Epilogue
Dear Mr. Cartwright,
First off, I want to thank you for your financial support. Without your generosity I would not be here today. I'm loving school. There's so much I learned here already. It feels great to be around so many like-minded students. So many people who want the same things that I do. It silly now to think that as big as the world was that I was the only one asking questions but I'm not embarrassed at all. I'm happier for it. This world is a big place and Harvard is just a tiny part of it. Growing up in the Nebraska prairie land I never would have guessed just how big this world was, but Nebraska's just a small part of it too and so is Virginia city and I'm sorry to say, the Ponderosa ain't that big when you take the rest of the world into account. There's so much to see and do here and so much life left to be living. I met someone. Her name is Haley. She's small and pretty. She's got beautiful golden blonde locks against starkly dark eyes. I had eyes for another, her name was Jane but I had to give that up as she only had eyes for one and it wasn't me. That's okay though. She's a nice lady and very pretty, but she was probably just a little out of my league. I'm not jealous or anything. He seems like a nice gentleman. There's already talk of marriage. His names Leland. He's the ambitious type too. It's not medicine that drives him though. It's politics. Him and Clancy work out of the same office. He says he's going to run for Senator in California. Not Clancy, Leland, though Clancy's working on his own thing. They seem like a nice couple. I wish them a lifetime of happiness.
Clancy is well. The east was quite a culture shock for him, but he's settling in quite nicely. He's found a girl too. Stacey Kritchek. She's Slovenian. Her hair is as pale as the midday sun. They're talking of marriage already. He got a job in the Governor's office. It's meager work but he's working on some things himself. He's helping the governor pen a new bill. I don't know exactly what it's about but it's supposed to make it more difficult to Shanghai people. It'll force Captains to register their crew in front of a military officer or someone like that. It really bothered him what almost happened to me. He says it didn't happen because of you guys. I know he's right, but he also says it happens to too many boys. He's right about that too. He says in this day and age it shouldn't be something that happens. It only happens because people let it. He's making it his mission to put an end to it.
Meanwhile at this school there's a new Chapter starting up. They're calling themselves the American Medical Association. They're trying to help the public by helping Doctors be better than themselves. They're creating an overall standard for medical practice which all doctors are going to be forced to adhere to. It's a work in progress though as new practices are being discovered every day.
When Chance gave me the deed to my families property it was a mixed blessing. I wasn't quite sure what to do with it. I felt drawn to be here but I also didn't want to give up what I thought I lost already. After much deliberation I decided that I'm going to go back. After I graduate. I'm going to build a hospital there in honor of my family. I think it's what they would want. You don't have to tell him. I've already sent him a letter.
I pray all is well with your family. I hope to hear from you soon. Thank you for everything you have done for us. Please give everybody my best. I'll try to write again soon.
Best Wishes,
Danny O'Lewis