A Physician's Tale (Paperback)

Purchase of this book includes free trial access to www.million-books.com where you can read more than a million books for free. Excerpt from book: Section 3CHAPTER,111. " Ye generous chiefs ! on whom the immortals lay The cares and glories of the doubtful day; On whom your aids, your country's hopes depend; Wise to consult, and active to defend!" Pope's Homer. The winter to young De Bohun passed very agreeably over. He had done with those "confounded books," as he termed them; his dogs, his gun, and Jumper, were the objects of his chief consideration. He shot lots of wild-ducks, brought home quantities of game, and from morning to night was occupied with one sporting pursuit or another. He wandered about, over hill and over dale, happy as the day was long. Thestern realities of life he had not entered; he saw the future only through dazzling colours, and Hope whispered her flattering tales. About this time Godfrey unobservedly, yet very minutely, studied the character and disposition of his son. He watched every turn of his mind, noted the most trivial things, from which he sought to form a correct judgment. He saw in him a spirit, wild, daring, and impetuous, yet generous and kind. Godfrey was at length convinced that Moreton would be an honour to the service, and if a field for distinction were given, he would be distinguished. He saw, too, the nice management which he required, and remembered with an inward acknowledgment the verity of Mrs. De Bohun's opinions. It was now, thought Captain De Bohun, time that Moreton should decide upon a profession, and it were better that he should make the selection of the army himself, than that any appearance of persuasion should be exerted in order to gain that wished-for determination. One day, after dinner, Godfrey took up the paper, and textit{saw that the regiment was stationed at Canterbury. He then laid it on his knee, was for a few moments abstracted, and said to Mrs. De Bohun, " I think...