The tribune. (Rich Hill, Mo.) 1900-1902, 1902-05-01

TAI COUNTRY DOCTOR.


live IN this county al my nfo. Iys.
been practlelng medicine here nov foi
a little more than thirty years. II ha
not been exciting. but I have had :,
pretty good time after all. I've got q
lot Of friends here who would 80 :
GOOD way for me That's one consola
tiOn. and since I'm writing bchlna (,
screen Of anonymity. ! may say that
feel have MY share OF good IN IN,
world.
Ny folks did a great deal Cor me. Z
" more TO them than 10 anybods
else. Father was not q rich farmer
but when he proposed that | should 81
70 college ! jumped Al The proposluos
with ali the ~selhshness ami thought
fulneas Of youth.
In my second year al college ! dis
covered that { wanted to be a physician.
That meant three years more atudl
after I had taken my degree AZ a bach
tlor Of arts. Even that did not end Il
Three years al a medical college ans
one In q New York hospital only pre-
pared me for a couple Of years f.
Europe. I was actually selfish enough
h. propose that myself and my fathei
and mother concealed this dlsappoint
meat and insisted that I must do it
They we're determined that / shoult
lave every opportunity,
went 70 Europe and spent not twC
but three years in Vienna and Berlin
II was there that I came 70 ms senses
rcrhaps It was because whea Z hn
went over l was 20 homesick that
came 70 see what my folks had dons
Tor me and how utterly selfish I ha6
been in taking all they had offered. A
any rate ] did grow 20 realize Il and
determined 10 do what / could 70 max,
Il up 70 them. 80 lar as I was able.
Again, l am glad that am anony
nous. Tor II allows me 70 say that whet
/ did fnAlly aail for New York l va
better equipped 10 begin the practice
OF my profession than are more taal
nine-tenths Of the young doctors o.
lhs age Of =. had wen made a fes
little discoveries Of my own and ha
msds my name fairly well known By
series u articles on contagious de
eases IN she mediesl journals Of BOT.
Europe and America. Il vas not sur.
pfislng, therefore. that I should set a.
oner from a prominent physician O
New York Offering 20 take me in part
nenShip. Il was a catering oaer. fol
the ma had 6 huge practice and d
took no wise man 10 see that NeF
York would be for many years u'
greatest feid IN the country i0r
physician. no matter whether 4 !
ltoked st from the standpoint Of
financial success or purely professions
r,putauoa.
Before / gave him Al answer wen
On to the old home In lowe OF course
father and mother were both proud an
delighted 70 SeV me, ! soon found on
that they expected me TO settle dow
10 practice in BrutusviIle. We wcr
dTly!ng through the iqwh enc after
room wheu father pointed out a second
story room In the opera house bloc.
opposite the court house, and SAID
slyiy: John. doat you thipk Tia
would make 2 Eood loeaaga scr
doetor,a onice That vas enough
had announced my offer 20 80 % Ne
York they would have urged nae {
eeeopt and would have hidden the.
sorrow IN their pride Bat q woul
have broken their hearta, for the
wanted nae az home after these year.
Fortunately I saw Il all palnly, and
made up nay mind that I would nc
dlsappolnt then So ! said nothin
about the Neg York man Who wante
20 take me into %partnership and
yeek later I signed the tease q n
eaics father haA pointed out Tor
term Of two years.
OF oourse. 81 was slow work IN
people about Rruunsv,lle had new,
read or heard o. the medicai iourna
ID which nay ensys had appeared. q
espt as they had sesu shown abont I
my fond ola mother cad esea ,een
eld net mean much 20 them. Ny al
eoyerlea 10 me handling ~ c~on,ssio.
diroafcs had little feet except 10 rat
cF Ifrighion uhs isw peopla who b.
heard o. them Even the o.her doeto
we're rather Epaplcious % me th'
otherwise. I would be the las, % 2
ery The virtues 81 the eeuhtry doctor
fremenbcr ono old doctor in BruW
vile whsa I located there. lie vAa
nstural born physician and what
lacked Ga k~uowletFe 81 the now Al
cayerlcs ia hia proiessiua was $40
lhan made up By his native shreEdpe
end comon sense nis presence In =
.ek room was always IKE a breath
ftsh air lic was always cheerful Al
never failed 10 look on the bright 81
cf ovefythinE
Again behind my screen may 9
that wss an extremely skinl
,cung doctor and the people n q
a,ound Bfntpsyule were Quisk 20 4
III out when / pulled the four eht