A Doctor of the Old School

Doctor of the Old School,
Complete, by Ian Maclaren

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Title: A Doctor of the Old School, Complete
Author: Ian Maclaren
Release Date: November 1, 2006 [EBook #9320]
Language: English
Character set encoding: ASCII
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A DOCTOR OF THE OLD SCHOOL
by Ian Maclaren

CONTENTS:
A GENERAL PRACTITIONER THROUGH THE FLOOD A FIGHT
WITH DEATH THE DOCTOR'S LAST JOURNEY THE
MOURNING OF THE GLEN

ILLUSTRATIONS:
Dr. MacLure Sandy Stewart "Napped" Stones The Gudewife is Keepin'
up a Ding-Dong His House--little more than a cottage Whirling Past in
a Cloud of Dust Will He Never Come? The Verra Look o' Him wes
Victory Weeping by Her Man's Bedside For Such Risks of Life, Men
Get the Victoria Cross in Other Fields Hopps' Laddie Ate Grosarts
There werna Mair than Four at Nicht A' doot Yir Gaein' tae Lose Her,
Tammas The Bonniest, Snoddest, Kindliest Lass in the Glen The
Winter Night was Falling Fast Comin' tae Meet Me in the Gloamin' It's
oot o' the Question, Jess, sae Hurry up It's a Fell Chairge for a Short
Day's Work The East had Come to Meet the West MacLure Explained
that it would be an Eventful Journey They Passed through the Shallow
Water without Mishap A Heap of Speechless Misery by the Kitchen
Fire Ma ain Dear Man I'm Proud to have Met You Gave Way Utterly
Fillin' His Lungs for Five and Thirty Year wi' Strong Drumtochty Air
Bell Leant Over the Bed A Large Tub The Lighted Window in
Saunder's Cottage A Clenched Fist Resting on the Bed The Doctor was
Attempting the Highland Fling Sleepin' on the Top o' Her Bed A'
Prayed Last Nicht I've a Cold in My Head To-night Jess Bolted without
Delay Comin' in Frae Glen Urtach Drumsheugh was Full of Tact Told
Drumsheugh that the Doctor was not Able to Rise With the Old Warm
Grip Drumsheugh Looked Wistfully Wud Gie Her a Bite o' Grass Ma
Mither's Bible It's a Coorse Nicht, Jess She's Carryin' a Licht in Her
Hand The Tochty Ran with Black, Swollen Stream Toiled Across the
Glen There was Nae Use Trying tae Dig Oot the Front Door Ane of
Them Gied Ower the Head in a Drift, and His Neeburs hed tae pu' Him
oot Two Men in Plaids were Descending the Hill Jined Hands and Cam
ower Fine Twa Horses, Ane afore the Ither He had Left His Overcoat,

and was in Black Death after All was Victor She Began to Neigh They
had Set to Work Standing at the Door Finis

PREFACE
It is with great good will that I write this short preface to the edition of
"A Doctor of the Old School" (which has been illustrated by Mr.
Gordon after an admirable and understanding fashion) because there
are two things that I should like to say to my readers, being also my
friends.
One, is to answer a question that has been often and fairly asked. Was
there ever any doctor so self-forgetful and so utterly Christian as
William MacLure? To which I am proud to reply, on my conscience:
Not one man, but many in Scotland and in the South country. I will
dare prophecy also across the sea.
It has been one man's good fortune to know four country doctors, not
one of whom was without his faults--Weelum was not perfect--but who,
each one, might have sat for my hero. Three are now resting from their
labors, and the fourth, if he ever should see these lines, would never
identify himself.
Then I desire to thank my readers, and chiefly the medical profession
for the reception given to the Doctor of Drumtochty.
For many years I have desired to pay some tribute to a class whose
service to the community was known to every countryman, but after the
tale had gone forth my heart failed. For it might have been despised for
the little grace of letters in the style and because of the outward
roughness of the man. But neither his biographer nor his circumstances
have 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 in commendation of Weelum MacLure, and many were from
doctors who had