The Vancouver independent. (Vancouver, W.T. [Wash.]) 1875-1910, 1883-04-12
A DOCTORS SECOND WIFE.


DR.. Brinsley belongs to the noble
army of martyrs and heroes known as
Country Doctors" He was the sort of
man you could love if You loved him;
otherwise you would probably dislike
him, for lie was very peculiar; every
ways of being particular, and the doc
tors ways were not always pleasant ways
unless you loved him, and to her he
suited her and she suited him, and they
supposed that her love had been Of q
not have enjoyed that. Darling Becky
dent remarks to her husband. Remarks
which made his big brown eyes sparkle
with delight; then he would meet her
half way and they would fight the most
interesting, little duels, followed by the
most affectionate reconciliations. But it
was now three long years since poor
Becky had been resting in her quiet
grave and the doctors friends had de-
cided that he needed some one to keep
house for him.
AII6r much DeTSithSlOu uiu bccu
particularly Introduced to Miss Della
Swan. "What name! thought the
doctor. but as he looked at her he saw
that she was fair, gentle. healthy and 26.
"a good, sensible age; must be neat and
orderly" was his verdict. In moment
of enthusiastic selfishness he had pro-
posed to her, and in momen OF enthusi-
astic devotion she had accepted him.
I'll Gha ia 20
house, she poured out his tea and coffee,
she entertained his friends, and every
body said: "Oh, how much nicer she
was than that other woman!" She was
very popular with everybody, but she
was not ut all popular with the doctor.
To him that other woman" was still
so homeless did he feel in the presence
of this much nicer woman that his visits
to Becky's grave were the only happy
became more accustomed to Della, and
then he began to give her free and fire.
quent lectures on Becky. She used to
that, and as she had been right then, she
must be right now and forever, and in
everything.
Ncll6 udu uldTElcu lIOth u oCuSC Va
duty" and deserved to be punished; but
it seemed to her that her punishment
was greater than she deserved. She
should forget the ife of his youth, but
she had expected that he would have
some regard for the woman lie had in
vited to preside over his household, and
she had hoped to make him comfortable;
A. l,t~y 1,x, hin, " oho
pressed it. Part Of that duty she had
performed in the most admirable man
ner: never had the doctors house been
90 clean; never had his shirt bosoms
shoue with such lustre; but the heart
unable to conquer.
be kind, to be patient, to be meek? Yes.
and she lacked the sweet boldness which
afraid of that ungracious man, and she
Becky. At the end Of six months OF such
a life the doctor noticed that Della
looked pale and thin. "You need a little
fresh air." he prescribed, land l shall
take YOU out as often as l can" Not
WltuOut bOuc AZ WuAu ICoA OuS
her very best, Della sat in the
buggy by the side OF her lord. It
was balmy spring afternoon, nature
looked so fresh, so bright, 80
happy, that a little of this happiness
breathod itself into Delia's sad heart
The doctor must have been touched by
these bepign influences. for never before
had he been so kind, SO attentive to her,
80 laxative. She smiled several times
twice abe absolutely laughed. She sat q
little nearer to him, her cheeks bloomed
hand she was beginning to feel quite COM
kortable, when, as luck would have it.
hey happened TO ride past very small
cottage, so small that Della said, "Oh,
look! l wonder how people live in such
II tiny bit OF house?"
The doctors brow grew dark. ''In
Inch a house a. this" he said in his most
Impressive manner; ''in just such q
house 40 this my wife and lived in tho
g5eAtest happiness when We were first
married"
Had Della been suddenly shifted from
Iudia's coral strand to Greenland's icy
mountains the shock could hardly have
been greater. "His wife!" she thought,
"then. il she is his wife, what am I?'
Peculiar reasoning, perhaps, but Della
knew very we'll what she meant. All
that evening she sat silently sewing and