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August 1889
Dear future wife,
Amy is married to Mr. Parker. I don’t think I’ve ever seen a more unusual pair. But they both seem very happy, so I could make no objection to the match. The wedding was lovely and the dance afterward was fun to watch. I only danced once and only because Mr. Parker practically forced me to.
Her name is Mabel and she didn’t react as I thought a young woman would after learning who I am. I think she and Amy would get along nicely.
Back to learning about me. I suppose I could tell you how I came to apprentice with Dr. Benson. It all started when I found an injured fox near one of the line cabins. A line cabin is a cabin along the border of a rancher’s land that is far from the main buildings and a place for a ranch hand to stay if it gets too dark, cold, etc. to return.
I knew I was near one, so I brought the fox there and started tending to its wounds. I had yet to tell anyone that I wanted to become a doctor and by now I was 18. The fox wasn’t hurt too badly, but he did need some treatment, so I gave it to him and had just finished when the door creaked open a little.
“Otis? Are you in here?”
It was Joshua. He always seemed to find me too easily. I said yes and he came in and asked what I was doing. I showed him the fox and he took a closer look at what I had done.
“You like to do this, don’t you?” he asked.
I nodded.
“Why have you never said anything about it?”
I shrugged.
“You should apprentice with Dr. Benson.”
“Why?”
“So you can learn more how to heal people. And animals. And I think he would really like to have an apprentice.”
I wasn’t sure what to think, so I told him I would think about it. But he told Mr. and Mrs. Brookings and they had a talk with me, too, and convinced me to give it a try. So I did and they were right. Dr. Benson and I both loved it.
I leave tomorrow for Chicago, so this may be the last letter for a while.
Sincerely,
Otis
***
“Hello, Mr. Finch,” Otis said as he walked into the mill the Monday after the wedding.
“Good afternoon, Otis! What brings you here?”
He sank into the chair. “I’m leaving tomorrow morning. Everything is arranged for you, the mill, factory, farm, and Mrs. Oake. If you need anything, I’ll be at Jenner Medical School. I was even informed they have one of those new-fangled telephones. Although, I don’t think anything like that has been set up here in town yet.”
Mr. Finch chuckled. “Not that I’ve heard. And that far long-distance would be harder, I think.”
“Probably.”
Mr. Finch sighed. “I haven’t known you long, but I’ll still miss you.”
“I’ll miss you, too. Thank you for taking care of Grandpa’s mill and factory so well.”
“It’s been my pleasure. I enjoy what I do here and couldn’t hope for a better job.”
Otis smiled. “Well, I suppose I should go. I’m sure we’ll be in touch. If you need anything, don’t hesitate to write. If it’s urgent, telegraph or talk to Mr. Parker.”
“I will. I hope everything goes well for you in Chicago and wherever else you go.”
“Thank you, and God bless.” Otis stood up and held out his hand, but Mr. Finch bypassed the hand and pulled Otis into a hug. He stiffened, then tried to relax. No one had ever hugged him besides his family and sometimes Mrs. Brookings. And Amy, but she was a special exception.
“Goodbye, Otis.” Mr. Finch let go of him, and Otis walked out through the mill, waving at the employees as he went.
He stopped outside and took a deep breath. All his goodbyes had been said. Now all he needed to do was wait for the train.
***
Mrs. Oake and Mrs. Ackerman packed plenty of food for his trip and at least one day in Chicago. They both accompanied Otis to the train station. From there, they would go to their new cottage where a few people from church would help them settle in. He felt bad he wouldn’t be able to help as well, but the train left too early.
Otis hugged each of them. “Thank you both for all the kindness you have shown to me.”
Mrs. Oake dabbed her eyes with her handkerchief. “Goodbye, Otis. Don’t be a stranger.”
He smiled. “I won’t. Feel free to write. I may be slow at responding, but I’ll still enjoy reading whatever news you want to share.”
“We’ll write,” Mrs. Ackerman promised. “Goodbye, Otis. Safe travels.”
“Thank you and goodbye.”
Otis boarded the train and found a window seat so he could wave to them as the train left.
Nothing eventful happened on the train ride, and he arrived in Chicago on time—six o’clock in the evening. Dr. Tyler had said he would be on the platform waiting for him. Otis wasn’t sure how he would be able to tell who the doctor was, though.
The train rolled up to the station, and Otis waited his turn to get off. He decided to gather his trunk and let the crowd thin out before trying to find Dr. Tyler.
As he wandered the station, he looked around for anyone who might be Dr. Tyler. Finally, Otis set his trunk down and made a slow circle while standing in one spot, examining everyone carefully.
A man walked past. “Excuse me. Do you know a Dr. Tyler?”
The man shook his head and scurried off.
Otis sat down on his trunk and slumped his shoulders. As he tried to encourage himself to continue looking, a voice spoke nearby. “Otis Miller? I heard you asking about me.”
Otis looked up and saw a white-haired man with a jovial smile. “I am Otis.” He stood up. “A pleasure to meet you.”
They shook hands. “I hope you don’t mind living with me and my wife. We don’t have student housing and the other doctors are already full up.”
Otis chuckled. “I don’t mind at all as long as you don’t.” He picked up his trunk. “Where to?”
He led Otis to the cobblestone road and flagged a cab. “How would you like the scenic route?”
“It’s kind of dark for that, isn’t it?”
“Not with all the street lamps.”
Otis stifled a yawn. “If you don’t mind, I think I would prefer the tour in the morning. If there’s time.”
“There is plenty of time. School doesn’t start for a couple more days.”
“Good.” The cabdriver clucked to his horse, and they clip-clopped their way through the town. Despite his fatigue, he couldn’t keep his eyes off the structures they went past. The buildings were taller than he had ever seen before. Otis had thought the mill and factory building was big, but these buildings were monstrous. In many places, you could barely tell there was a sky above you. He’d never been afraid of small spaces, but he started to feel a little claustrophobic a couple times. He found that closing his eyes and imagining the wide open spaces of Montana helped take the feeling away.
A short time later, he was settled into his new room and sank into the bed, falling asleep almost right away.
***
The sun woke Otis up when it peeked through the crack in the curtains. He groaned, blinked, and dragged himself out of the bed. A white and blue porcelain pitcher and matching basin sat on the small table. He poured some water into the basin and splashed it onto his face. The coolness jolted him awake.
After dressing in clean clothes, he sat at the desk and picked up his Bible. He flipped through it aimlessly until he reached where he had left off the day before. Psalm sixteen. He had read it yesterday, but it was worth reading again. Verses seven and eight especially.
I will bless the Lord, Who hath given me counsel: my reins also instruct me in the right seasons. I have set the LORD always before me: because He is at my right hand, I shall not be moved.
“God, I always want You to lead me. Please put stumbling blocks in every path I am not supposed to take. Thank You.”
Otis set his Bible aside and headed downstairs.
An hour later, Dr. Tyler and Otis were in a cab for a tour of Chicago. After seeing it in the daylight, he was glad his first impression would be of dark, tall buildings. The town was filthy. The sky, when able to be seen, was dimmer than he’d seen it before, and everything seemed to be tinged in soot.
That being said, the architecture was quite unbelievable. Some of the buildings were so high they looked like they touched the sky. Dr. Tyler talked about many of the places in town with great affection. After an hour, they came to a stop.
“What’s this place?” Otis asked.
Dr. Tyler disembarked and beckoned for him to follow. Otis did and as he climbed down and looked up, he saw the large letters reading “Jenner Medical School.”
“That’s why we stopped,” Otis muttered.
Dr. Tyler paid the cabdriver and started toward the building.
“Dr. Tyler? Why are we here?”
He turned around. “I thought you would want to see it before class started.”
“I would, actually.” Otis took a deep breath and shoved the sudden mistrust down. The feeling came to him sometimes and was usually good, but this time, there seemed no reason for it. He let his breath out and followed him inside.
The ceiling vaulted straight up all the way to the top of the three-story building before dropping steeply to accommodate the window-covered wall for the rooms upstairs. Otis had to concentrate hard on not letting his mouth fall open at all the room this place had.
Dr. Tyler led Otis through a vast number of hallways and rooms full of desks, books, medical equipment he couldn’t even guess the use of, and so much more than his brain could handle. There were fancy tables, shelves and shelves of bottles, and more shelves full of doctor’s bags. One room was white on each and every wall, no windows, and there was nothing but a table in it. Otis wasn’t sure he wanted to know what that room was for.
They ended in Dr. Tyler’s office, which had walls lined with shelves of books, a desk, and a few chairs. Otis sat down and waited for him to speak. He didn’t for a while. “Oh, I’m sorry. Do you mind if I do a couple things quick?”
“No, that’s fine.”
He smiled. “Thank you. Feel free to browse the books. If you find one you’d like to read at the house, please bring it with you.”
Otis did as he suggested and found a volume on the intricacies of human anatomy that looked interesting.
After Dr. Tyler finished, they walked to his home and arrived just in time for lunch. Otis decided the city life was definitely not for him, but the medical school looked to be perfect. If only for that, he would enjoy his stay in Chicago.