Democratic messenger., 1904-04-16

he most envied of the village who
could sit by his side and hold the reins
over the back of the old mare. that
seemed to he just rs old as the doctor
and to know just as many family Sc
crets. yet il could not Gossip any more
than did its master. When the boy was
In trouble this kind old doctor would
place his fatherly hand upon the lads
shoulder and give him advice The
young maiden would smile under the
twinkle of his fatherly eye as he chat
ted To her of her first sweetheart. Even
the bees would buzz louder and the
dogs bark more happily. AMI their tails
would wag faster as the doctor drove
along. We remember the old black bag
he always carried and the long white
bandagcs he placed about the splnts
when we fell off the haymow and
broke our arm. The strange looking
bottles filled with pills-bottlcs that all
looked alike-and the pills. too. seemed
TO he the same
When the minister on the Sabbath
day entered the pulpit and gave out the
first hymn down the church aisle the
good old doctor would walk. lie was
always II little late for services. Doc
tors are always a little late. think
that is part of tf"ir education. 1t is
never digniiied for doctor To be on
time. In prayer meeting we loved TO
hear the good doctor pray. We have
heard a good many great and noted
ministers pray in our time. but we al
ways thought the old doctor prayed
better than any. He seemed to he so
near To God-he had seen so much trou-
BILE. When the poor family over the
hill was starving he bought them food
out of his own pocket We never knew
how much good he did until after the
frneral. He was part of every ones
life. He WAS the poor mans helper.
He was the rich mans friend
The Consecrated Doctor.
One day the news went flying over
the country roads. The doctor. the
good doctor is sick Was il not too
bad that he could not prescribe for
himself and take his own medicine?
If he had we know he would have be-
come well. But he could pray How
be did pray in his own siclroom.
Then one day the news went over the
country roads that the old doctor was
dead. While we were gathering in
the home where lay the wornout body
of the tired old physician | can imag-
inc that the good doctor went up To the
gates of the New Jerusalem and timid-
ly knocked. The gateman called out.
''Who is therc:" The old Christian
answered: "Only poor. wornout viii
lage doctor. who is advancing in
Christ's name. Can come in:" Then
the Lord God Almighty from his
throne called out: let him in, Let
him in, Let the village doctor come
in.' And the angels in the celestial
choir began to chime: Let him in.
Let the village doctor come in" Then
all the redeemed spirits over whose
earthly deathbeds he had lowered
cried: Let him in, Let our villaSe
doctor come i'm Then Christ himself.
the great Physician. came forth and
led the wornout man 10 one of the
highest thrones in heaven as he said:
'Come in. friend. Come in. This is
your throne. For was sick and We
visited me-"
Will you not believe in such consc-
Grated physician: Will you not he
lieve that 10y the sick bed faith can 20
hand in hand with works and the sur
geon's knife and that the physicians
prescriptions have part in the civi-
lization and the ChristianiZation of the
world: And will not You. o phySi-
clan. he Christian doctor. as well as
you. o layman. a Christian patient:
All honor, then, TO our Christian
physicians. whose calling and office
are thus divinely consecrate,l. and may
a blessing rest upon their earnest ef.
forts for the alienation of the physical
Affections of the human race.
Copyright. 1904. by Louis Klopschl