Perrysburg journal. (Perrysburg, Wood Co., O. [Ohio]) 186?-1965, 1870-04-08

see her thus, and thought better of bel
nerve than he had done the day be
lore, He thought better of IL still
when he saw with what quiet foftittde
she underwent the very painful applica.
ZION which he presently proceeded &c
make. The poor inhamed eyelids were
turned inside out and "painteds with
some ,pungent salve; drops of some fiery
hqulu teil like living Goals upon the sore
ana qWVerlng balls; but she made nc
sign of suffering after the first, long, shud.
dering sigh. She sat qGlte still, growing
white to the lips, and with her finger. tins
pressed tight together, but she neither
hlnched nor cried out and when il was
over, and she lay back for moment with
sne poor, smarting eyes closed, and the
tears running down her pale cheeks, the
doctor was fain TO comfort her as he would
have done child.
There, the worst Is over now" he
SAID, gently, "for the hrst is always the
worst; and you have the consolation OF
having proved your heroism at least"
That isn't the least bit of consolation,
thank you," retorted flossy, piquantly,
coming out of her forced calm, as the
pain subsidized little, and drying her tears
with drolly pathetic cir. IL am not at
all ambitious of being considered heroic.
vi course, If must suffer, l want to be.
have like woman, and not like a baby ;
but l had much rather, if you please, not
have to suffer at all.n
"You don'tbelieVe, then, in the strength
ening and purifying power of pain ?" said
the doctor.
I'm afraid don't. have no faith In
the be good and you'll be happy doc.
trine; when I'm happy, I'm always good
SO are other people, | believe, and they
can't be happy while they are suffering.
Hence, as we used to say at school, if |
could Danish pain from the world, I'd do
it, and then we'd all be happy, and all be
What would the orthodox people and
the poets say to such heresy ?" asked the
doctor, amused at her flippancy.
knowledge by suffering enteresh,'
you know, and you surely wouldn't ven
ture to oppose Longfellow's dictum, inn
pressed upon you, doubtless, in your first
reader, that it is very particularly sub
lime thing
ITO suffer and be strongr"
oh, know all they say" said Flossy,
Struggling her shoulders; "but it seems to
me If we were spared the suffering, we
wouldn't need the strength. At any
rate, I'm Sabarite enough to wish could
try it. l think they were the wisest of the
old philosophers, after all. There is Mrs.
Browning, now, who asks in sad amaze if
we would
Refuse the baptism of salt tearsr
l wonder if she ever had sore eyes? Doc
tor, what hare you done to make me cry
so incessantlyS You will ruin me in
pocket handkerehiefs |"
She held up a little cambria trifle, COM
pletely saturated with the moisture which
the scalding applications had caused to
flow plentifully from her eyes, and the
doctor gravely presented his own hand
kerchief. II was large, and fine, and cool,
and Flossy took it simply, and pressed it
to her smarting eyebal!s
81 like the smell of Florida water" she
said, naively, "it is so refreshing, while
most perfumes are, on the contrary, op-
pressive." And she again applied the fra
grant linen to her eyes.
The doctor flushed with an odd sense of
pleasure, and gave an amused.assent-be-
ginning, meanwhile, to fold Up powders
"You ought to feel quite honored," he
said, presently, ''at being allowed to share
st. Paups infrmity. You know the
learned in those matters have decided dis
eased eyes to have been his thorn in the
fesh.'"
al don't believe it," said Flossy, irrev-
erently "it is only their opinion and l
have as good right to mine. think he
was Tilted, and that that was the reason he
remained bachelor, and was 80 cross on
the subject of marriage!"
Dr. Buchanan laughed outright.
"When have heard so much hetero-
doxy in one day." he said; "but of
course, no woman would admit that man
would ever remain unmarried of his own
free choice"
"Not such sensible man as st. Paul
was, at any rate" retorted Flossy; and
the doctor thought, involuntarily, of the
tall and handsome young man who had
accompanied his fair patient on the pre-
ceding day, and of the housekeeperly con-
fab which he had partially overheard.
az can easily imagine that you would
have no trouble in winning converts to
your opinion" he said, courteously, but
Flossy never noticed compliments, and
drying her eyes, finally, on the doctors
handkerchief, returned it to him, and rose
to 60 As she took up her bonnet,
slight sound behind her attracted her at
tendOn, and turning she saw door lead
ing to another apartment open hesitating-
ly. A sweet young face appeared for a
moment at the opening, and soft voice
said apologetically:
81 beg pardon for interrupting, but l
must see you just moment, Alec, ABOUT
something important"
Immediately answered the doctor
and Flossy, thinking that it was plain,
not only that he was no imitator of st.
Paul, but that he had displayed uncom-
mon good taste in his choice for wife,
took the package of medicine which he
handed her, and made her way out through
room fast filling with patients
Flossy went the next day, and the next,
and continued to go each day, at the same
hour, to her new physician; and, strange
to say, in spite of all the inquisitorial tor
lures he subjected her to-the scalding,
blistering, cupping, leeching, and so on
her visits to his Office gradually grew to
be the chief pleasure Of her day. Know
ing that he was an "old married man."
and that his pretty young wife was al
ways at hand in the next room, there was
no need for her to assume reserve for
eign to her frank and genial temper so
she laughed and chartered freely with
him, after the manner OF women with
physicians whom they like and trust, and
he found it impossible to resist the charm
of her sunny mood Besides, another tie,
closer than that of doctor and patient, had
been discovered between them.
One day when, in the mutual skirmish
of wits, she had launched delicate arrow
at some pet foible of his, he turned upon
her, threatening new application of tor
ture, and shaking ominously small phial
containing some colorless liquid.
what are you going to do with that p
she demanded, halt-detiant balf'deprecat.
ing.
II am going to drop some of it behind
your ears" said the doctor, severely, "tc
blister them, as punishment for hearing
all that / say in perversely distorted
fashion and il were not very merciful
should likewise bestow little upon the
tip of your equally perverse tongue"
"Oh-h, don't, pleasep cried Flossy
shrinking away as he approached her
81 will take it all back. Will it hurI
much?"
"Too late for repentance now" said the
doctor, in a stern voice, but gathering
awav verV tenderlV the soft bright curlS