St. Johnsbury Caledonian. [volume] (St. Johnsbury, Vt.) 1867-1919, 1878-06-21
How the Doctors Daughter Won De
kin's Boy.


How the Doctors Daughter Won Da-
kin's Boy.
Dear me, how it rains, said Hetty
Wallis.
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
roses whose crimson clusters cleaned
family 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 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
vases 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 a 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 said Hetty, mournfully.
Gentlemen don't mind such things,
said Sibyl, serenely. And, of course,
it's just what doctor must expect.
Hush said Hetty, suddenly turning
her head in a quick, birdlike fashion.
Some one is knocking at the back door.
Perhaps you had better go and see
who it is, remarked Sibyl, serenely.
1t was a man all wrapped up in oil
skin until nothing more than the tip of
Il 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 impress
sion that the inquirer was deaf.
It's Dakin's boy, said the man he's
choking to death.
Oh said Hetty. Group, | suppose?
Don't know what it is, said the mes
senger. Amt no doctor myself. All |
know is that must bring back Doctor
Wallis, said he, with Il nod at his lum-
Der wagon at the gate.
But you can't if he is out, said Hetty.
The man stood moment, shifting
from one foot to the other, evidently in
a quandary.
Pm blamed if 1 know what to do,
said he. Well, I'll tell-ee, miss Ye
just send the doctor on to Dakin's just
as quick as he comes back. If Dakin's
boy chokes to death, it amt no fault of
mine
And away rumbled the wagon into
the mist and twilight.
1t had hardly disappeared when a
little lad arrived with note for Hetty
ats from papa, said Hetty, hurried
ly opening it, and reading aloud the
brief message:
DEAR GIRLS old Eldwood is very
bad, aptl shall probably be detained
all ni9ht Lock up the house as usual,
and doH'kexpect me until l come. AT
HI. w.
Oh, dear, said Hetty, blankly; and
what is to become of Dakin's child
never saw such girl as you are,
contraction of the brOws. You're al
ways shouldering other peoples trOu-
bles. What is Dakin's child to us, I'd
like to know?
But only think of it, Sibyl, said Het-
ty, clasping her hands, dear little baby
to death, all for want of the
remedies.
We can't help it, said Sibyl, settling
back composedly among her cushions.
But l am not sure of that, said Hetty,
briskly. l know the remedies papa
uses for case of Group and how to use
them. Pll go myself.
Hetty, cried the elder sister, are you
crazy?
Crazy ? said Hetty. No Pm only or
dinarily human. The child shan't die
if can help it.
She went to her fathers drug closet,
opened it, and took out several little
walls.
Syrup ipecac, said Hetty, with a little
nod of her head to each. Asafetida,
hive syrup. Simple remedies, but very
if taken in time.
But, Hetty, pleaded Sibyl, you're
never going to walk, nobody knows
how far, in all the rain?
Yes am, said Hetty, buttoning on a
waterproof cloak, and pulling
the hood over her head.
And you don't even know where
these Dakins live