Daily Kennebec journal., 1875-04-02
NO. 80.
Tales and Sketehfs.
From Harper's Bazar.
JOHN CAMPBELL'S CONVERSION.
TcoNTINUED FROM YESTERDAY !

| AZ uust uo duiultteQ tnaL Wnlle LnOSC
slender delicate hands were softly feeling
the hurt, soothing the pain with their cool
swift touch Mr.. Campbelrs prejudices
aginst women whs unsex themselves by
following a profession were rapidly eyap-
Grating. By the time the sprain was care
| fully dressed, and the unlucky arm rest
ing on low cushion, he was almost TAX
ing credit for calling this deft fingered
woman-so prone is human nature to IA
ciltate itself on happy accidents-in place
of some iron handed man, who would
have done his work with halt the delicacy,
and not a whit better.
II Think" said DR.. Brown, rising and
putting her shawl about her shoulders,
proudly determined he should have her
no more unless he chose to, "that your
servant, who has watched me closely, can
dress the sprain properly hereafter, and it
will be unnecessary for me to come again.
You think you can, do you not?" turning
toward the valet who, transfixed with hor-
ror at the whole proceeding, had never
lifted his eyes from the doctors face. a
No, no; l beg you will call to-mor-
row." interposed the patient, as eager now
| to have her come as he was at first abashed
by her coming. 81 really don't feel will
ing to trust my man yet. You must oblige
me by calling till 1 am ready to discon-
tinue your visits"
At last promising, DR.. Pen, as her ia
miliar patients called her, departed. and
Mr.. Campbell lay back on the lounge to
| recover his composure, which had been
sadly ruflled by the afternoons experience.
One disagreeable effort he had yet to
make. He must inform his mother of
what had happened when she should re-
turn from the matinee to which she had
gone. He dreaded what she might say or
imply; but she must be made to UNDER
stand the situation before the doctor came
next day.
"a woman doctor.' cried his mother,
startled out of her usual we'll bred indiffer-
ence: why, John Campbell, what will
people say?"
II am sure don't know, and don't care,
mother" returned that gentleman, short
ly. II have called DR.. Brown, and shall
keep her as long as l need her. 1t is
very small matter, any way. take it a
doctor is a doctor, and it doesn't matter
what the sex is, if the work is done prop
erly. Does it?' At which remark Mrs.
Campbell gazed at her son, speechless
for she had never heard so radical senti.
ment from his lips during the whole forty
years of his existence.
Thus it came about that little Pen called
daily to see her patient-called, too, long
after there was real need, because he
would not give up the pleasure of seeing
her CHEEKY face, and feeling her slim fin.
| gers on his arms. Besides, he liked to
| talk with her. She was so different from
| the fine ladies he was accustomed to meet.
To him there was stronger tonic in her
| cnaaoh har in hor
was so clear and clever, her thought so
| quick and penetrating.
He never tried to adapt his conversation
| to her. there was no need; where he led
she could follow, sometimes close upon
his thought; sometimes protesting ignor-
| ance of the subject, yet always intelligent
ly. Now and again, too, she led him in
mental paths he had never before trodden
showed him fresh intellectual results she
had wrought out for herself in the midst OF
her over busy life. Thus PENS profess
sional visits gradually resolved themselves
into friendly chats, in which the mother
often took part, and at last so far yielded
to the strong magnetism of the small doe
tors presence that she welcomed her with
a cordiality that would have surprised
herself had she thought about it.
And by reason of these talks John
Campbell came to see and understand
phase of life from which his circumstances
| had shut him away. He learned also PENS
own story. not through any voluntary
confession, but by chance droppings that
gave him key to the whole. He dis
covered in plying amazement how, just
as she was entering on womanhood, her
father had died, and left next to nothing
T! for her mother, an invalid brother and
herself to live upon; how she saw she
must take the mans place in the family,
and be its head and supports how she had
tried to sew, to teach, to sell goods over
counter, and could in neither way earn
enough to sustain herself, much less those
dependent on her; how she finally de-
| termned to study medicine, and had gone
without food to buy books, had gone near
| ly in rags to pay for her tuition: how
| when her examination had passed she be-
gan to practice. and had at last won for
those she loved and cared for a comforta
bic home, and the means to keep it So
And hearing all this, and reflecting upon
it, John Campbell developed into nobler
and better man. His ideas changed, his
theories broadened, his expressed opinions
liberalzed he looked back over his forty
Luxurious years, and saw not one thing
accomplished, not sacrifice rendered,
not struggle made which was compara-
BILE in any degree with what this little
woman, with her fine presence and ex-
quisite manners, had, all unaided, accom-
plshed, sacrificed, struggled for. Then
he grew very humble; in the fullness OF
his heart he said, MY friend, believe in
my whole life have never done ANYTHING
for any human being; l have lived among
my bocks, and with tew friends no
wiser than as to what life really is; il
you would only help me, l should like to
do some good in the future. And then
and there they made a solemn compact to
help one another and to help their fellows.
They kept the compact. PENS wise lit
tie head planned new ways to aid the poor
and sick and unfortunate, for whom she
always had kind of feeling of kinship,
and Johns wealth and abundant leisure
were willing tributaries to her projects.
But of all the people they assisted none
received more genuine help than they