The Douglas independent. [volume] (Roseburg, Or.) 187?-1885, 1883-03-31
A DOCTORS SECOND WIFE.

Ut. OTlD5L0y D6lOuBS " CAO hOU1O
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
body said SO. Now there are several
ways of being particular, and the doc
tors ways were net always pleasant ways
unless you loved him, and to her he
had seemed the most perfect of men. BE
suited her and she suited him, and they
had been very happy. 1t must not be
supposed that her love had been of
cooling kind. Perhaps the doctor would
not have enjoyed that. Darling Becky
rejoiced in making bright, spicy, impu-
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.
After much persuasion he had been
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 selfshness he had pro-
posed to her, and in momen of enthusi-
astic devotion she had accepted him.
They were married. She lived in his
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 womanr She was
very popular with everybody, but she
was not at all popular with the doctor.
To him ssthat other woman" was still
all the world and the brightness thereof.
So homeless did be feel in the presence
of this much nicer woman that his visits
to Becky's grave were the only happy
hours Of his new life. After awhile he
became more accustomed to Della, and
then he began to give her free and fre-
quent lectures on Becky. ssShe' used to
say SO and so, she used to do this and
that, and as she had been right then, she
must be right now and forever, and in
everything.
Della had married stfrom q sense of
duty" and deserved to DE punished; but
it seemed to her that her punishment
was greater than she deserved. She
would not have wished that her husband
should forget tho ife of his youth, but
she had expected that he would have
some regard for the woman Le had in
vited to preside over his household, and
she had hoped to make him comfortable;
to .sdo her duty by him." as she ex-
pressed it. Part of that duty she had
performed in the most admirable man
ner; never had the doctors house been
80 clean; never had his shirt bosoms
shone with such lustre; but the heart
which beat behind them she had been
unable to conquer.
Was it her fault? Had she not tried to
be kind, to be patient, to be meek? Yes,
but it was the trying which spoiled it all,
and she lacked the sweet boldness which
love alone can give. She was almost
afraid of that ungracious man, and she
was jealous of Becky, much loved, happy
Becky. at the end of six months of such
life the doctor noticed that Della
fresh air." he prescribed, land / shall
take you ont as often as can" Not
without some inward fear, but retired in
peE very UeSt, holtA SAb III Tie
buggy by the side of her lord. It
was q balmy spring afternoon, nature
looked so fresh, SO bright, so
happy, that little of this happiness
breathed itself into Delia's sad heart.
The doctor must have been touched by
these berign influences. for never before
had he been so kind, so attentive to her,
so talkative. She smiled several times,
twice she absolutely laughed. She sat a
little nearer to him, her cheeks bloomed
and she was beginning to feel quite COM
Portable, when, as luck would have it..
they happened to ride past very small
cottage, so small that Della said, "Ob,
lookl I wonder how people live in such
tiny bit of a house?"
The doctors brow grew dark. sIn
such q house as this, he said in his most
impressive manner; Sin just such q
honse as this my wife and I lived in the
greatest happiness when we were first
married.
Had Della been suddenly shifted from
India's coral strand to Greenland's icy
mountains the shock could hardly have
been greater. His wife!' she thought,
''then, if she is his wife, what am I?''
Peculiar reasoning, perhaps, but Della
knew very well what she meant. All
that evening she sat silently sewing and
answering the doctors remarks with a
primness of dignity that surprised him.
But he asked no questions and took
refuge in thoughts of the old days when
Becky sat in that same chair. sewing, too,
bnt with such bright, loving looks, such
an interesting way of saying things! And
now what differeRce! What, in truth,
was this woman to him? Not wife, not
even companion, only housekeeper.
And he gazed at her refectively. It SO
happened that Della, who had been max
ing desperate efforts to overcome her
sulky mood, looked up at that moment
and caught the full meaning of the
doctors eyes. Had be slapped her face
she could not have felt it more. but she
gave no sign. With white fingers that
trembled little she. folded her work and
said: Il am tired, will go to nv room. !"
Della did not sleep much that night.
must leave him, she decided Ut
last. I will not live with him unless I
am really his wife. I cannot" Leave
him; but how? She could not go back to
her mothers house where questions
would be asked which she was deter.
mined not to answer; and besides il was
too near. Where could she go? A few
hours afterward that question was
answered. She received letter post
marked Denver, Colorado" it came
from "dear cousin Mamie" and as she
read her letter Delia's face frightened