Staunton vindicator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1860-1896, 1881-02-04

grew NJ SHARP tudG IL WIuug IdlQG moan
from the lips.
Mrs. Garvin looked alarmed.
eff its anything serious you'd better
let me send for your friends"
IL have none-nOt here.'' I said. 81
wish you would send for DOCTOR"
| Promising to do so, Mrs. Garvin with
drew, to my great relief. Another dreary
hour passed; and then Katy came up with
a cup of cold. sloppy tea, and bit Of
toast! so burned that it was black and
bitter.
think must have fallen into stupol
after this. from which was aroused by
the touch of cool, soft hand upon my
forehead, and a low sweet voice saying:
Poor fel low! he is very ill. Is there nc
one to take care of him, wonder?"
| On opening my eyes, saw a dainty
young creature standing by my bed, her
| fingers upon my wrist, and her soft brown
eyes fixed pitylngly on my face.
She smiled as she met my astonished
gaze.
II am DR.. Joe; otherwise known as Jo-
| sephiue Tracy. You didn't expect lady
physician, suppose? But papa is out of
Town, and Pm alter ding to his patients
| this week. You needn It be one bit afral d;
I've been through regular course of med
icine. Papa says that IN getting to know
more than he does.''
Here low, sweet ripple of laughter
broke from the rosy lips of the speaker
She then proceeded to measure out some
medicines from the case she carried; her
grave, professional air, as she did so, con-
trasting oddly, yet not unpleasantly, with
the womanly grace and gentleness of every
motion. She was simply attired in a suit
of brown linen, the skirt of which just
touched the tops of the neatly fitting boots
Her hat was brown straw, with knotted
ribbons and long, dropping plume of the
same color. Everything about her was
brown, even to her eyes and hair, except
the pure fresh face and the dainty white
ruffle at the wrist and throat.
AS meekly swallowed the composing
draught that she held to my lips saw her
glance around.
''As you are my last patient, I think I
will tidy the room a little before I go.''
I began to stammer forth an apology for
it's disorder, when Dr. Joe laid her finger
on her lips.
81 don't allow my patients to talk. By
virtue of my being a woman, as we'll as
physician, 1 always do all the talking my
self.'
Laying aside her hat and turning back
her cuffs. DR.. Joe went quietly and ener-
getically to work, putting away everything
that was not needed, and bringing into
order all that was, until the room wore
such a different aspect that it hardly
looked like the same place. 1t was curious
to observe how Systematically she proceed
ed, and how entirely she was absorbed
with her task. When it was completed,
she spoke to a middle-aged man who was
waiting outside the door, bidding him
bring her bowl of cool, fresh water, and
in which she bathed my face and hands.
CHOW you look good deal more COM
Portable" she said, as her attendant laid
my head back upon the smooth, freshly
shaken pillows. ''You see am something
of nurse as we'll as a DOCTOR"
''You are an ANGELA was my involuntary
response.
The swift, bright color that flushed the
cheeks vanished almost as quickly as it
came.
81 am DIR. Joe,' was the grave reply.
s'You r.buldn't think that there was much
of til shgelic about me should you hear
me scold Sometimes, when my patients
persist in talking after I tell them not.
AS you have no nurse will leave John
with You for the present.
john proved to be Il most skillful and
kind nurse, and DR.. Joe visited me twice
daily; but the fever had been neglected too
long to be checked, and I grew worse rap
idly. When iI reached its height 1 was
delirious much of the time and hard to
manage. But there was never time, so
they told me afterwards, when the sound
Of DR.. Joe's voice, and the touch of her
hand upon my forehead failed to calm me.
/ learned to watch tor her coming, recog-
nizing her when l knew no one else;
though there were times when the plying
face that bent over me was strangely min
gled with that of the mother who had died
in my boyhood, or the sister had buried
two years before.
But as soon as the fever turned, and all
danger was passed, saw her no more. to
my great Disappointment. In her stead
their came gray haired, dignifed appear
ing man. in whose mild benignant face
there was too much of his daughters look
for me to be at any loss to guess their re-
lationship.
"Where is DR.. JoeY" l ventured to say,
at his second visit. ''Isn't she coming any
more?' els
DR.. Tracy smiled; he was evidently not
unused to the preference expressed by
many of his patients for his young assis-
tant; or any way displeased at it.
'sDr. Joe is at home resting. She has
had a pretty hard time since have been
gone. AS soon as you are strong enough
to ride, will take you to see herr
My conyalescence was very rapid. And
though saw DR.. Joe no more, scarcely a
day passed that ! did not receive some
token of her remembrance, in the form of
flowers, fruit, or some delicacy, made by
her own hands, as John the bearer, did
not fail to inform me.
Johns admiration for and faith in DR.
Joe were unbounded. Even his strong re-
gard for the old doctor was small thing
in comparison to his devotion to his far
daughter-as wise and good as fair. 1t
was an easy thing to lead him to talk
about DIR. Joe; in fact, he liked nothing