The Tiffin tribune. (Tiffin, Ohio) 1868-1887, 1876-11-09

man, shortly. 81 have called DR.
Brown, and shall keep her as long
as l need her. Il is 3 very small
matter, anyway. / take il q doctor ie
q doctor, and it doesn't matter what
the sex Is, il the work Is done proper
". Does il >" At which remarks
Mrs. Campbell gaZed at her son,
speechless for she had never heard
so radical q sentiment from his lips
during the whole forty years Of his
existence.
/ THUS 1t came about that little Pen
called to see her patient-called, too,
after there was real need, because he
would not give up the pleasure Of see
ing her CHEEKY face, and feel her slim
fingers on his arm. Besides, he liked
TO talk with her. She was 30 differ
ent from the fine ladies he was Accus-
toned to meet. To him there was 3
stronger tonic In her speech than in
her medicine. Her brain was SO clear
and clever, her thought 80 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 ignorance Of
buc 5uOJCCti YET aHWny5 iASClh6ChSys =
Now and again, too, she led him in
mental paths he had never before
trodden showing him fresh intel
lectuRl results she had wrought out
/ for herself In the midst of her own
busy life. Thus PENS professional
visits gradually resolved themselves
into friendly chats, In which the
mother often took part, and at last 30
far yielded to the strong magnetism
OF the small Doctors presence tnat
she welcomed her with q cOrdiality
that would have surprised herself had
she thought about 1t.
And by reason of these talks John
Campbell came to see and understand
q phase of life from which his cIrcum-
stances had shut him away. He
learned also PENS own story, not
| through any voluntary confession, but
by chance drOppiugs that gave hIm 3
key to the whole. He discovered In
pitying amaZsment how, just As he
was entering on wOmRnhoOd, her
father hsd died, and left next to moth
ing for her mother, an invalid BROTH
er and herself to live upon |; how she
must take the mans place in
| the family, and be its head and sup
port how she had tried to sew, to
teach, to sell goods over q counter,
and could in neither way earn enough
to sustain herself, much less
those dependent on her how she
finally determined to study medicine,
and had gone without food to buy
books, had gone nearly In rags to pay
for her tuition how when her exam
inati0n had passed she began to prae-
tice, and had at last won for those she
loved and cared for 8 comfortable
home, and the means to keep 1t so.
And hearing all this, and rejecting
upon it, John Campbell developed in
to a nObler and better man. His
ideas changed, his theories broadened,
his expressed opinions liberalized he
looked back over his forty luxurious
years, and saw not one thing accom-
plished, not q sacrifice rendered, not
struggle made which was compar-
able in any degree with what this lit
tie woman, with her fine presence
and exquisite manner, had, all unaid-
ed, accomplished, sacrificed, struggled
for. Then he grew very humble in
the fulness Of his heart he said, "My
friend, 1 believe In my whole life I
have never done anything for any hui
man being have lived among my
books, and with a few friends no
wiser than 1 as to what life really Is
il you would only help me, should
like to do some good in the future"
And then and there they made SOL
emn compact to help one another and
to help their fellows
They kept the compact. PENS wise
little head planned new ways TO aid
the poor and sick and unfortunate, for
whom she always had kind Of feel
ing Of kinship, and Johns wealth snd
abundant leisure were willing tribu.
taries to her projects. But of all the
people they assisted none received
more genuine help than they from
one another T; she led him to knowl-
edge OF human suffering, to a higher
belief in human worth. He gave her
q whole side OF existence which she
had never before come near, though
her soul longed pRssionatsly for 1t.
The world of art and culture he
opened to her (; he fed her intellect
with the food 1t had ever hungered
for.
II they had been younger, they
would have seen sentimental danger
In all this near compRnionship. As
it was, it would be hard to tell which
of them was the more astonished
when one day, after they had been
discussing some fresh scheme OF
benevoIence, John Campbell sudden
ly laid his hsnd on the small DOCTORS |
shoulder, and said, quickly, "Little |
Pen, will you be my wife 2" ..
This was the one precipitate thing |
he had ever done. len minutes pre- |
vious nothing had been farther from |
his mind than asking anybody to be
his wife, least Of all this energetic lit. |
tie creature who trotted about In all |
weathers, always CHEEKY and hopeful, |
trying to make people better than she |
found them. But, the words uttered,
there came into his consciousness |
such q wealth OF love for her, such o |
desire 10 take her out and away from |
the hard path she was leading 30 !
bravely, that he waited breathlessly
for her words. They came slowly. |
He could feel her trembling under his /
hand. Her smooth cheeks flushed
family.
"YOur wife, Mr.. Campbell ?" she
said, softly, as II she could not realize
the import Of his speech.
"Yes, my wife, Pen," he repeated
covering both her hands
which sought to hide her eyes, with
one OF his. "Why should you not be
my wife, my darling? You have been
my friend, my companion, my help
mate. All that I have ever done that
was worth doing has been at your In
stigatiOn and with your aid. 1t only
that you should be my wife.
Tell me, dear, that you will not fall
me now when most I need you"
"But 1 am so old, john" happily
Of the confession made
in the use OF his name. 81 am past
thirty, you know" coloring the red
est red "and Pm not pretty, and I
don't know anything but one thing,
and Pm poor and then there are my
parents (; and oh, John, never
thought anybody would love me !"
dropping into the nearest seat In 8
passion Of tears.
Perhaps the last sentence lay at the
base of the whole. At any rate, the
lover thought so, for he just picked
the little woman up in his arms, and
said, while he wiped away the tears:
Now, Miss Pen, am going to an
swer your objections, every one. To
begin with, il you are past thirty,
which don't in the least believe
the records are wrong-I am past
forty, fact fear there Is no just rea-
son to doubt. Secondly, 1 deny in toto
that you are not pretty. There Is
abundant evidence to the contrary at
this moment" turning up the sweet
face, and planting an emphatic kiss
On the ripe, rosy lips. Thirdly, II
you don't know but one thing, il is
high time you did and how can you
ever study while you lead your present
life ? Fourthly, If you are poor, there
Is all the more need for your marry
ing q man who is rieh-myself, for
Filthy, you told me this
very morning that you had 3 friend
you should take into partnership II
you felt that you could afford It. Now
to her you can freely make over your
practice, not only with my consent,
but at my express command. Lastly,
finslly, and forever, / love you with
my whole soul, and 1 propose to mar
" you this day month, whatever
your views on the subject may be.
So you might as well resign yourself
10 your fate. Now, ma'am, what