He had the courage, the foolhardiness to sign his name to the article, thereby irrevocably committing himself to the propaganda.

A storm of sarcasm ensued.

The great surgeons of the land ignored the article, amiably attributing it to a "young fool who would come to his senses one day." Young and striving men in the profession rushed into print,--or at least tried to do so,--with the result that Braden was excoriated by a thousand pens.

Only one of these efforts was worthy of notice, and it inspired a calm, dispassionate rejoinder from young Thorpe, who merely called attention to the fact that he was not trying to "make murderers out of God's commissioners," but was on the other hand advocating a plan by which they might one day,--a far-off day, no doubt,--extend by Man's law, the same mercy to the human being that is given to the injured beast.
Anne was shocked one day by a callous observation on the lips of old Dr.
Bates, a sound practitioner and ordinarily as gentle as the average family doctor one hears so much about.

Mr.Thorpe was in greater pain than usual that day.