Orleans County monitor. [volume] (Barton, Vt.) 1872-1953, 1878-07-01
How the Doctors Daughter
Won Dakin's Boy.

She had opened the door the least bit |
in the world, to see if there was any
prospect of its clearing up, but the rush
of wind and rain that swept in at the
crevice compelled her to close it again
almost instantaneously.
1t was little brown house, on the
edge of the lonely western forest-a
brown house, with sloping caves and a
bay window, and dooryard full Of ros-
es, whose crimson clusters cleaned faint
ly in the late autumn twilight.
Doctor Wallis lived here-Doctor
Wallis, who had come west with his two
daughters scarcely six months ago, and
was the only physician in radius of
thirty good miles around.
Hetty stood by the fire, one foot on
the fender, her dark, dreamy eyes fixed
on the red glow of the burning logs.
Sibyl, the other sister, lay luxuriously
back in cushioned easy chair, waiting
for the lamps to be lighted before she
went on with bit of Berlin wool work
in her lap.
Sibyl Wallis was rosy checked, scar
let Tipped beauty-one of those fair hu-
man flowers, which, like the lilies of
Solomon, are destined neither to toll nor
to spin.
Doctor Wallis was a poor man and
kept no servants; but no one ever ex-
pected Sibyl to do any of the rough and
disagreeable offices consequent upon
housekeeping.
Sibyl busted the parlor, kept the vas
es full of flowers, washed the tea china
and did up her own pretty laces and
pocket handkerchiefs; and Hetty, the
second daughter brown little elf, with
jetty hair growing low on her forehead,
and colorless olive skin-cheerfully
took the prosaic part of life, as if it were
her natural inheritance.
"To think of poor papa out in all this
tempest p said Hetty, mournfully.
Gentlemen don't mind such things" F"
said Sibyl, serenely. ''And, of course,
it's just what doctor must expect"
"Hush ~ said Hetty, suddenly turn
ing her head in quick, bird-like fash
ion. "Some one is knocking at the back
door,"
t Perhaps you had better go and see
!. who it is, remarked Sibyl, serenely.
1t was man all wrapped up in oil
q skin until nothing more than the tip of
very red nose was visible.
"Oh, l say, MISS" said the dripping
visitant, "where's the doctor %
"He isn't in," said Hetty.
"Where's Doctor Wallis ?" reiterated
the man.
"He's out" answered Hetty, speaking
loud and distinctly, under the impression
that the inquirer was deaf.
"It's Dakin's boy" said the man
she's choking to DEATH"
"Oh !" said Hetty. "Croup, 1 sup
pose?"
"Don't know what it is," said tn,
messenger. "Ain't no doctor myself
All know is that l must bring bacl
Doctor Wallis" said he, with nod a
his lumber wagon at the gate.
'But you can't if he is out" sai'
Hetty.
a The man stood a moment, shiftin
from one foot to the other, evidently i
/ ! a quandary.
. "I'm blamed if / know what to do,
~ said he. swell, I'll tell-ee, miss Y
t. just send the doctor on to Dakin's jus
le as quick as he comes back. If Dakin
boy chokes to death, it amt no fault {
" mine ~
% And away rumbled the wagon int
the mist and twilight.
1t had hardly disappeared when
n little lad arrived with a note for Hetty
n- "lt's from papa, said Hetty, hurried
ly opening it, and reading aloud the fo
n lowing brief message:
ks DEAR GIRLS old Eldwood is ver
1d bad, and shall probably be detaine
|. all night Lock up the house as usua
," and don't expect me until come.
H. Afectionately, H. W.
is, 80, DEAR" said Hetty, blankly; san
tz what is to become of Dakin's child ?"
81 never saw such girl as you ar
Ia Ia Hetty," said lovely Sibyl, with petti'
= contraction of the brows. you're a
oy ways shouldering other peoples trouble
What is Dakin's child to us, I'd like
by know ?''
er. "But only think of it, sibyl," sa
lls as Hetty, clasping her hands, "a dear lit
he baby suffocating to death, all for wa
of the simplest remedies"
rst ave can't help it, said Sibyl, S
sv- tling back composedly among her Gus
ast ions.
'on "But l am not sure of that" 81
* Hetty, briskly. II know the remed
papa uses for case of Group and how
toy use them. I'll 60 myself"
art "Hetty," cried the elder sister, .''
osc you crazy 2"
re- "Crazy ?" said Hetty. "No, I'm
to ly ordinarily human. The child sha