LETTER XIV.
Dear Charles,—Of course, you were not wrong in your
guess: I had a doctor at my elbow; and, as you insist, here
is an incident in his life; and one in which my friend sees
clearly the hand of a special providence.
Like many persons who have been distinguished in life,
he is the son of a worthy farmer. His father, who died
some twenty years ago, left his children little beyond a patriarch's
blessing. Hence my friend in early manhood, after
having completed a course of medical reading and study
under the direction of the best physician in Kaleidaville,
found himself unable, for want of pecuniary means, to attend
the medical lectures annually delivered in our larger cities.
While looking around for means of raising money, being
resolutely bent on completing his education, the company of
volunteers, of which he was a member, was unexpectedly
ordered by the governor of his native state to proceed to
the fort on the sea-coast, as part of the garrison.
To all human appearance, here then seemed an impervious
barrier to the attainment of his object; and he appeared
farther removed than ever from completing his education.
Abandoning, therefore, with a heavy heart his hopes,—for he
was too patriotic and too poor either to look for, or pay a
substitute,—he shouldered his musket, and with the knapsack
at his back, in which was stored all his earthly goods,
away he marched to the scene of his new duties.
A few nights after the arrival at the fort, and after a day
of severe manual labor, he had thrown himself, in his fatigue
dress, upon the floor, and was sinking into a profound
slumber, when suddenly the door of the room was opened,
and the colonel of the regiment in full uniform entered, and
asked for Mr. Winterton.
On being roused by his comrades, our friend, presuming
some military duty was required, arose, made his military
obeisance, and was in the act of shouldering his musket,
when the colonel said,
“No, sir; you will not need your musket—follow me.”
Surprised and wondering, our hero followed the officer,
and having at that age more than a due veneration for the epaulettes,
he kept so far in the rear, as to render it necessary for
the colonel to beg the favor of his nearer company. After
a walk of some five minutes, the party halted in front of the
governor's head-quarters; and in a few moments our friend
followed the colonel into a large room where he found a
company of officers, and, in the midst, the governor and his
staff and suite. In a few minutes the captain of Winterton's
company arose and said,
“May it please your excellency, the young gentleman
is present, that I named to your excellency.—Mr. Sarben
Winterton.”
What was the still greater wonder of our hero—who before
had a thousand mingled thoughts and misgivings—when,
upon this, his excellency, in a very courteous and conciliatory
manner, thus addressed him;
“Mr. Winterton, you are appointed physician to the
regiment. You will please, therefore, assume a dress befitting
your rank: and as several of the men are reported on
the sick list, and need immediate attention, we beg you will
lose no time in entering on your new duties. You will draw
on the commissary department for what shall be needful;
and in due time present your accounts for settlement.”
The Gubernator and his Primarii and Secundi, it would
seem, as is usual among the higher ranks of patriots, both
civil and military in all ages, were enjoying a feast for the
good of the state; when in the midst of the hilarity, several
soldiers were reported as being suddenly seized with an
alarming illness; and inquiry, of course, was made at head-quarters
for the regimental physician. But, alas! the young
gentleman, Doctor Drag, whose friends had all been anxious
for his appointment, and who had in fact been recorded in
the governor's book as the physician, had not yet made his
appearance. Hence arose no small perplexity. It was late
at night; no medical aid could be got from the city till the
next day; and that delay might be fatal to the sick, and disgraceful
to the superiors.
In this dilemma, Captain Bevan, who commanded Winterton's
company, and who was well acquainted with our
friend, and with all his family, arose, and said,
“If your excellency permit, I beg leave to say, that there
is in my company a young gentleman, who has studied medicine
for some years with a very prominent physician at Kaleidaville;
and in this emergency nothing better, perhaps,
can be done than to commit the sick men to my friend Mr.
Winterton.”
“Nothing more fortunate, Captain Bevan,” replied the
governor, “your friend without doubt will answer your expectation.
Who will conduct Mr. Winterton hither?” And
then turning to his secretary, he continued, “Mr. Secretary,
please erase the name of Doctor Drag, and insert that of
Dr. Winterton.”
Captain Bevan immediately offered to summon our friend
into their presence, but was prevented by the colonel of the
regiment, who instantly set out for his quarters, and as we
have seen, returned with the new-made physician.
Well, Doctor Winterton, without the loss of a moment
repaired to the hospital, and was so successful in his prescriptions
and nursing, that the sick were soon relieved and
in a few days reported as fit for duty. And what is very
remarkable and creditable, so judiciously did Winterton treat
the sick at that time, that, during the whole period of six
months which the regiment did duty in the garrison, not a
single soldier died!
An officer, indeed, of high rank was taken ill, and being
deemed too important a person by his friends to be left in
camp, he was sent to the city; but there, from some cause
not known, he died, and that with all the skill of eminent medical
men exerted in his case. Some even regretted that the
officer had not been left to the care of our friend.
In the official reports of the day, Doctor Winterton was
honorably named; and on applying for his salary it was
cheerfully paid, and with many encomiums. With that
salary he was able to attend a suitable course of medical
lectures, and thus to lay still broader the foundation for becoming
what he has become—a very eminent physician and
surgeon.
In all this my friend thinks, as we have remarked, that
he discerns the hand of a special providence; and, Charles,
we cannot but think he discerns rightly.
