The Indianapolis leader. (Indianapolis, Ind.) 1879-1890, 1880-04-10
MR.. PIlKlNS' METHOD.
BY MARGARET HOLMES.

eody in the neighborhood knew
80. N 'kins had bad cough; though
-, -~.nvone else knew exactly how
7. might have been caused
nv self in making few i'm.
nrove,,er when Mr.. Pitkins
brought ,ae 20 rienos unexpectedly.
She might L. 90 r' iHng walk that
afternoon with .5e ceiiesc- bu he weather
was so lovely. D.. re-. oefel, ne day
she was out calling. nos Tesh 'giy cool
Mrs. Colby's parlor was after she A-- wax
ed ON the sunny side ofthe S.. 't sed hs
was a little surprised to find he gi"
hoarse, and feeling an uncomfors ca
ness before reaching home. Then ! -
of the storm it certainly imprudeI ,rr
her to 90 rushing from room to room clos.
windows that had been left open for ventl-
lation, quoting the frightened childen, and
in yariou. WAYS experimenting the progress
of the cyclone, clothed only in the fashion
of the hour. But it didn't matter so
much now how che became possessed
of the racking demon. the fact
of possession could not be disputed. She
coughed constantly till exhausted, then
wheezed and gasped and choked till she
could cough again. Her eyes were red and
swollen: her lips blistered and dry; her voice.
when not subdued to whisper, was hoarse,
auctuating contralto. All her neigh
bors came to see her, and they
all sympathized with her and comforted her.
One told her how her own dear sister had
had Just such a cough, at just the same time
of wear, how she had taken everything,
but died Just as the long hot days came
Another knew of parallel case, only the pa
tient lasted little longer; dying with the
coming of frost Another unfortunate had
Ii Cor hal Mt
her husband, and wearing out the strength
and patience of her friends. And, as if a
prospect of death BY slow torture was not
enough for any mortal woman to bear, each
story had sequel, giving graphic descrlp-
tons of neglected children, the second mar
rage of the widower, and the cruel step
mother. Mrs. Pitkins thought she never be-
fore knew the meaning of total depravlty
How much latent wickedness there might
be in the heart cfa woman could not be guess
ed at until she had the care of motherles:
children, whose father she had promised te
,oye. honor aud obey No matter if the mar
rator of some dismal history did sometimes
send little child screaming from the room
with boxed ear; wasn't the child her own
Didn't she know her own business? Oul
mothers have certain in-alienable rights
Their hands are light. their voices are soft
CD all undesirable qualities.
Ii was of no use for Mrs Pitklns to as
sure her comforters that this cough of her
was a mere trihe, q small matter of irrits
ton of the throat, slight bronchial aztec
ton, probably, which would pass off in
few DAYS. She was assured that hopeful
ness was most telling sign of hasty con
sumption. and disbelief in the presence @
the disease never failing symptom of tn
entire ruin of the lungs. Mrs. Pitkins neve
acknowledged, even to herself that she wa
the least bit depressed by this sort of CON
fort; ut least she never consciously acknowl
edged it, but when it came to pass after
fortnight spent in vain endeavors to contr'
the cough that had grown worse hourl
when all the remedies that had been brougl
her. each one the best in the world for coug
and warranted to bring relief if anythr
would, had failed utterly, and she found he
self on Sunday morning too i'll to go to churC
she might have been called quietly cheerfr
she was certainly nothing more. 81
dressed the children carefully and start
them to sunday school, standing in the do
tn watch them round the first corner. Lii
tie darIingsl was it possible she must lea
them when they needed her care so co
stantly? She sighed rs she closed the doc
and no doubt looked and felt melancho
enough to warrant her comforters that S
had full possession of a dozen pairs of SOU
lungs. But opinions that 8
not adjustable are almost worthle
In the dining room Mrs. Pitkins found o
of her daily visitors talking to Mr.. Pltki
She had come in to borrow fruit-dish, a
while Mrs. Pitkins went to the closet to bri
It, this consoling angel remarked IN sta
whisper to the husband:
"Dear mel how gloomy your wife
crown with that cough Her lungs must
entirely gone; melancholyis sure sign
ought to have the best of care while she d
i've"
Mr.. Pitkins house was pleasant place
visit. Mr.. Pitkins was in the habit Of say
that they held levees on Sunday afternoo
It 30 happened on this particular Sumo
the number Of callers was unusually Lar
Mrs. Pi.kins, between her Paro1ysms