St. Tammany farmer. [volume] (Covington, La.) 1874-current, 1881-04-23
THE DOCTORS WIFE.

81 have heard of persons whose
hair whi:ened through excessive
fear; but as never saw any one So
afflicted am disposed to be iucred-
ulcu4 on tn. subject.
The above remark was made to
Dr. Maynard. as we sat on the piazza
of his pretty villa, discussing the
,lifferen, effects Of serror on dissimi-
lar compartments. Without reply
ing to me the doctor turned to his
wife and said:
Helen. will yon please relate to
my friend the incident within your
own experience? 1t is the most
convincing argument can ad-
vance"
Hooked ut Mrs. Maynard in sur
prise. had observed that her hair.
which was iuxnriant, and dressed
very becominSly, was purely color
less; hut us she was !. voun-: woman,
and also = pretty one, surmised it
vas powdered. to heighten the oril-
liancy of her fine, dark eyes.
The doctor and l had been fellow
students, 5nt after leaving college,
we had drifted apart-I To com
menee practice in an Eastern city.
he to pursue his profession in II
growing town in the West. / was
on visit to Lin for the first time
since MS marriage.
Mrs. Maynard, no doubt reading
my s"pposition by my look of in
credut.ty. s:ni.el rs she shook her
snowy tresses over her s.,ualder, and
seating herself by her husbands
si.ie, she related the following epi-
sode:
ii is nearly two years since my
husband was called upon enc even-
ing e. .isit patient s.rer"l miles
away. Our domesi;cs had ali pcne
to a wake in the vicinity. the dead
man hein. :elative of one CT oar
serving women. Tins [ was left
alone, bu. I felt no fear, for we
never had heard of burglars or any
desperatoes in our quiet village,
then consisting of IL few scattering
houses. The windows leading ont
on ..he piazza were open rs now. bat
[ secured the blinds before my hus-
bands departure. and locked tue
outside doors, all except the frcnt
one, which left for the doctor to
lock after going ont, so that, if l
should fall asleep before his return.
he cuull enter without arousing me.
I heard the doctors rapi,l footsteps
on the gravel, q,ickened by the ur-
gent tones of the messenger who
awaited him; and after the sharp
rattle of carriage wheels had become
an echo, seated myself ut The par
Tor astral, and soon became absorb
ed in the b ,ok ! had heen reading
before being disturbed by the sum-
mons. Bat after n time my interest
succumbe. t. drowsiness, md ]
thought OF retiring. when the clock
in the doctors study, adjoining the
parlor struck twelv", SO | determin-
ed to wait few minutes more, feel
ing sure that he would be home
very soon. | closed nv book, don
ned n roJe-de -chGna5re, let down my
hair, and then returned TO my seat
to patiently wat and listen. Not n
breath of air disturbed the leaf. The
silence was SD profound that it be-
came oppressive. l lonsel for the
sharp click of the gate latch and the
step on the gravel walk. I did not
dare to break the hush by moving
or singing. l WIS SO oppressed with
the strange stiffness. The human
mind is n strange torture of itself.
I began TO conjurc vivi,l fancies
abont ghostly visitants. i'll the midst
of which occurred TO me the stories
l had ilear' from superstitious peo-
ple about the troubled spilits of
those who had died suddenly. like
the man whom my servants had
gone to wake, who mad been killed
hv an accident III saw mill. In
the midst of these certifying refec-
tions I was startled by stealtby
football Oh the piazza. l listened
between hope and fear. 1t might
be the doctor. But no, lie would
not tread like that; the step was too
cautious for anything less willy thai
a cat. As listened Again, my eyes
we're fixed on the window-blind. /
saw the Stats move slowly, and then
tie rays of the moon disclosed n
thin, cadaverons face and bright
ylittering eyes peeiins ut Inc. On