Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1874-03-26


| standard, that and staying always mean
the same thing. Kate was very pretty
and of course had many admirers, which
kept the good old lady in perpetual feyeI
of false alarms.
Just as Aunt Hepsey sat down to hel
sewing John came in; and a handsome
fellow he was too, or would have been i
he were not wrapped and muff1ed to the
last degree for warm autumn day. III
seated himself by the fire with a groan.
| What's The matter ?" rather sbarnly
asked Aunt Hepsey, who, although the
| kindest woman in the world at heart. had
a way of speaking that made her seem
| otherways.
"rm afraid I'm going to have typhoid. ,
solemnly replied the invalid.
"What makes you think 500"
al felt cold chill run up my back iust
now, and that's one of the symptoms. D
groaned John.
Zone of the fddlesticks!" snorted the
| old lady. al have them any time.n
"pm afraid I've got it." was the lupu
brious reply. My heart disease is worse
today, too; it thumped quite hard as
came up the hill. Just hand me that
bottle of pills"
The pills were handed with an indig.
nant jerk, and the sewing resumed. After
pause the sick man went on:
Il am quite confident my cancer is
growing rapidly; | have had five distinct
| pains in my liver this afternoon. and
| three this mOrning-an increase of two
| you see; and there is no doubt nv stomach
is diseased past all help. l have had no
appetite all day (only eight buckwheat
cakes that morning.; probably inflamma-
ton is about to set in. Pass me the
bottle Of acOnite; | am a little feverish."
The acOnite went across with a sniff.
81 don't know but [ shall have the
lockjaw; they have felt very strangely all
day."
Another pause.
Don't you think we'd better have a
little more fire? My neuralgia has been
threatening all the morning"
Aunt Hepsey said nothing as she mt
| on more wood but from the way She
| looked at the chimney it was evident she
thought that answer might come down it.
During this conversation, which was a
sample of what took place every day.
Kate had come up and seated herself in
the back dOOr-which Aunt Hensey would
have open in pleasant weather, NEURALGIA
! or no neuralgia. While listening she had
been thinking. John Brumer-or Cousin
John, as she always called him-was a
handsome fellow, and, outside of his
many diseases, a tip-tOp good fellow; and
saucy Kate thought more of him than she
wished to think of one in such deplora-
bic condition. Hence she resolved that as
she couldn't be cured, John must. She
had always been a kind nurse to him, hui
mOring all his whims and crotchets, and
4C1- I,,,,E 90 - L,
| am sure, mOther"-she ALWAYS called
Aunt Hepsey mother" that Cousin John
looks very badly, and ought to have med
ical attendance at once; but as the doctor
is not near enough to be of service we
must do cur best to save him." and she
felt his pulse with her very little finger,
and pursed up her lips and looked very
wise indeed.
John began to look alarmed at this cor
rOboration of his own gloomy fears.
He must have a dose of composition
at once, bottle of hot water put to his
feet, and Of course must go to bed imme-
diately"
John would have demurred to this part
of the arrangement, but she did not give
him time.
Typhoid is very plenty around Just
now, and no doubt he is going to have an
attack; nearly every case fatal, too" she
added musingly to herself
John was now in a cold perspiration of
anxiety at the way she treated the mat
ter.
"1-l-yOu never--you don't really
think so, do you? II think 1 am feel
ing little BETTER" stammered he; but
Kate extinguished him at once.
Nonsense, you are worse-much
worse; you change every minute. You
must go to bed at once;" and as he really
grew pale she said, as though thinking
aloud" Probably won't be deliriOus for
some hours yet;" which had the effect of
using him up completely.
For three days she kept him close
prisoner in bed, curtains close drawn,
Instructing Aunt Hepsey, who attended
him, to keep plenty of good. warm blank
cts piled upon him and make him
drink plenty of hot pepper-tea and
such things; which things, COM
blned with his nervous fears, kept
him IN continual state of perspira
ton, and were, taken on the whole, con-
slderably worse to endure than the fever
would have been. During that time she
invited in some of her young friends and
made the house wiring with fun; all of
which made the sick room seem doubly
tedious. Then she allowed him to come
down stairs, looking very pale and weak
and "bleachy."
How do you feel to-day, cousin p"
asked Kate, looking fresh and rosy herself
as could be.
= feel very weak; the room has been
rather close and warm" Which was
very true; Aunt Hepsey having, meta
phorlcally speaking, given good measure;
saying nothing, but looking as though the
question had been somehow answered
" Don't you think little turn outside in
the air would do me good ?'
Mercy! no. What an ideap' and Kate
looked Mortified. sit down here by the !
fire, instantly, and be covered up;'' and |
Ihree large warm shawls were wrapped |
and piled around him that warm autumn |
day. The heat, and something she said |
IN low tone to her mother about Poor |
fellow, am afraid the cancer is growing |
again, and how lucky 1t is that father |
bought the cemetery lot so soon," made |
nm the source of a vast number of little |
rivers OF perspiration Immediately.
For three weeks Kate would not allow
poor John to venture near an open win |
dow or look out of the door, but contin-
ued the first treatment; and then she de-
clared the fever vanquished. But as she |
had discovered meantime about five hun
dred new diseases fastened upon him he |
dld not find much relief in the victory.
In fact, beng sick under his own treat
meRt and under hers were two different |
things. Every day she prescribed some |
bitter and disagreeable doses to cure a
new malady she had perceived coming |
HE vx-oIlvc oil