LITERATURE.

Globe, Volume VIII, Issue 964, 28 July 1877, Page 3

LITERATURE.

MY FIRST PATIENT. By Cammie. ( Continued ) ‘ Oh, they are in town again !’ be said. ‘ But that pretty governess is not with them ’ —this with a sidelong glance at me ‘ Mrs Mason said something about family affairs and a runaway match —but that woman does run on so that I can never follow her. I felt the treacherous blood leaving my face as T asked—- ‘ Was Miss Bertram one of the parties concerned in the runaway match ?’ ‘ I don’t think so, ’ said Fred ; ‘ but I cannot assert anything, because 1 paid so little attention to what was said.’ My old friend, had you known the hours of misery these heedless words would cause me, you would certainly, knowing so little, have said nothing. Weeks and months dragged their weary length along and^ found me still dwelling hopelessly on the improbability of ever meeting my darling again. Sometimes in my dest air I almost resolved to write frankly to Mrs Mason, asking the true particulars of Miss Bertram’s departure, and stating my reasons for so doing. But would my worldly position justify such a step? Had I any right, supposing such a thing possible, to bind a beautiful and accomplished woman by a promise which she might not be called upon to fulfil for years ? No—better that I should endure anything than claim such a sacrifice at the hands of the woman I loved. Then this Clokesham practice was offered me on most advantageous terms by one of my father’s old friends. More to please my mother than from any interest I felt in the future, I accepted it, and was now on my way to commence legitimately my professional career. My predecessor at Clokesham, Doctor Black, remained a week with me. ‘ I must introduce vou to your patients and some of their little peculiarities, for a knowledge of the latter is quite as essential to your success, my boy, as any diploma in the world.’ The evening on which he left me is still fresh in my memory. As I write, the scent of wood violets coming through my open window takes me back to the walk to the station when I bade the kindly old man farewell. At last, then, I was ‘the Doctor, and during my walk home I experienced much the same sensation as on the occasion of my first visit to church alone —an overwhelming sense of the importance of the occasion, mingled with a strong desire that nobody should share with me the knowledge of the novelty of my position. Events crowd on my memory as I look back to the first morning after Doctor Black’s leave taking, I was sitting over my solitary breakfast, wondering what the day would bring forth to take me out of myself, when a respectable servant-man came quickly up the walk, haste visible in every movement. ‘Now my first patient,’ I said to myself, as ho was shown in. * Please, sir, Mr Talbot says will you step up at once? His niece, Mrs Freeman, is very bad with her heart —a swoon I think they call it.’ ‘I will be there as soon as you,’l said, looking round for my hat. ‘ Which is Mr Talbot’s ?’

‘ The large square stone house t’other end of the village, sir.’ ‘Very well, I will come at once.’ Benjamin Talbot is a member of the Society of Friends, and in spite of his many eccentricities, is as true-hearted a gentleman as ever breathed. Though he lives rigidly by the rules of his sect himself, he always readily makes allowance for others’s laxity, and his views upon things in general are invariably distinguished by the absence of all narrow-minded sectarian prejudices. He came to meet me in the hall, his pleasant face clouded with anxiety, and at once burst into an ejaculatory explanation of matters entirely incomprehensible to me. ‘ Poor young thing—broken-hearted—no wonder—journey too much —never ought to have gone—only six months married.’ At last,despairing of gaining any satisfactory information, I interrupted him. ‘ Don’t you think it would be better for me to see the lady at once?’ I soggested. ‘ Yes, Doctor, yes. Come this way. But she is better now.’ We crossed the hall and entered the sombre and darkened dining-room. At the far end, in a large easy-chair, was a lady in deep mourning, who rose languidly and turned as we came up the room. The machinery of my heart seemed to catch and stop altogether as I drew nearer and recognised my darling—my lost love —of whom I had never ceased to dream. Forgetful for the moment of everything but that we were once more face to face, I exclaimed—- ‘ How happy I am to see you again !’ Then I suddenly thought this must be the Mrs Freeman for whom I had been fetched; and the bitter knowledge that she was another man’s wife rushed across me. I stood mute with misery, while an expression of the most unbounded astonishment crossed her face ; and then I remembered her abrupt departure from Mrs Mason’s. Could there bo any cause for mystery, for silence as to the past. I stood waiting. ‘ Have you then met my niece before, Mr Preston ?’ said Mr Talbot, sharing the surprised expression on her face. ‘ No,’ I stammered “ That is, I thought to acknowledge a previous acquaintance, I recovered myself by a desperate effort. “I mistook Mrs Freeman for some one else,” I said, bowing. “ J-he must excuse my mis take—indeed, the likeness itself is sufficient excuse; it is marvelous!’ She never liinched, but with the old, sweet smile, held out her hand, saying—- ‘ 1 wish I could claim old acquaintance — it is always so pleasant tp meet unexpectedly; but, as it is, I hope we shall soon be good, though not old friends. ’ I bowed —words would not come just then this perfection of acting astonished me so that I became absolutely silent. I took her hand, glad of the few moments’ respite, while I felt her pulse. ‘ She arrived only last night,’ aaid Mr Talbot—* has been travelling, almost without stopping, all the way from the Capo, and I expect she has over exerted herself. Eh, Mary ?’ {To he continued .)