VOL. XVIII. (3) OBITUARY 295 



physician, and he covered prodigious journeys in visiting his widely scattered 

 patients under conditions from which, in these days of motor cars, modern 

 doctors are happily now delivered. For many years it was his custom to do 

 a morning journey on horseback. After a hasty lunch he would again take 

 the road in his lofty gig, and finish up the day with town calls in his smart 

 brougham, tiring out two or three horses in the day but himself finishing up 

 smart and unwearied, and ready to respond to a midnight call of suffering 

 and distress as if his strictly professional and irreproachable tall hat — he 

 relaxed into a white one for summer wear — had accompanied him to his 

 pillow and never lost its accustomed and characteristic angle. After a long 

 day thus spent in the service of afflicted humanity he was ready, when pro- 

 fessional duties permitted, to be the life and soul of a congenial dinner party 

 either in his own home — where he was a model host — or at the table of one of 

 his wide circle of friends. Nor was the regard in which Mr Fowler was held 

 by his patients confined to his professional capacity. His strong common 

 sense and sound business habits caused his advice to be frequently sought in 

 other than medical affairs, and he was a valued confidant in many cases of 

 difficulty and delicacy. Mr Edward Cripps held a commission as surgeon in 

 the old Royal North Gloucester Militia, and though Mr Fowler did not accept 

 military rank, he was for many years civil surgeon in medical charge of the 

 regiment, and was always an acceptable guest at the officers' mess. He was 

 also throughout his career, in conjunction with his several partners, the 

 kindly and considerate doctor to many of the leading benefit societies of the 

 town, including the Oddfellows, the Foresters, the East Gloucestershire 

 Benefit Society, and others, and a frequent chairman at the annual dinner 

 of some of these bodies. 



" Perhaps the most attractive and realistic pen portrait of Dr Fowler — 

 for though he may not have troubled to procure from the schools the affixed 

 initials formally entitling him to the prefixed designation, this latter was 

 accorded him by public acclaim — was that drawn by Mrs Allen Harker in 

 one of a charming series of sketches she contributed to the Outlook some years 

 ago. :— 



OUR COUNTRY DOCTOR. 



' Not an ordinary one, mind you ! Our doctor is unique, a rara avis 

 among doctors ; we are sure of it, and are proud of him accordingly. 



' What other doctor wears his top hat (in summer it is a white one) at 

 so jaunty an angle, or drives at such a breakneck speed ? But the speed 

 would need to be exceptional, for he often travels over seventy miles in his 

 day. 



' What other doctor dares to tell the pretty ladies that they are ' as 

 clever as the very Devil,' and every plain one that she is ' an ornament to the 

 county ? ' Yet no one is ever offended. I do not believe he has an enemy 

 in the whole county, unless it be some churl at whom he has sworn for dilatori- 

 ness in the matter of opening gates, and even then I doubt it ; for our doctor 

 may swear at whomsoever he pleases and nobody bears him a grudge. 



' I wonder if there exists another doctor in England who dares to bawl 

 out embarrassing professional questions, in the public way, interspersed with 

 objurgations on the antics of his mare. What other doctor pays such flying 

 visits ? He generally gives his last instructions as 3'ou pursue him down the 

 drive. It is only when the patient is very young and pretty that the visit 

 lasts five minutes. 



' He never seems to take a holiday, yet, when any of us go to town, whom 

 should we meet airily strolling down Bond-street but the doctor, with a flower 

 in his button-hole, just as if he had grown there. 



