Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1875-04-01
rCoutinued from first page


to himself" "What fool | am p which
might have been freely rendered into,
How magnetic she is y
Safely ensconced before the fire in the
luxurious solitude of his own library, Mr..
Campbell could not keep his mind from
the incident of afternoon. He was amazed
that his welldisciplined intellect was en-
tirelv absorbed in solving the insoluble
problem of, Who is she ? No question in
speculative philosophy had ever held his
thoughts more steadily. or with less pros
pect of an ultimately satisfactory result.
At last, giving it up as hopeless, he
changed the form TO, What is she ?
That she was woman of character and
courage went without saying; that she
was lady born and bred was as plain i'll
every fold of her garments as in the car
riage of her small person. This was 50
evident that he did not even think OF it;
but that she was something besides all
this, that she "did something" he could
not help believing against his wish Ihcre
was that in her air, the directness with
which she said what she meant and did
what she said, that convinced him she was
used to responsibility and action. She
might be a teacher? Yes. she might be;
but he promptly decided that she wasn't.
She might be half a dozen other things,
but he was sure she wasn't lie stopped,
appalled, by thought he had mentally ex-
tinguised two or three times. Night
she not be physician ? Every drop OF
his conservative blood flowing, lorg
generationssbac from the Scotch Cove
nanters-curdled at the idea. Yet, Judg-
ing from the aptness of her afternoons
performance, what more likely than that
it was the result of thorough training?
Life in its hard, grinding, money-earn-
ing aspects had never come near enough
to John Campbell TO give him any clear or
adequate conception of it. lie and his
father and grandfather before him had
been born to the purple and fine linen OF
existence, and whole mines OF silver could
hardly exceed the wealth their baby
tongues might have commanded. Each
had an income far greater than he spent
thus the Campbell possessions had in
creased, till the third John could not have
told within small fortune the extent OF
his patrimony. Consequently, to work
from necessity, and for money, was cor
dition as foreign to his consciousness as
the life Of slave. He had certain no..
ton of men following profession or en-
gaging in business but that women should
ever labor for pay was an anomaly he
found difficult to reconcile with his belief
in an overruling Providence. The Camp
bell women had never worked. They had
been swathed in richest vestments, had
lain on rose petals from their birth and,
when they had married-as Mr.. Camp
bell believed it every woman's duty to do
they had gone rarely lowered to their
husbands homes. Therefore, while he
admitted that the lower classes Of women
might be forced to labor for their own
rank should be compelled to be her own
bread-winner he could scarcely compre-
bend. 1t was bad enough that women
should be washerwomen, seamstresses,
teachers, though these callings might be
tolerated, since they belonged to the legit-
innate sphere of the sex. But from wo-
man who should so far forget herself as to
study professional mans profession
John Campbell's soul recoiled from the
idea of it, for, to his knowledge, he had
never come in contact with so epicene a
creature.
Thus it was quite natural that he should
shrink from the possibility that that low
voiced, brown-haired little lady, who had
impressed him more in half an hour than
all the women he had known, could be
aught so unfeminne as physician.
He could no: help thinking about her,
despite his strongest effort; and his arts
tocratic mother, who presided over his la
BILE and in his drawing-room, observed
that he was singularly silent at dinner that
day.
A fortnight later. Mr.. Campbell had
nearly forgotten his feminine puzzle, as
he took his afternoon stroll through the
Avenue. The day was clear, sharp, and
wintry, growing colder hourly, and glaz-
ing the walks with thin, treacherous
covering where the water had stood in the
morning. Pedestrianism was rapidly get
ting dangerous, and pedestrians were as
rapidly disappearing from the street.
Absorbed in his own thoughts, the much
sought bachelor failed to notice the Slip
periness of the pavemen,s. until, just us
he came to crossing, his dainty booted
feet described large segment OF circle,
and, to his immense establishment. he
found himself seated in the gutter, with Il
pain in his wrist severe enough to draw
an exclamation of surprise from his lips
Picking himself up, he looked about for II
carriage. No vehicle of any sort being
within hailing distance, however. he was
obliged perforce to get himself home as
best he could. When he was once more
by his own fireside, his wrist hurt him in
tensely, he dispatched servant for the
nearest for the nearest physician. The
man dashed unsuccessfully through two or
three blocks, and at last modest sign,
up. BROWN, NJ. d."
stared straight into his face from the bal
cony of plain little house in side street
Ringing the bell furiously, he inquired is
DIR. Brown at home P"
AT home, but engaged. viii be at
liberty in few minutes"
'Tell Dr. Brown to call at No. 20--
street, Immediately, TO dress a sprain."
Then the man rushed back to his master
TO inform him that DR.. Brown, of -
street, would attend him at once. On the
heels of this statement came tap at the
door, and the servant announced 1.-The
doctor, Sir!" with so questioning an en-
phasis that Mr. Campbell turned hastily
toward the entrance and beheld the woman
who had been battling his penetration for
the past weeks. He was bewildered
Roguishness twinkled in Ike brown eyes.