The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1900-03-04
HER NEUTRALITY-SUSPICIOUS.
WRECK OF A YOUN0 MEDICAL ca
REER AT palestine, OHIO.

I'll. s,.rx,,v Do,tor and the Myster,ou,
P,ti,nt About whom tho Rich Maiden
Lady Consulted Him Indignation OF the
Public Mistaken Notions About u Loan.
,rhs man Of eIperiencs was submerged in ,sriou,
,h,uSh,
81 Am vary much disturbed he said, -ovsr a
n.,.p,usr account o. tbs iroubls that has bofallsn
Young physician down In Virginia. Thi,
Young man Is a total stranger 70 me, but | sym.
pathi,s with him for all that II seems that all
nj. difficulties were brought about by a mistake
IN measuring out medicine. Anyway, tho patient
h,- been brought 10 tho brink Of the grave by
,oIudlciou, meddlinx with Doctors stuff, and the
Nh ysc!an IL about to be hauled over the Goals for
criminal Juggling with the human constitution.
Poor fellow | know lust how he feels. Ididn't
lack much OF being In the same fix myself once.
II was only a miracle that saved me"
Tho young an who smokes, coughed incredu.
ously. That 81" he exclaimed. How did
that happen7 didn't know you were ever a
physician"
Nor returned the man OF experience, com
p~lacsntly. Well, | was. | haven't practised
for a good many years, but | still know a thing or
two. Twas a very young man when nrst turned
nv attention u the medical profession. | read
diligently with q successful country doctor for a
couple OF yea rs. Aftsrward I attended . medical
school In Cincinnati for q few months, and then
got my diploma. Then | looked around for q
town with Q reasonable amount OF sickness and
few doctors 10 attend 70 the patients. After .
canvass Of the Ohio Valley | decided upon the
little Town Of Palestine. Because Of the dalnpness
resulting from the annual overflow Of the Ohio
River, thrssiourths Of the nh abi,ants Of Palestine
were chronic sufferers from rheumatism. and as
the town was then without a doctor l naturally
expected 70 reap quite a harvest from Strengthening
out crooked legs and twisted arms and soothing
aching backs. But with ,hs proverbial porverse-
ness Of fate, the river refused 10 go on lis customary
rampage that spring. and within two weeks after
| had settled down In my little crazy,quilt cottage
ct the foot OF Main street. crutches wore abandoned
for the hrst time within the memory Of tho Oldest
inhabitant, medicine bottles were thrown into
ash barrels and every trace Of illness disappeared
from the town.
"This WAS hard lines. but | resolved TO make
the bo,t ~ the situation. For several months |
bore u lY burden Of enforced inactivity Then
| reac,'. the silver lining to my cloud Of disap-
pointment About the beginning OF Angus, |
found a patient Mrs Leyick. my housskesper,
ridiled her with sharp glances OF disapproyal as
she ushsred her into my office. A patient had so
ong been an unknown quantity In our lamentabls
experience that the poor soul WAS inclined to
look upon any one see,ing medical advice a, that
late day as a harbtngsr Of owl. But l was dis
turbed by no such feeling OF distrust Ireoognizsd
my visitor al once, | had never spoken 10 her.
but | had seen her several tines and knsw that
She WAS Miss Claudia Short. the owner Of the big
red brick house on the crest q, Nobls Hi to ths
south OF the village. This was, by all odds. the
finest residence in the reighborhOcd and its occu-
pants were looked up TO by all the village and farm
folks as sovereigns ruling over their righul
principally. Miss Short WAS several years older
than myself. but she was still a young woman;
thatis' she was young ~ We reckon ages nows
days although thsn and In that community she
was spoken OF as an old maid, for In those days
any woman who reached the age OF "a and wa,
still unmarried was irretrevably los, In the est.
nation OF her neighbors, and Miss Short, SO | had
been told, had already turned 30.
Mons OF theas abstruse points arose 10 v-1
ms, when shs sat beiors ms In my cluttered-up
little Office and said: DR. Jackson, there is = case
Of sickness in town | should Ike you to see about
Yes" said |, hspetully. Then Rheumatism
hasn't got q start again at this time OF the year
has 1t" | added. with q pitiiul attempt at face
tiousness.
She caught the latent disappointment lurking
In my question and tho quiet sym patty of her
smile when she answered went straight to my
heart
NO she said, It Is still in absyancs. Thi,
disease IL, | fear. something more subtle than that
STANDARD complaint
Al are you the patlsnt~ I asked, hssltat-
ingly
Miss Short drew back her lsft hand quickly
and hid Il beneath the folds Of her skirt oh,
dear no., she r,turned ,Idisnossof m u had a.,
.h. ,.uah, % a., 49,, -,
IL iouHn'i' ~ 'h'' you shoulu you Do unAble
to restrain your natural inclination TO count pulse
beats, NAV be handicapp.d in vop, tpve.,ie.tior
..a,. ur '"s"NoA
! ASSURE you my res3lt""oh anu puisacon are
normal. | am In perfect health. The patient
whose case demand, your .ttap.i,n Il, rv.,r,,
e m.....mL. "uAN
assertion that she herself stool in no need OF med
zeal advice She was A ch,yminv von.r .nb
-, -, 49,. -, -, NO.
eho"'u na'' oseh s'aa' ihieeu' 70 proher my ser
vices. But things being a. they we're. | was quite
willing TO wait upon her rslative.za .rhs,i-,,.
IT,.
"h''e uo'' your "uh' AVE- l asked Is she
-'Oh. yes said Miss Short 'Sh, live. -J,A
49, wan
III"
With your | exclaimed. Why, II undor-
stood that YOU lived alone
al
l 'ah . WISH re'ieNlh1 ule mal'er no" that
Miss Short would have been justified in boxing
~ -
ing norSSii U mr. Hshls sue hltcheu her chair