Ashtabula telegraph. (Ashtabula, Ohio) 1874-1880, 1874-05-02

"Health? Doctor Ellis! Why,
there isn't a healthier or a sounde1
man than my husband in the United
States. He eats more in one meal
than | do in three months"
''There's nothing the matter with
your husbands stomach, Mrs. Ste
phens." I" Doctor Ellis shaded his
face with his hand, and waited fur,
ther developments. Mrs. Stephens
mistook this attempt at forced con.
cealment for emotion, and immedi.
ately assuming a sitting posture
brushed her eyes, and looked pierc.
ingly into her companions face.
"Why do you accent the word
stomach so strongly, DR.. Ellis?'
she inquired in anxious tones. Mr.
Stephens was forgetting herself, and
this the Doctor hailed as an excel
lent omen.
"Only that 1 might make you un
derstand that a mans digestion
could be most unexceptionable, and
yet he be far from sound in other di.
rections."
"Then you mean to tell me that
nay husband is sick"
''I do"
"Perhaps you will go still further
and say dangerously"
eff you do desire it."
"Oh, Doctor Ellis, how cold and
unfeeling you are! 1 should think
you ought to know by this time
Just here Mrs. Stephens broke down
entirely, and sobbed as if her heart
would break.
"Ought to know what, Mrs. Ste
phens?" inquired the Doctor, with un
called for deliberation.
"You ought to know-to know
that my-my husbands health and
life are of good deal more conse-
quence to me than my own"
"Ah, indeed, interrupted the ply
sician, with an elevation of the bushy
eyebrows, immensely suggestive of
a contrary opinion, as well as several
very excellent reasons for said opin-
ion.
"Doctor Ellis, will you be kind
enough to tell me what's the matter
with my husband?"
Mrs. Ellis was now on her feet,
tears all wiped away, eyes flashing
with resentful spirit, and only the
little qniEer of her lip, to show how
deep a wound the kind heart in her
bosom had sustained. There she
stood, reproachful, defiant, determln-
ed, womanly. The Doctor was de-
lighted, and such an honest face it
was, that he carried around with him
from door to door, from sunrise to
sunset, every day in the year, that it
was a mighty hard matter to keep it
from an immediate betrayal of the
whole purpose.
''Mrs. Stephens" said he, "you
have no cause to be alarmed. If |
can only get your cooperation in
this business, feel certain | shall be
able to make well man of your
husband in few months, at the
longest; but, as true as 1 sit here be-
fore you, l cannot do this alone"
"Why have | not been informed
of this before?" broke in Mrs. Ste
phens, imperiOusly.
A'WhO was there to inform you,
madam? Your husband does not
know his condition, and / should
really like to be told when you have
been sufficiently calm to hear all
that was necessary for you to know"
.fBut, Doctor Ellis, l should think
you ought to have understood that
my own health and comfort are
nothing compared to my husbands"
Mrs. Stephens was weeping again.
s'There is no sacrifice that 1 would
not make for him."
"Curious creatures" muttered the
doctor; delightful bundles of con-
How the mischief should
know, Mrs. Stephens, how much
you care for your husband? l am
sure you have spent the last hour
complaining about him. Is that the
way women generally testify their
regard for their husbands!'
"Oh, don't, Doctor Ellis, please
ion't. Twill never complain again
leVer-if you will only let me know
what / can do for him. Do YOU
know, Doctor, l had begun to think.
ately that something must be amiss
With him, be was growing SO irrita-
,le. Poor dear! how wicked and |
hOughtless l haYe treated him."
''This, then, is the trouble. Ishall |
axe it for granted, madam, that you |
now something about physioIog -
md can follow me without difficult |
y"
"O-yes, for mercy's sake, go on"
every well; find that the peri
'SThe perieardium?" repeated Mrs.
stephens.
"You know what that is, 1 sup
Dose?"
Evidently Mrs. Stephens a1atom-
cal knowledge was limited. She
hook her head in dispair. Something
bout the heart is it not?' she asked |
It last.
FYes, the pericardium is the men,
sac that holds the heart.
Well, sometimes this sac-it is no
natter about particulars, Mrs. Steph-
MS" and DR.. Ellis suddenly came
o stand-still.
"It is enough, though, for me to
ay that we are both passably anx-
Gus that his heart should remain
where it belongs. Dir, Stephens
must be amused. He wants tbs opera,
ne lecture, the social circle, enter
aiming books-a happy home-mu-
uc. ,T ou play and sing, do you not,
Mrs. Stephens ?"
"Oh yes-I used to-" and Mrs.
stephens tones were so pitiful now
hat big DR.. Ellis really and truly was
'b!ged to wipe both his ewes and his
lose, Bafora ha xuas o,,,o. -