novel the instant she was
disengaged. This was the less objec-
tionable, az she never snOred or grew
distempered In complexion when she
slept On the contrary, she looked the
very picture Of luxurious and appetiz-
ing ease. and woke without start to
the perfect possession OF her faculties.
1 am afraid she was greatly An animal,
but she was a very nice animal to have
about. In this way she had little to
do with Jean-Marie: but the sympathy
which had been established between
them on the first night remained un-
broken; they held occasional CONVEX
Aations, Mostly ON household matters;
to the extreme disappointment Of the
Doctor. they occasionally sailed off to-
8ether to that temple of debasing su-
perstitdon. the village church; madam
and he, both in their Sundays best,
drove twice a month to Fontainebleau
and returned laden with purchases;
and In short, although the Doctor still
continued TO regard them as irrecon-
.calnbly antipathetic. their relation was
'as intimate. friendly. and confidential
as their natures suffered.
/ q fear, however, that In her heart of
hearts, madam kindly despised and
pitled the boy. She had no admiration
for his class Of virtues; she liked
smart, polite, forward. roguish sort Of
boy. cap in hand. light OF foot, meeting
the eye; she liked volubility, charm, a
little vice-the promise Of a second
Doctor Desprez. And 1t was her inde-
feasible belief that jean Marie was dull.
Poor dear boy" she had said once,
how sad 1t is that he should I've so
stupid" She had never repeated that
remark, for the Doctor had ragged like
a wild bull, denouncing the brutal
bluntness Of her mind, bemoaning his
own fate to be so unequally mated with
an ass, and, what touched Anastasie
more nearly, menacing the table china
by the fury of his gesticulatiors. But
she adhered silently to her opinion;
and when Jean-Marie was sitting,
stolid, blank, but not unhappy, over
his unfinished tasks, she would snatch
her opportunity In the Doctors absence,
go over to him, put her arms about his
deck, lay her cheek to his, and COM
municate her sympathy with his dis
tresA DO not mind" she would cay;