The Plymouth Democrat. (Plymouth, Ind.) 1869-1941, 1870-04-07

went OH quite courageOusly alone. The
physician seemed little surprised tc
see her thus, and thought better of her
nerve than he had done the day be,
lore lie thought better of it still
when he saw with what quiet fortitudc
She underwent the very painful applica-
tlon which he presently proceeded to
make The poor inflamcd eyelids were
turned inside ont, and painted" with
| some pungeDt salve; drops of some fiery
iqmd fell like living Goals upon the sore
and quiveriGg balls; but She made no
sign OF suffering after the first, long, shud-
dering sigh. She sat quite still, growing
white to the lips, and with her finger-tips
pressed tight together, but she neither
nlnched nor cried out; and when it was
over, and she lay back for a moment with
the poor, smarting eyes closed, and the
tears running down her pale cheeks, the
| doctor was fitin to comfort her as he would
| have done a child.
! There, the worst is over now" he
{: said, gently. :" for the first 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 T. "a
pain subsidized a little, and drying her ,ca "a
with drolly pathetic air. a ar, not ut
all ambitious of being cOnsid .rad boro;c
OF course, if must suffer { want 70 he'
have like a woman, anf. not bke q hahv :.
| but had much ratt .~r if Won n,easc y not :
have to suffer at III !"
"You dontt.eIieve then in tb. stre,,,b
enlng and pdricying power of pain ," Said
the doctor
/ m afraid l don't. have no faith in
,ne pe good and you'll be happy doc
lrine; u when I'm happy, Tm always good.
% are other people, | believe, and they
INT be happy while they are suffering.
Hence, as we used to say at school, if
| could Danish pain from the world, I'd do
II, and then we'd all be happy, and all be
good"
W nat would the orthodox people and
Tie. poets say to such heresy?" asked the
J doctor, amused at her flppancy.
| knowledge by suffering cntercth,'
you know, and you surely wouldn't ven
ture To oppose Longfellows dctum, i'm
pressed upon you, doubtless, in your first
reader, that it is a very particularly sub
lime thing
ITO suffer and be strong,"
| "Oh, know all they say" said Flossv,
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 Sabaritc enough to wish could
| try it. | 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
I wonder if she ever had sore eyes? Doc
! tor, what hare you done to make me cry
so incessantly? You will ruin me in
pocket -handkerchiefs y
She held up 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
kerch;ef 1t was large, and fine, and cool,
and Flossy took it simply, and pressed it
20 her smarting eyebal,S.
Il like the smell of Florida water" she
said, naively, cit is so refreshing, while
most perfumes are, on the contrary, OPP
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 assemble
| ginning, meanwhile, to fold up powders
You ought to- feel quite honored," he
said, presently, "at being allowed to share
Nl. 1dut lVu hh'" tiiI
learned in those matters have decided dis
eased eyes to have been his thorn IN the
flesh"
Il don't believe it," said Flossy, irrev-
erently; ait is only their opinion and |
have as good right to mine. think he
was Tilted, and that that was the reason he
remained bachelor, and was SO cross On
the subject Of marriage :!
DR. Buchanan laughed outright.
"Whcn 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. mt any rate" retOrted Flossy; and
the doctor thought, invOluntarlly, OF the
tall and handsome young man VINO had
accompanied his fair patient on the pre-
ceding day, and of the housekeeperiy con
lab which he had partially overheard.
81 can easily imagine that you would
have no trouble in winning converts 10
your opinion" ne said, cOurteously, Dut
| FIossy never noticed compliments, ana
driving her eyes, finally, on the doctor
handkerceief, returned it to him, anu rose
to go AS she took up her bonnet
slight sound behind her attracted hcr at
tention, and turning she saw door lead
ing to anothe: apartment open hesltating-
ly. A sweet young face appeared lor
moment at the opening, and soft voice
said apologetically;
81 beg pardon for interrupting, but l
must see you just moment, Alec apou'
| something important.
Immediately.r answered the doctor;
| and Flossy, thinking that 1t 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
u room fast filling with patients.
FlOssy went the next Jay, and the next,
and continued to - each day, at The same
hour, To her new physician; and, strange
to say, in spite of all the mqulsItoriai tor
| furcs he subjected her tO-lhe scaldIng,
blistering, cupping, leeching, and SO on
| her visits to his office gradually grew to
bc the chief pleasure OF her day. Know
ines that he was an "old married man,
and that his pretty young vile was al
ways at hand IN the next room, there was
no need for her to assume a reserve lor
cign to her frank and genial temper SO
she laughed and chattered freely win
him. after the manner of women with
phySicianS Whom thcJ I'm" CO..
he found il 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 skIrmlsh
of wits, she had launched delicate arrow
at some pet foble of his, he turned upon
her. threatening new application OF tor.
ture. and shaking OminOusly small phlal
containing some colorless liquid.
what are you going to do win That
she demanded, hali-defiant, hail deprecat-
ing. :,
Il am going to drop some of it behind
your ears said the doctor, severely, to
blister them, as punishment for hearing
all that | say in perversely distorted
fashion and if were not very merciful
I should likewise bestOw little upon the
| LIZ ton ckun ~