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Show CHANDLER WE0TE IT THE OLD DOCTOR WANTED AN OF DER RELEASING HIS SON. The Secretary of the Navy and President Arthur Were Going Fishing and Didn't Want to Be Bothered, hut Changed Their Minds When They Heard the Argument. In the southern part of Orleans county coun-ty lives a doctor who is known far and wide among the country folk, and whose fame extends likewise into cities fax from his home. The doctor is a gentleman of the old school, courteous, with a southern ao-cent ao-cent when he becomes excited, for ha was born in Virginia. The worst thing that can be said about this doctor is tha' he is an extremely hard swearer. He swears a little when he is calm, bat when he is excited his vocabulary of invectives in-vectives is almost without a rival. Many stories are told about this famous old doctor, and this is one of them: The doctor had a son, and all his affections af-fections seemed centered in him. Here-solved Here-solved that this Bon should become a doctor, and that the father's mantle should fall npon the son's Bhoalders. But the boy disappointed him. When he grew up, he didn't wish to study medicina He said he had no taste that way. ho plane of life seemed to fit his ideals exactly. He tried this, and he tried that, and nothing satisfied him. At last he decided he would go to West Point. The doctor yielded, and the son tried the preliminary examinations, examina-tions, passed them and was appointed a oadet. He tried the entrance examinations, examina-tions, passed them and at last became a real cadet at West Point. Even the old dootor was proud and happy now. But the sou did not do as well as he had expected at West Point. He found that things military in reality were not as things military in ideality. He tried the January examinations and failed. His heart was broken. Like many another an-other youth before him, he could never bear the disgrace by going home. So he made as large a fool of himself as he could and enlisted in the navy, at the Brooklyn navy yard. His father received notice of his son's rash act and said nothing. His heart was too fnlL But he threw a few necessities into his grip and that very night started for Brooklyn. Brook-lyn. There he found the admiral He told him the story. He begged him tc do something for him, but the admiral could do nothing. His heart seemed broken. Was there no hope? The admiral admi-ral told him he oould go to the secretary of the navy, state his case, and perhaps something might be done. He could promise nothing, but at least it might be tried. The old doctor clutched at this slight hope, and without waiting to eat anything he took the very first train for Washington. All these things happened during the first year of Arthur's administration, and, as every one knows, William E. Chandler was secretary of the navy. Arthur and Chandler were sportsmen, and whenever they had the chance they would set out on little fishing excursions of their own. Now, it happened that they were just ready to go forth upon one of these little jaunts when the old doctor arrived in Washington. He drove straight to the home of the secretary of the navy and round he was at the White House, so to the White House went the doctor post haste. He inquired for Chandler and was told that he and the president were just starting for a fishing fish-ing trip and could not be seen. "But I must see him, suhl It is very important, suh!" exclaimed the doctor. He was using his soft southern accent now, for he was very excited. "But you can't, sir, " said the servant serv-ant "I can, suh, and I will, suhl" and with no more words he pushed the astonished as-tonished servant out of his way and strode through the halL "Where is the secretary of the navy, suh?" he asked the first person he met "In that room, sir," said the man, pointing. The dootor rapped and walked in. There stood the president and the secretary, secre-tary, getting their things together. "I am Dr. , and I've come to get my son back, suhl" said the doctor, and then he told the story of his son's mistake. mis-take. The secretary looked at him and then at the president "I'm sorry, sir, " he said, "but you have come at the wrong time. We can't bother with such things now. We are going on a trip, President Arthur and I, and we do not like to be interrupted. " Here he bowed " and stopped. The old doctor drew himself up, looked look-ed down at him, for Mr. Chandler is not a large man. His old eyes fairly blazed. He seemed choking. Suddenly he burst forth in a voice of passion: "Do you think that I am going to let my son stay in that ship, suh, to give you the chance to kill a few measly no account fish? Do you think I am going to break my heart so that you can have yoh pleasure? Look at me, suhl I have not eaten a thing since last night, suh! See the dust of travel upon my clo'sl Do you think that I have traveled night and day, and now I am going to be put off because you are going fishing? Who are you, suh? You are my servant, suhl Who pays yoh salary? I do, suh I Who pays yoh rent? I do, suh I Who owns the boat you go off fishing in? I do, and now, whea come to ask you to get my son out of m navy, you have not time because you are going fishing 1 By , suh, if you don't get my son off that ship, old as I am, I'll thrash yoh haid right off yoh body I" The old doctor stopped, breathless. His two hearers locked at him aghast. For a minute no word was spoken. At last President Arthur said, "Chandler, I guess you'd better write that order." Chandler wrote it, and a little later three men might have been seen engaged in discussing three bottles ?f clarer They were all smiling, but one of then had a look of great happiness on his grand old face. It was the old doctor. Rochester Post-Express. |
