Weekly expositor. (Brockway Centre, Mich.) 1882-1894, 1882-10-19
THE DOCTORS CURE.

To be sure, you may say there was
the lawyer who drew up the will, but
he did not know the motive, and as for
Mrs, Germond herself, she was the
most mystitied of all.
How | have laughed to myself to
hear her, for she was quite confidential
with me.
why, Doctor" she would say, Il
never saw Old Mrs. Bryant in my life.
Il had heard OF her, but never until
l came to Merton.
1t is the strangest thing
Mrs. Germond was not native of
Merton, but came there with an in
valid husband and two mites of chill.
dren for country air.
|, being the only physician, was soon
called in TO see Mr.. Germond, who was
slowly dying of consumption, and had
been sent from some large city to try
to keep the feeble spark of life aglow
by country air and diet.
Mrs. Germond was splendid must
clan, and had obtained the position to
organist in our church from letters of
introduction to some of our leading
members.
In the same way she started class
oil scholars amongst our wealthy peo-
pie, and was thus able to support her
family with comfort, if not very lux
uriously.
1t was not long before my profession
al interest was as much given to Mrs.
GermOnd as to my actual patient, and
with far greater concern, because In
her case recovery was possible, while
with her husband we could no more
than smooth his passage to the grave.
She was a slender delicate looking
woman, refined in manner, gentle and
pleasant, and with the most cheerful
face to meet troubles l ever saw.
She was not pretty, but her smile
was like sunshine and her voice al
ways sweet and soft.
Yet, with all this sunny brightness,
sweet even temper, and gentle care for
the invalid, Mrs. Germond was one of
those quiet marty rs who bear the ills
attendant upon Overwork and mental
strain untlinchingly.
/ vainly tried to make her save her.
self.
Her watchword was duty, and her
will overcame her weakness.
PROSTATE one day with the agonizing
headaches of physical exhaustion, she
was out the next, busy with her
scholars, or up all night tending her
husband.
When he had died she lay for days
entirely passive, all energy gone for
the time; her heart crushed with grief,
her frame for once without the ruling
power to rouse it to action.
But she was not the woman to let
such grief overcome her manifest duty,
and moLheriove came TO rouse her.
Once more the dreary treadmill be-
gan to wear her body, now still less
fitted for its burdens, and / could only
help her TO temporary relief and
strength, knowing that perfect rest
would restore 10 its natural strength
one of the most perfect organic ltions
/ ever saw.
All, how longed for money in those
days when / watched Mrs. Germond
treading a path / knew must end in
death, without the power to stop her.
For her children, as for her husband
she toiled increasingly, and while her
home duties were so engrossing, she
never turned from The calls of human
ity or charity.
Many a dying bed, where poverty
wore its darkest frown, was soothed
by her gentle presence.
Many a dainty dish came from her
hands to those poorer than herself.
1t was impossible for me to avoid
knowing all this, as the invalids OF
Merton had no physician but myself,
but it was in vain that | urged Mrs.
Germond to spare herself.
One would think L was SICK" she
would say to me, "when | only have a
cough that have had for years, and
sometimes neuralgia"
Are you ever free from painT
We'll, no, not entirely, but it is bear
able
And so l come TO my mysterious
legacy. l had many times told Mrs
Germond that if she would giveL heI
scholars and obey me implicitly foI
six months she would be well.
And at last / did what we of the
healing profession shrink most from
doing, / told her that if she did not
she must prepare to break down hope
lessly.
But see,' she pleaded, how often
break down and yet get up again.
Il cannot give up my work and see
my children starve.'
What could / say?
had urged upon her the necessity
of rest, placed before her the danger il
which she stood, and was powerles!
to do more.
1t was just at this time that Mrs
Bryant, the owner of half Merton, ant
heiress to three fortunes her father
mothers, and her husband's-wa
dangerously i'll.
She was one of my patients, of course
but she had but seldom called upol
my professional services, having CARR
ed her eighty years of life almost with
out pain or disease.
Her illness proved fatal from tn
first, but she had but little suffering
and her cheerfulness was wonderful.
Many long talk we have had whe
had finished my pJ OCCASIONAL visits
and in one of these she said TO me-
Tell me Of some charity for Merto
to which l can leave portion OF m
wealth.
NV husbands money ! have left [
his relatives, but have not one Twin
who can claim me as related to him.
i stand alone, and have dispose
of my own property in benefits to pull
lie institutions.