Did he enter the
lists, he could hardly fail to succeed. And out here even a moderate
success spelled a fortune. Gained double-quick, too. After which the
lucky individual sold out and went home, to live in comfort. Yes, that
was a point, and not to be overlooked. No definite surrender of one's
hopes was called for; only a postponement. Ten years might do it--meaty
years, of course, the best years of one's life--still . . . . It would
mean very hard work; but had he not just been contemplating, with
perfect equanimity, an even more arduous venture on the other side? What
a capricious piece of mechanism was the human brain!
Another thought that occurred to him was that his services might prove
more useful to this new country than to the old, where able men
abounded. He recalled many good lives and promising cases he had here
seen lost and bungled. To take the instance nearest home--Polly's
confinement. Yes, to show his mettle to such as Rogers; to earn respect
where he had lived as a mere null--the idea had an insidious
fascination. And as Polly sagely remarked: if it were not he, it would
be some one else; another would harvest the KUDOS that might have been
his. For the rough-and-ready treatment--the blue pills and black
draughts--that had satisfied the early diggers had fallen into
disrepute; medical skill was beginning to be appreciated. If this went
on, Ballarat would soon stand on a level with any city of its size at
home.
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