Year: 1873

One day in early winter, some years

 ago, was walking up the main stree

 of Stanton, town with which I wa.

 entirely unacquainted, never having

 visited it before. I knew of but two

 persons living in the town, and of the

 personal appearance of one of these

 had no recollection, not having seer

 him for twelve or fifteen years. The

 other did not remember ever having

 met. My presence in the place was

 caused by peculiar circumstances.

 My father, a country clergyman,

 dying when I was but eighteen, left me

 the village home in which I was born.

 l remained there with my mother and

 sisters, only leaving when it became

 necessary for me to attend medical

 lectures in distant city. I was but

 twenty-two when graduated, and with

 an extensive country acquaintance

 hoped and expected to soon build up a thriving practice.

 In less than a year after had put up my little tin plate upon the front gate, did very foolish thing. I indorsed a note for an old schoolfellow, who was starting in the drygoods business, in our village. The note was for three thousand dollars, payable in nine months, and was held by man who re- sided at distant place, I knew not where.

 This person, Samuel Bingham, had accepted my indorsement on the strength of letter I had written and given to Claxton (my school-friend), in which I stated my property was worth five thousand dollars. Bingham stated that he had known my father when he was in the habit of visiting our village, and that he also knew me, and so was satisfied with the indorsement.

 When Claxton returned from his suc- cessful negotiation, and told me that Bingham (who supposed was farmer) me, was surprised but as my father used to have great many visitors, 1t was no wonder that I did not recollect them all.

 But three months after that Claxton had an opportunity of buying for cash some auction goods at extraordinary low rates. He borrowed one thousand dollars, on another note at three months, with my indorsement!

 Before one month had elapsed, Clax- ton was entirely broken up by the of much older man, whom he had taken in as his partner; and when the thousand-dollar note fell due, I could not pay 1t, and my place was sold. It brought under the hammer fifteen hundred dollars That beautiful old house, with it's lawn, it's gardens and meadow-worth, as I had often been five thousand dollars, now sold for just enough to pay this wretch 9d note, to take my poor mother and sister to the home of a maternal aurt in he city, and to enable me to take board n 8 distant village, and there to en- leavor in an humble manner, to build | ID a practice. I might have staid | lmong our friends, but subsequent ec- 'urrences made this unpleasant even to hink Of.

 Bingham, hearing of the failure and he sale, came to our village, one day while I was in the city, and finding hat, when his bill came due, there would be absolutely nothing for him, ell into tremendous rage, which was visited principally upon me. I was 'coundrel and cheat to indorse anoth- IF note, and one, too, which cut out lis and to all the representations of ny friends that I had thought my property fully equal to the payment of both notes, if it became necessary, he ave not the slightest credence.

 When I returned, he had left; but I leard all this story, and soon found hat many persons believed that I had reated Bingham very badly; and that, he carried out his threat of making ne pay for this at some future day, he would be but serving me exactly right. 'o l set up my sign in the village of '-, and l now had been practicing or nearly six years. My sister was aarried, and my mother was living 7ith her, in the city.

 As matter of course, had not lived 0 long as this without falling in love, nd if you had seen Annie Tange, you 'ould not have been surprised at the act. Her father, the squire of the vil- age, had long been my friend, but

 proposed for her hand, eighteen lonths before the time at which I com lence my story, he had told me plain 7 that, although had good practice, nd had, what was for physician of ly age, very fair balance in bank, he ould never consent to his daughters larriage to man who did not own a ouse to which to take her. Accord lgly, being very much in love, and not the most patient disposition, I bought house and lot in the village-a foolish lece of business ; for, during the two lonths that had owned it, I had been l continual fear that Bingham would ear of 1t, and make his threatened escent upon me.

 Claxtou who was noxx ;n h,,aionms ;p | ,