Catoctin clarion. [volume] (Mechanicstown, Md.) 1871-1940, 1902-10-30
CHAPTER I.
STARTING OUT IN THE WORLD.

coffee did not taste rs it should. Either
it lacked aroma, or lacked apprecia-
ton of it. | sat at the table, IDLY
watching the people come and 60
Some would rush i'll as If all OF lilo
must he crowded into the next half
hour, hastily give au order. swallow
the meal when it came as If mastlca7
ton WAS one of the last acts OF their
lives, and rush out again. These peoI
pie evidently begrudged the timo ih
took to pay the bill. Others would
saunter leisurely in, scan the entire
place with Il cool, scrutinizing stare,
pick out the table promising the most
elbow room and calmly await the ar
rival of their dinner.
1t was at noon. | had finished my
midday meal in restaurant in San
Francisco, and sat thinking, not very
placidly, of the scenes around me, and
also OF my uncertain prospects in GER
tain game called ''life," in which was
about TO start as q professional man.
l had just graduated from the Ann Ar
Dor Medical College, and equipped
with my diploma, few hundred dol
lars and what of experience and hope
attaches to twenty-six years of age, l
had come West to build up prac-
tice.
had but recently reached the
Golden Gate of the great Western
slope, and had spent the first few
days "seeing things" But now |
had had my fill Of idleness. [ was
anxious to get to work, both for the
/ pleasure of occupation and the 1inan-
cial emoluments thereof, Of which l
would soon be in need.
was practically alone in the world
Tt had not been 50 up to the second
year of my college life. My father
was a merchant of St Louis. He was
very fond of me. He and | were 0ll
that were left of small family. He
had generously provided for me dur
ing my schooI-days, and been ex-
tremely liberal as to my allowance
after entered the university.
But he succumbed to sudden
attack of pneumonia, leaving me en-
tirely alone. He left no large estate.
After settling up his affairs, found
myself with enough money to com
fortably see me through college and
leave to me tae little / now possessed
as working capital"
| had not yet opened an Office. That,
was to be my work that afternoon; so,
shaking of the somewhat morbid spirit
that had come over inc, | paid my
bill, and strolled ont OF the restaurant.
| had noticed in some of my walks
through and around the city that I'M
the northern suburb, where many new
houses were being built, there were
comparatively few physicians signs
In this direction [ turned my steps.
I did not know soul in San Fran,
cisco, save those whose acquaintance
l had made during my present short
soiourn. But I was full of the pluck
cf youth. My ambition was to be-
come successful practitioner and,
some time, to be the owner of one OF
the beautiful fruit ranches that make
California famous.
[ experienced little difficulty in
securing an oiiice. The rent, after all,
was a trihe higher than ] had expected
to pay; but, after something of
search among dingy and ill-ventilated
places, / fell in with the gooa-natured
ianitor of fine new flat, who offered
me at what was really reasonable
figure the four front rooms of tue first
Goor. This would leave him and his
wife the four rear rooms-all they
needed for their comfort. The rooms
were finely decorated and we'll lighted;
aud as flats were something of nov
city in San Francisco, paid deposit
and concluded the bargain, reasoning
to myself that the very novelty of itself
would serve as al advertisement.
[ expended four hundred dollars in
getting my new abode furnished. The
front room, which, if occupied by q
family, would bo the parlor, L fur
nished neatly but not expensively as a
reception and waiting-room; next to
this my consulting and operating-room;
then small, cosy affair of library,
in which I stored my books, instru-
ments, cabinets, skeletons, relics and
the various trophies incident to stu
dent life.
I had good lot Of books, OF which
/ was very proud. Part of them were
medical works had purchased dur
ing my college career, but the greater
portion of them had been my fathers.
Back of the library was my bedroom.
Having arranged these things to my
satisfaction, after careful survey, L
considered myself the best-located
physician on the hill. I listened with
degree of pride to the lauda-
tory remarks of my friend, the JAM
tor, and his cstimable wife. who fain
would believe mo already on the road
to professional glory. In fact, I had
yet to earn my first dollar. Next door
to my fiat motherly sort of woman
kept boarding-house Acting upon
the advice, freely given, of the jani-
tor, l made an engagement at this
boarding house to take my meals
there.
Nothing could exceed the pride with
which 1 contemplated the perfecting
of my plans. The last thing in the
completion thereof was sign, which
I had already ordered of brass
worker downtown. gazed with par-
donablo pride at the shining affair
when / had screwed it to the door
post. 1t seemed 10 me the most or