A DOCTOR OF THE OLD SCHOOL by Ian Maclaren Book II. THROUGH THE FLOOD PREFACE It is with great good will that I write this short preface to theedition of "A Doctor of the Old School" (which has been illustrated byMr. Gordon after an admirable and understanding fashion) because thereare two things that I should like to say to my readers, being also myfriends. One, is to answer a question that has been often and fairly asked. Wasthere ever any doctor so self-forgetful and so utterly Christian asWilliam MacLure? To which I am proud to reply, on my conscience: Not oneman, but many in Scotland and in the South country. I will dare prophecyalso across the sea. It has been one man's good fortune to know four country doctors, not oneof whom was without his faults--Weelum was not perfect--but who, eachone, might have sat for my hero. Three are now resting from theirlabors, and the fourth, if he ever should see these lines, would neveridentify himself. Then I desire to thank my readers, and chiefly the medical professionfor the reception given to the Doctor of Drumtochty. For many years I have desired to pay some tribute to a class whoseservice to the community was known to every countryman, but after thetale had gone forth my heart failed. For it might have been despisedfor the little grace of letters in the style and because of the outwardroughness of the man. But neither his biographer nor his circumstanceshave been able to obscure MacLure who has himself won all honest hearts, and received afresh the recognition of his more distinguished brethren. From all parts of the English-speaking world letters have come incommendation of Weelum MacLure, and many were from doctors who hadreceived new courage. It is surely more honor than a new writer couldever have deserved to receive the approbation of a profession whosecharity puts us all to shame. May I take this first opportunity to declare how deeply my heart hasbeen touched by the favor shown to a simple book by the American people, and to express my hope that one day it may be given me to see you faceto face. IAN MACLAREN. Liverpool, Oct. 4, 1895. THROUGH THE FLOOD. II THROUGH THE FLOOD Doctor MacLure did not lead a solemn procession from the sick bed tothe dining-room, and give his opinion from the hearthrug with an air ofwisdom bordering on the supernatural, because neither the Drumtochtyhouses nor his manners were on that large scale. He was accustomed todeliver himself in the yard, and to conclude his directions with onefoot in the stirrup; but when he left the room where the life of AnnieMitchell was ebbing slowly away, our doctor said not one word, and atthe sight of his face her husband's heart was troubled. He was a dull man, Tammas, who could not read the meaning of a sign, andlabored under a perpetual disability of speech; but love was eyes to himthat day, and a mouth. "Is't as bad as yir lookin', doctor? tell's the truth; wull Annie nocome through?" and Tammas looked MacLure straight in the face, who neverflinched his duty or said smooth things. "A' wud gie onything tae say Annie hes a chance, but a' daurna; a' dootyir gaein' tae lose her, Tammas. " MacLure was in the saddle, and as he gave his judgment, he laid his handon Tammas's shoulder with one of the rare caresses that pass betweenmen. [Illustration: A' DOOT YIR GAEIN' TAE LOSE HER, TAMMAS. "] "It's a sair business, but ye 'ill play the man and no vex Annie;she 'ill dae her best, a'll warrant. " "An' a'll dae mine, " and Tammas gave MacLure's hand a grip that wouldhave crushed the bones of a weakling. Drumtochty felt in such momentsthe brotherliness of this rough-looking man, and loved him. Tammas hid his face in Jess's mane, who looked round with sorrow in herbeautiful eyes, for she had seen many tragedies, and in this silentsympathy the stricken man drank his cup, drop by drop. "A' wesna prepared for this, for a' aye thocht she wud live thelangest. .. . She's younger than me by ten years, and never wes ill. .. . We've been mairit twal year laist Martinmas, but it's juist like a yearthe day. .. A' wes never worthy o' her, the bonniest, snoddest (neatest), kindliest lass in the Glen. .. . A' never cud mak oot hoo she ever lookitat me, 'at hesna hed ae word tae say aboot her till it's ower late. .. . She didna cuist up tae me that a' wesna worthy o' her, no her, but ayeshe said, 'Yir ma ain gudeman, and nane cud be kinder tae me. ' . .. An'a' wes minded tae be kind, but a' see noo mony little trokes a' michthae dune for her, and noo the time is bye. .. . Naebody kens hoo patientshe wes wi' me, and aye made the best o 'me, an' never pit me tae shameafore the fouk. .. . An' we never hed ae cross word, no ane in twalyear. .. . We were mair nor man and wife, we were sweethearts a' thetime. .. . Oh, ma bonnie lass, what 'ill the bairnies an' me dae withootye, Annie?" [Illustration: "THE BONNIEST, SNODDEST, KINDLIEST LASS IN THE GLEN" ] The winter night was falling fast, the snow lay deep upon the ground, and the merciless north wind moaned through the close as Tammas wrestledwith his sorrow dry-eyed, for tears were denied Drumtochty men. Neitherthe doctor nor Jess moved hand or foot, but their hearts were withtheir fellow creature, and at length the doctor made a sign to MargetHowe, who had come out in search of Tammas, and now stood by his side. [Illustration] "Dinna mourn tae the brakin' o' yir hert, Tammas, " she said, "as ifAnnie an' you hed never luved. Neither death nor time can pairt themthat luve; there's naethin' in a' the warld sae strong as luve. If Anniegaes frae the sichot' yir een she 'ill come the nearer tae yir hert. She wants tae see ye, and tae hear ye say that ye 'ill never forget hernicht nor day till ye meet in the land where there's nae pairtin'. Oh, a' ken what a'm saying', for it's five year noo sin George gied awa, an' he's mair wi' me noo than when he wes in Edinboro' and I was inDrumtochty. " [Illustration] "Thank ye kindly, Marget; thae are gude words and true, an' ye hev thericht tae say them; but a' canna dae without seem' Annie comin' tae meetme in the gloamin', an' gaein' in an' oot the hoose, an' hearin' her ca'me by ma name, an' a'll no can tell her that a'luve her when there's naeAnnie in the hoose. "Can naethin' be dune, doctor? Ye savit Flora Cammil, and youngBurnbrae, an' yon shepherd's wife Dunleith wy, an' we were a sae proodo' ye, an' pleased tae think that ye hed keepit deith frae anither hame. Can ye no think o' somethin' tae help Annie, and gie her back tae herman and bairnies?" and Tammas searched the doctor's face in the cold, weird light. "There's nae pooer on heaven or airth like luve, " Marget said to meafterwards; "it maks the weak strong and the dumb tae speak. Oor hertswere as water afore Tammas's words, an' a' saw the doctor shake in hissaddle. A' never kent till that meenut hoo he hed a share in a'body'sgrief, an' carried the heaviest wecht o' a' the Glen. A' peetied him wi'Tammas lookin' at him sae wistfully, as if he hed the keys o' life an'deith in his hands. But he wes honest, and wudna hold oot a false houptae deceive a sore hert or win escape for himsel'. " "Ye needna plead wi' me, Tammas, to dae the best a' can for yir wife. Man, a' kent her lang afore ye ever luved her; a' brocht her intae thewarld, and a' saw her through the fever when she wes a bit lassikie;a' closed her mither's een, and it was me hed tae tell her she wes anorphan, an' nae man wes better pleased when she got a gude husband, anda' helpit her wi' her fower bairns. A've naither wife nor bairns o' maown, an' a' coont a' the fouk o' the Glen ma family. Div ye think a'wudna save Annie if I cud? If there wes a man in Muirtown 'at cud daemair for her, a'd have him this verra nicht, but a' the doctors inPerthshire are helpless for this tribble. "Tammas, ma puir fallow, if it could avail, a' tell ye a' wud lay doonthis auld worn-oot ruckle o' a body o' mine juist tae see ye baithsittin' at the fireside, an' the bairns roond ye, couthy an' cantyagain; but it's no tae be, Tammas, it's no tae be. " "When a' lookit at the doctor's face, " Marget said, "a' thocht him thewinsomest man a' ever saw. He was transfigured that nicht, for a'mjudging there's nae transfiguration like luve. " "It's God's wull an' maun be borne, but it's a sair wull for me, an' a'mno ungratefu' tae you, doctor, for a' ye've dune and what ye said thenicht, " and Tammas went back to sit with Annie for the last time. Jess picked her way through the deep snow to the main road, with a skillthat came of long experience, and the doctor held converse with heraccording to his wont. "Eh, Jess wumman, yon wes the hardest wark a' hae tae face, and a' wudraither hae ta'en ma chance o' anither row in a Glen Urtach drift thantell Tammas Mitchell his wife wes deein'. "A' said she cudna be cured, and it wes true, for there's juist ae manin the land fit for't, and they micht as weel try tae get the mune ooto' heaven. Sae a' said naethin' tae vex Tammas's hert, for it's heavyeneuch withoot regrets. "But it's hard, Jess, that money wull buy life after a', an' if Anniewes a duchess her man wudna lose her; but bein' only a puir cottar'swife, she maun dee afore the week's oot. "Gin we hed him the morn there's little doot she would be saved, for hehesna lost mair than five per cent, o' his cases, and they 'ill be puirtoon's craturs, no strappin women like Annie. [Illustration: "IT'S OOT O' THE QUESTION, JESS, SAE HURRY UP"] "It's oot o' the question, Jess, sae hurry up, lass, for we've hed aheavy day. But it wud be the grandest thing that was ever dune in theGlen in oor time if it could be managed by hook or crook. "We 'ill gang and see Drumsheugh, Jess; he's anither man sin' GeordieHoo's deith, and he wes aye kinder than fouk kent;" and the doctorpassed at a gallop through the village, whose lights shone across thewhite frost-bound road. "Come in by, doctor; a' heard ye on the road; ye 'ill hae been at TammasMitchell's; hoo's the gudewife? a' doot she's sober. " "Annie's deein', Drumsheugh, an' Tammas is like tae brak his hert. " "That's no lichtsome, doctor, no lichtsome ava, for a' dinna ken onyman in Drumtochty sae bund up in his wife as Tammas, and there's noa bonnier wumman o' her age crosses our kirk door than Annie, nor acleverer at her wark. Man, ye 'ill need tae pit yir brains in steep. Isshe clean beyond ye?" "Beyond me and every ither in the land but ane, and it wud cost ahundred guineas tae bring him tae Drumtochty. " [Illustration: ] "Certes, he's no blate; it's a fell chairge for a short day's work; buthundred or no hundred we'll hae him, an' no let Annie gang, and her nohalf her years. " "Are ye meanin' it, Drumsheugh?" and MacLure turned white below the tan. "William MacLure, " said Drumsheugh, in one of the few confidences thatever broke the Drumtochty reserve, "a'm a lonely man, wi' naebody o' maain blude tae care for me livin', or tae lift me intae ma coffin whena'm deid. "A' fecht awa at Muirtown market for an extra pound on a beast, or ashillin' on the quarter o' barley, an' what's the gude o't? Burnbraegaes aff tae get a goon for his wife or a buke for his college laddie, an' Lachlan Campbell 'ill no leave the place noo without a ribbon forFlora. "Ilka man in the Klldrummie train has some bit fairin' his pooch for thefouk at hame that he's bocht wi' the siller he won. "But there's naebody tae be lookin' oot for me, an' comin' doon the roadtae meet me, and daffin' (joking) wi' me about their fairing, or feelingma pockets. Ou ay, a've seen it a' at ither hooses, though they triedtae hide it frae me for fear a' wud lauch at them. Me lauch, wi' macauld, empty hame! "Yir the only man kens, Weelum, that I aince luved the noblest wumman inthe glen or onywhere, an' a' luve her still, but wi' anither luve noo. "She had given her heart tae anither, or a've thocht a' micht haewon her, though nae man be worthy o' sic a gift. Ma hert turned taebitterness, but that passed awa beside the brier bush whar George Hoolay yon sad simmer time. Some day a'll tell ye ma story, Weelum, for youan' me are auld freends, and will be till we dee. " MacLure felt beneath the table for Drumsheugh's hand, but neither manlooked at the other. "Weel, a' we can dae noo, Weelum, gin we haena mickle brichtness in oorain names, is tae keep the licht frae gaein' oot in anither hoose. Writethe telegram, man, and Sandy 'ill send it aff frae Kildrummie thisverra nicht, and ye 'ill hae yir man the morn. " [Illustration: "THE EAST HAD COME TO MEET THE WEST"] "Yir the man a' coonted ye, Drumsheugh, but ye 'ill grant me ae favor. Ye 'ill lat me pay the half, bit by bit--a' ken yir wullin' tae dae'ta'--but a' haena mony pleasures, an' a' wud like tae hae ma ain share insavin' Annie's life. " Next morning a figure received Sir George on the Kildrummie platform, whom that famous surgeon took for a gillie, but who introduced himselfas "MacLure of Drumtochty. " It seemed as if the East had come to meetthe West when these two stood together, the one in travelling furs, handsome and distinguished, with his strong, cultured face and carriageof authority, a characteristic type of his profession; and the othermore marvellously dressed than ever, for Drumsheugh's topcoat had beenforced upon him for the occasion, his face and neck one redness with thebitter cold; rough and ungainly, yet not without some signs of power inhis eye and voice, the most heroic type of his noble profession. MacLurecompassed the precious arrival with observances till he was securelyseated in Drumsheugh's dog cart--a vehicle that lent itself tohistory--with two full-sized plaids added to his equipment--Drumsheughand Hillocks had both been requisitioned--and MacLure wrapped anotherplaid round a leather case, which was placed below the seat with suchreverence as might be given to the Queen's regalia. Peter attended theirdeparture full of interest, and as soon as they were in the fir woodsMacLure explained that it would be an eventful journey. "It's a richt in here, for the wind disna get at the snaw, but thedrifts are deep in the Glen, and th'ill be some engineerin' afore we gettae oor destination. " Four times they left the road and took their way over fields, twice theyforced a passage through a slap in a dyke, thrice they used gaps in thepaling which MacLure had made on his downward journey. [Illustration] "A' seleckit the road this mornin', an' a' ken the depth tae an inch; we'ill get through this steadin' here tae the main road, but oor worst job'ill be crossin' the Tochty. "Ye see the bridge hes been shaken wi' this winter's flood, and wedaurna venture on it, sae we hev tae ford, and the snaw's beenmelting up Urtach way. There's nae doot the water's gey big, and it'sthreatenin' tae rise, but we 'ill win through wi' a warstle. "It micht be safer tae lift the instruments oot o' reach o' the water;wud ye mind haddin' them on yir knee till we're ower, an' keep firm inyir seat in case we come on a stane in the bed o' the river. " By this time they had come to the edge, and it was not a cheering sight. The Tochty had spread out over the meadows, and while they waited theycould see it cover another two inches on the trunk of a tree. There aresummer floods, when the water is brown and flecked with foam, but thiswas a winter flood, which is black and sullen, and runs in the centrewith a strong, fierce, silent current. Upon the opposite sideHillocks stood to give directions by word and hand, as the ford wason his land, and none knew the Tochty better in all its ways. [Illustration: "THEY PASSED THROUGH THE SHALLOW WATER WITHOUT MISHAP"] They passed through the shallow water without mishap, save when thewheel struck a hidden stone or fell suddenly into a rut; but when theyneared the body of the river MacLure halted, to give Jess a minute'sbreathing. "It 'ill tak ye a' yir time, lass, an' a' wud raither be on yir back;but ye never failed me yet, and a wumman's life is hangin' on thecrossin'. " With the first plunge into the bed of the stream the water rose to theaxles, and then it crept up to the shafts, so that the surgeon couldfeel it lapping in about his feet, while the dogcart began to quiver, and it seemed as if it were to be carried away. Sir George was as braveas most men, but he had never forded a Highland river in flood, and themass of black water racing past beneath, before, behind him, affectedhis imagination and shook his nerves. He rose from his seat and orderedMacLure to turn back, declaring that he would be condemned utterly andeternally if he allowed himself to be drowned for any person. "Sit doon, " thundered MacLure; "condemned ye will be suner or later ginye shirk yir duty, but through the water ye gang the day. " Both men spoke much more strongly and shortly, but this is what theyintended to say, and it was MacLure that prevailed. Jess trailed her feet along the ground with cunning art, and held hershoulder against the stream; MacLure leant forward in his seat, a reinin each hand, and his eyes fixed on Hillocks, who was now standing up tothe waist in the water, shouting directions and cheering on horse anddriver. "Haud tae the richt, doctor; there's a hole yonder. Keep oot o't for onysake. " [Illustration: "A HEAP OF SPEECHLESS MISERY BY THE KITCHEN FIRE. "] That's heap of speechless misery by the kitchen fire, and carriedhim off to the barn, and spread some corn on the threshing floor andthrust a flail into his hands. "Noo we've tae begin, an' we 'ill no be dune for an' oor, and ye've taelay on withoot stoppin' till a' come for ye, an' a'll shut the door taehaud in the noise, an' keep yir dog beside ye, for there maunna be acheep aboot the hoose for Annie's sake. " "A'll dae onything ye want me, but if--if--" "A'll come for ye, Tammas, gin there be danger; but what are ye fearedfor wi' the Queen's ain surgeon here?" Fifty minutes did the flail rise and fall, save twice, when Tammas creptto the door and listened, the dog lifting his head and whining. It seemed twelve hours instead of one when the door swung back, andMacLure filled the doorway, preceded by a great burst of light, for thesun had arisen on the snow. [Illustration: "MA AIN DEAR MAN"] His face was as tidings of great joy, and Elspeth told me that there wasnothing like it to be seen that afternoon for glory, save the sun itselfin the heavens. "A' never saw the marrow o't, Tammas, an' a'll never see the like again;it's a' ower, man, withoot a hitch frae beginnin' tae end, and she'sfa'in' asleep as fine as ye like. " "Dis he think Annie . .. 'ill live?" "Of coorse he dis, and be aboot the hoose inside a month; that's the gudo' bein' a clean-bluided, weel-livin'----" "Preserve ye, man, what's wrang wi' ye? it's a mercy a' keppit ye, or wewud hev hed anither job for Sir George. "Ye're a richt noo; sit doon on the strae. A'll come back in a whilie, an' ye i'll see Annie juist for a meenut, but ye maunna say a word. "Marget took him in and let him kneel by Annie's bedside. He said nothing then or afterwards, for speech came only once in hislifetime to Tammas, but Annie whispered, "Ma ain dear man. " When the doctor placed the precious bag beside Sir George in oursolitary first next morning, he laid a cheque beside it and was about toleave. "No, no, " said the great man. "Mrs. Macfayden and I were on the gossiplast night, and I know the whole story about you and your friend. "You have some right to call me a coward, but I'll never let you countme a mean, miserly rascal, " and the cheque with Drumsheugh's painfulwriting fell in fifty pieces on the floor. [Illustration: "I'M PROUD TO HAVE MET YOU"] As the train began to move, a voice from the first called so that allthe station heard. "Give's another shake of your hand, MacLure; I'mproud to have met you; you are an honor to our profession. Mind theantiseptic dressings. " It was market day, but only Jamie Soutar and Hillocks had ventured down. "Did ye hear yon, Hillocks? hoo dae ye feel? A'll no deny a'm lifted. " Halfway to the Junction Hillocks had recovered, and began to grasp thesituation. "Tell's what he said. A' wud like to hae it exact for Drumsheugh. " "Thae's the eedentical words, an' they're true; there's no a man inDrumtochty disna ken that, except ane. " "An' wha's thar, Jamie?" "It's Weelum MacLure himsel. Man, a've often girned that he sud fechtawa for us a', and maybe dee before he kent that he hed githered mairluve than ony man in the Glen. "'A'm prood tae hae met ye', says Sir George, an' him the greatestdoctor in the land. 'Yir an honor tae oor profession. ' "Hillocks, a' wudna hae missed it for twenty notes, " said James Soutar, cynic-in-ordinary to the parish of Drumtochty.