Highland recorder. (Monterey, Highland County, Va.) 1877-1972, 1902-12-05

years my senior, welcomed me
cordially into his circle. I respected
the great truths e1pounded by my
learned friend. My daily life and
habits were not in discord with a
churchman's rule. I had no vices
not because my principles were SO
strongly against them, but L had III
herited a rugged will from my father,
and, like him, I considered man who
allowed himself to be controlled by
vicious tastes fool.
My acquaintance continued gradu'
ally to grow. I knew plenty OF young
ladies, but was not ladies' man. J
knew large number of young men,
some who like myself were but start
ing out in their chosen life-work, and
others who had no need to grind, but
who were the fortunate sons OF wealthy
men.
Nor was my acquaintance limited
to the younger element of San Fran.
cisco society. I was the recipient OF
many gracious bows and handshakes
from the substantial men and women
of the lark street congregation, some
of whom lived in fine residences or
Mob Hill.
I also became a member of the
Golden Gate Club. club composed
of many of the prominent and most OF
the rising men Of San Francisco. In
the comfortable club-rooms I spent
many pleasant hours. L had been
proposed for membership by Arthur
Langston, then q young lawyer, whose
success at the bar just about equaled
my own success as physician.
Langston and had met at some OF
the social gatherings, in which [ was
beginning to be-or, at least, to feel
like-a familiar figure. My legal
friend was possessed of no more OF
this worlds goods than I was. But,
being a shrewd, capable fellow, his
practice gradually began to show
signs of life. Langston was gay man;
at least. his mind was always at ease,
and he took a humorous view of life.
He was favorite with all who knew
him. I regarded him in the light of a
brother. On our evenings at the Col
den Gate Club, Langston and / could
almost invariably be found at the same
table.
When ] was not at the Golden Gate
or attending to my professional duties
or lounging in my comfortable office,
reading, my unoccupied moments
were generally spent talking to an
other new friend, Phister by name,
who kept well-appointed drug.st
near my office. He was good fell
low, somewhat prosy, it is true, but,
on the whole. On agreeable compan"
ion.
NV associates at the boarding
house remained almost strangers to
me, for I was there very little. I
generally got my breakfast there, and
sometimes my lunch, but Langston
and T were extravagant enough to
partake of our dinner at the Golden
Gate.
Langston had more of my conf
dence than any other person in San
Francisco. If the time ever came
when needed legal assistance, Lang
ston was the lawyer, of all lawyers,
whom I would favor with my dis.
tinguished patronage. And he, if he
needed medicine, would come to me.
But neither of us needed the other.
Many and many time did we linger
over our coffee and plan brilliantly
for the future; and when the walls of
our castles became dangerously high,
we would tumble them down with a
laugh and find companions for whist
table.
Matters progressed in this way for
nearly year. Gradually my little
practice grew, and with care I could
live within my income. Ny circle OF
friends slowly increased as well, and /
began to feel myself in sphere which
might in time becomes useful as we'll as
a paying one. My main ambition now
was to have practice that would
enable me to live well and keep a
span of fast horses. 1t looked very
business like, 1 thought, for a doctor
to be seen driving furiously through
the streets, as if the lives of his
patients depended more on the speed
of his horses than on his skill.
I expected no change in my plans.
I was anchored in San Francisco, and
expected to spend my life there. !
had heard and read of creatures OF
fortune, swept here and there by the
tide of unexpected events; but in my
prosaic, humdrum life there was moth.
ing to indicate that such fate was in
store for me.
Perhaps it was better that it was so.
One dark night in December, after
L had my dinner and made a few un'
important professional visits, I was
thrown on my own resources to pass
away the time, by the fact that Langs.
ton had very pressing business en-.
gagement out of town. AS was usual
at such times, I wandered into
Phister's. Phister was talkative, and
as that suited my mood, sat musing,
unheeding The flight of time. The
wind began to blow, and the rain
came down in torrents.
"Crickmore, said Phister, peering
from behind his colored bottles out
into the night, "this is the worst
San Francisco has had in five years.
You are lucky not to be out in this"
"Possibly," I said, with some
doubts. CT am lucky to be in here,
and then again possibly I am not.
You forget that I have got to go out in
the rain to get home"
"Not a bit of it, doctor. Just you