Year: 1869

Don't, pray. Have patience, and all will
yet be well,'' whispered Grace Ross,


leaving her untouched breakfast and
kneelng at her husband $ feet, so that she
could lay her hands upon his breast, and


let her blue eyes look up appealingly in


his.


The Ross folks, rs people in Elderly
called them. were in sad straits. Some
two years before. with little money in


hand, John Ross had come to settle with


his young wife in the pleasant country
town, having made his calculations that


he would get no practice as the new doc


tor for the first year--at least, none to


signify-but that he could furnish his


house quietly, and live dccentiy for that


first year, while what little he did earn


would 60 to his remaining cash, and add
to what he gained during the second year,


which he hoped would be something, if
not considerable, at least enough to en-.
able them to what he called :" rub along


But John Ross did not know the preju


dice of small towns, and he soon found


that he was looked down upon with con.
tempt BY the old practitioner; not know
by those who considered themselves the
gentry of the place, and viewed general
ly with suspicion by the poorer and mid
die classes. He might have possessed
the skill of the Royal College of Surgeons
condensed into one man, but the people
of Elderly would still have shaken their
heads at him. And knowing all this,
Tompkins, the old surgeon. used to
chuckle and rub his hands, killing some
and curing Others, and year by year
growing richer, telling himself that the
new man would soon grow tired and go,
for after all said and done, it was a great
piece Of impudcnce to come and set up
in Elderly without his leave. But things
had gone very crookedly with the Ross
people, and in spite of every exertion
John Ross found himself at the end Of
two years and some months pcnniless.
and without chance of bcttering his
position. 1t seemed as if the people
would have none of him, and again and
again he was for trying some other place.
But after long discussion his wife and
he always bore in mind the old proverb
OF a rolling stone gathering no moss,and
knowing that it would be like going
through their troubles again, without
money, they concluded that it would be
better to fight on hopefully, keeping their
poverty hidden as much as possible, and
waiting patiently for better days.


But though it was easy enough to talk
Of keeping thei- poverty hidden. that is
no slight matter in country town; and
if John Ross and his wife could have
known all, they would have found that
the Elderly people generally knew the
a shilling they owed baker and butcher;
how that their landlord fully expected
they would give him notice from quarter
to quarter, and had promised the first Of
fer of the house to some one else. In
short, their affairs were made to be so
bad, that peopleused to shake their heads
and wonder how folks could be SO proud
and keep up appearances as them Roses,
when they we're almost starving, Lord
bless you!


John Ross would never take any notice
of the small tattling Of the people, or he
might have resented the fact that Tomp-
kins had spoken very disparagingly Of
his ability. But he was too wise man.
He hoped that times would mend, and
gave every spare minute to the study OF
his profession, working late overy night,
and merely taking such exercise as was
absolutely necessary for his health. p


But it must not be imagined that no
practice fell to his share, for the poor
hocked to him in spite of the i'll success
that attended his efforts in the first year
Of his coming. In fact, Tompkins made
great capital out Of the death of a fever
patient whom Mr.. Ross was called in to
attend, when the young surgeon had told
his wife that he was convinced that no
human power could have saved the strick-
en- one. However, people would talk and
shake their heads, and say what a pity it
was such an inexperienced person had
been called in, etc and it was not until
the young surgeon had performed several
clever cures in gratis cases, that the
poorer people favored him with their
patronage, giving him much trouble, few
thanks. and seldom any pay afut


Look at that said John Ross one
day, two nurses passed the window in
charge Of perambulator fitted with an
awning, and containing fine looking
boy Of some twelve months old" look
at that" be said bitterly. "Why, /
should think what is spent upon that
child is nurse and dress would be CON-
Portable income for us. 1t is enough to
make any man cnvious to see how un-
equally money 10 distributed. There are
those people, the Westerns, rolling in
wealth, and without labor to gain it,
while the more fight and struggle. the
worse of am. What do they know of
trouble Grace, my girl" he cried pas.
sionately, % wish had never married
you, to drag you down to this poverty"


"Ilush! oh, hush," sobbed Mrs. Ross,
tho tears streaming down her cheeks.
" Have we not been happy through it all.
snd have ever seemed to mind? Bepa
ticnt, and times will brighten, but please
-plcase--don't--speak-"


Mrs. Ross could say no more. for her
sobs choked her utterance. Her husband $
words had seemed to cut her to the heart,
for of late lie had grown more bitter and
less hopefJl. Insteai Of flying to his
books for comfort, and studying hurd he
had grown moody and peevish, in spite
OF her loving attentions; and many a
night while he slept had her pillow been
wet with tears ms she vaiuly tried to
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