Washington standard. [volume] (Olympia, Wash. Territory) 1860-1921, 1881-03-11
A Mysterious Legacy.
BY ANNIE SHIELDS.

1t was an odd piece OF business all
round, and I am the only person who
knows all about it. To be sure, you
may say there was the lawyer who drew
up the will; but he did not know the
the motive; and as for Mrs. Kern her
self, she was the most mystified of all.
How I have laughed to myself to hear
her; for she was quite confidential with
me.
"Why, Doctor" she would say, g.
never cav old Mrs. Dorwyn in my life.
I had heard of her, but never until I
came to Merton. It is the strangest
ching"
Mrs. Kern was not q native of Mer-
ton, but came there with an invalid
husband and two mites CT children, for
country air. being the only physl-
cian, was soon called in to see Mr..
Kern, who was slowly dying of con-
sumption, and had been sent from a
large city to try to keep the feeble
spark of life aglow by country air and
diet.
WMrs. Kern sas splendid musician,
and had obtained the position of organ
list in our church from letters of intro.
duction to some OF our leading men,
bers. In the same way che started q
class of scholars amongst our wealthy
people, and was thus able to support
her family with comfort, if not very
Iuxuriously. Their cottage was small.
but nicely furnished; and the little
girls were patterns Of neatness.
It Was not long before my profession.
al interest was as much given to Mrs,
Kern as to my actual patient, and with
far greater concern, because in her case
recovery was possible, while with hel
husband We could do no more thar
smooth his passage to the grave. She
was slender, delicate-lookiDg woman
refined in manner. gentle and pleasant
and with the most cheerful face tc
meet troubles I ever saw. She was not
pretty, and her dress, always the per-
lection of neatness, was of the cheap
est fabrics. But her smile was like
sunshine, and her voice never took q
dolorous twang under any difficulty.
Yet, with all this sunny brightness,
sweet, even temper, and gentle care fol
the invalid. Mrs. Kern was one o.
those quiet martyrs who bear the ill
attendant upon overwOrk and menta
strain INTELLECTUALLY. Day and nigh
che attended her husband, only leav
ing him to give her music lessons, anG
then leaving him with Jennie, q middle
aged servant woman, who did the worl
of the small household. I have seer
her with great drops of perspiration
wrung frsm her by severe physica
pain. upon her face. bending over thu
sick bed, her voice low and soothing
her hands in active ministration, will
no sign of her own agony save thos,
involuntary ones my eyes alone de
tected. I vainly tried to make her saw.
herself. Her watchword was duty. ant
her will overcame her weakness. Pros
trate one day with the agonizing head
aches of physical exhaustion, she wa
out the next, busy with her scholars
or up all night tending her husband.
When he died she lay for days en-
tirely passive, all energy gone for thu
time; her heart crushed with grief, he
frame for once without the ruling pow
er to rouse it to action. But she wal
not the woman to let such grief over
come her manifest duty, and mother
love came to rouse her.
Once more the dreary treadmill be
Gan to wear her body, now still lesl
fitted for its burdens, and I could only
help her to temp orsry relief and
strength. knowing that perfect res
would restore to it's natural strength
one of the most perfect organizations
ever saw.
Wearing out! Ask any doctor in this
country what kills proportion dare
not name Of his patients, emf he will
tell you at once, overwork. Over.