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The Leech
Youthfulmen,nothavingtakenadeeproot,giveuptheirholdoflifesoeasily!Andsaintlymen,whowalkwithGodonearth,wouldfainbeaway,towalkwithhimonthegoldenpavementsoftheNewJerusalem."
"Nay,"rejoinedtheyoungminister,puttinghishandtohisheart,withaflushofpainflittingoverhisbrow,"wereIworthiertowalkthere,Icouldbebettercontenttotoilhere."
"Goodmeneverinterpretthemselvestoomeanly,"saidthephysician.
Inthismanner,themysteriousoldRogerChillingworthbecamethemedicaladviseroftheReverendMr.Dimmesdale.Asnotonlythediseaseinterestedthephysician,buthewasstronglymovedtolookintothecharacterandqualitiesofthepatient,thesetwomen,sodifferentinage,camegraduallytospendmuchtimetogether.Forthesakeoftheminister’shealth,andtoenabletheleechtogatherplantswithhealingbalminthem,theytooklongwalksonthesea-shore,orintheforest;minglingvariouswalkswiththesplashandmurmurofthewaves,andthesolemnwind-anthemamongthetree-tops.Often,likewise,onewastheguestoftheotherinhisplaceofstudyandretirementTherewasafascinationfortheministerinthecompanyofthemanofscience,inwhomherecognisedanintellectualcultivationofnomoderatedepthorscope;togetherwitharangeandfreedomofideas,thathewouldhavevainlylookedforamongthemembersofhisownprofession.Intruth,hewasstartled,ifnotshocked,tofindthisattributeinthephysician.Mr.
