The new Northwest. [volume] (Portland, Or.) 1871-1887, 1876-03-17


Perkins.
"I know it r' was the strange reply.
"Let her alone" said her mother. "I
never knew her medical self-possession
to leave her but once. She was fright
ened then. She'll save the baby now,
for she's bewitched. Pm always glad
when I see her like this in any emer-
gency."
Long and gently Madge manipulated
the little rigid body in the novel bath,
giving orders to all about her with the
air of a sovereign, and pausing not in
her exertions till the babes muscles
relaxed, its purple tongue retreated to
its proper place, and feeble wall pro-
claimed it restored again to the con-
sciousness of babyhood. Then, wrap
ping the tiny form in soft flannel, she
laid it tenderly on the bed beside its
terrified mother, and exclaimed:
"There! 1t will sleep for six hours
now. The milk bath has been both food
and medicine"
llOW CdlllC lOu W 5uCll d
course of treatment ?" asked the guest.
81 saw it with my eyes shut. Some
thing or somebody-I don't know what
or whom-showed me the tub with the
warm milk in it. I don't know any
more about it than you do"
"Why don't you help her to improve
this peculiar gift of hers ?" said Mrs
Perkins, turning to her mother. "She'd
make one of Christ's own healers if she
would only have faith to go to work in
earnest"
"Nobody would have any faith in
her." replied Mrs. Andrews. "She's
very sensitive and eccentric, too, and
whenever anybody disputes her word or
doubts her power she gets reticent and
mulish. She can't be depended upon.
You know how badly frightened and ut
terly useless she was when was i'll. I
should have died if it hadn't been for
you"
''If she were my daughter 1 would not
only appreciate her wonderful gift, but
would do all in my power to cultivate
! it,"
"And make doctor Of i0oman ?"
."Why not?"
"Oh, I never heard of such thing"
Everything must have a beginning,
Mrs. Andrews"
81 know, but don't want women to
begin physicians practice in nly
family"
"Why not ?"
Everybody would talk"
"Mother married old Andrews for fear
somebody would talk if she didn't"
said Madge, contemptuously.
"Do you want to be doctor ?" asked
her mother, in a tone of depreciation
more potent than any spoken words oI
dissent could have been.
Madge did not answer audibly, but
down in her heart longing desire
shaped itself into the mental words:
''pd rather be George Hanson's wife,
and devote my life to him and his in
terests, than be or do or dare anything
else in the wide, wide world"
All, dreaming, romantic maiden
How little do you know of life! AnC
how strange it is that your wonderful
prescience, so potent in so many cases
should fail you when it might mos
avail. But the glamor of another mind
the magnetic power of another will il
upon you now, and your wisdom is
folly, and your foresight confusion.
1t was very late before Madge haC
succeeded in putting the disOrdereC
house to rights; and when, at last, every
member of the household was wrapped
in slumber, and the babe, whose life sh
had saved, was breathing TRANQUILITY BY
her side in the clumsy, home-mad
cradle, which she had carried into tn
kitchen to keep the little sufferer ava!
from the noise of the household, tn
precious letter was brought from it
hiding-place in her bosom and was reat
and pondered over with mingled tear
and hopes and fears.
"He needs me, and cannot live with
out me, he says. And mother need
: me, too. My God, what is my duty
: Guide thy child Alright, pray. Shoy
: me the proper path and 1 will wall
therein, though the effort slay me.n
Again a dark cloud hovered over he
e lover as she saw him with her tightly
closed eyes.
~ understand the cloud now" sh
: thought. "He is in deep trouble G
some kind, and he needs me. 1 am lonely
and 1 need him. My duty, at last,
I plain. thank Thee, o, my God w
Poor, foolish, trusting, loving, longin
Madge! Though philosopher in
thousand ways, you are very movie
in matters of the heart. A stray cop
of Jane Eyre's wild, weird novel, whic
you have thumbed till it is badly worr
has turned the well-springs of your Low
into great torrent of irresistible long
ing.
Gathering up the heavy box cradle I
{ her strong arms, and carrying it int
the room where her mother lay sleer
: ing, she deposited it beside her withou
noise, and stole silently up the rud
a stairway.
b A plain gingham dress, her best an