The Democratic advocate. [volume] (Westminster, Md.) 1865-1972, 1888-06-09

Diue eyes gave MIN CURIOUS SENSATION OF
being seen mentally as well as physically,
while she gave him clearly and concisely
all the technical details of the case.
He listened, throwing himself thoroughly
into what she was saying, growing more
interested every moment, and losing, under
the influence Of her simple, direct manner,
the bewildered surprise which had been
his at first So completely was this the
case that he felt himself in perfectly nat
ural position, and one to which he had long
been accustomed, when, a few minutes
later, he followed her into the room where
all the interes: of the house was conferred
where the girl lay whose life DIR. Walter
saw at his first glance was nearly over.
The room was full of deep red light from
one of the intensely brilliant sunsets which
were frequent through that winter. 1t
Shone with curious glow on the white
face of the girl, and once DIR. Walter saw
it catch and seem to light up the great
tenderness now in the blue eyes which could
evidently at times become the hardest fea-
ture of Mary Chaston's face. The light
had not faded, only grown deeper, when
they came back into the long drawing room,
and it fell on them as they stood together
in the window, while DIR. Walter said that
he could only confirm the worst view of
the case and tell the father, to whom his
daughter was plainly the brightest thing in
life, that very few were left of the days
for which she. could be with him.
Quietly and very gently Mary Chaston
walked toward Mr. Meredith when he
came into the room to hear the decision
which meant SO much to him. There was
to DIR. Walter something about her intense
ly womanly as she stood there saying the
words which brought such sorrow with
them. He acquiesced in them with a
voice and manner which had lost much of
his usual calm, professional stoicism; nor
had he entirely regained it when he put
DR.. Mary Chaston into her carriage at the
door five minutes after, and, raising his
hat, walked quickly in the direction of his
next patient.
A clock striking as he passed almost
made him start; it seemed more as if day
had passed than only an hour since he
stood at Mr.. Meredith's door.
All the rest of the afternoon he was too
busy to think for more than a moment at
time of what alteration, if any, this first
experience of them had made in the views
of women doctors.
He was very tired when he got home;
perhaps that was partly the reason that,
though he tried to think the question over
calmly and carefully in the light of his af-
ternoon's experience, hecould give 40 fresh
argument for or against women as doctors.
He was not converted by any means, but
he was persuaded by the woman he had
seen that it was possible for women to un-
dertake the work without necessarily put
ting themselves into false position, and
his last decided thought before he grew too
sleepy over his cigar to think coherently
was that he would not afford his friends
the amusement he had intended before
hand for them from his account of the first
consultation with woman, but would keep
the afternoons experience to himself.
1t was brought before his mind day or
two later very wildly, for, as he read the
Times over his breakfast, his eyes glanced
l,over that first column which men read
none the less because of their sarcasm over
women's liking for it, his eyes fell on the
short notice which told of the death of
"Florence Meredith, only daughter of j.
Meredith, ESQ.," He laid the paper down
beside him and his thoughts went back to
DIR. Mary Chaston.
He wondered IL she felt the girls death
in proportion to the grieved look which he
had seen ON her face when his own words
told her he thought it hopeless case. 1t
struck him for the first time how little he
himself had cared at any of the times when
he had watched death end its work, apart
from feeling of yexation that the skill on
which he prided himself had proved use
less. The feeling gradually grew upon him
all that day, and during many days to come,
that it was with men and women he had to
deal, not "cases" only-men and women
whose death or life meant everything in
many casea ta thase whom they left behind
or stayed with. It altered him greatly;
and tenderness which had never before
been his, and which could never be his
perfectly until he fully realized what Won
derful work his daily fight with death was,
began to come to him, often unconsciously,
strengthened by the sudden remembrance
of Mary Chaston's face when she bent over
the dying girl in the sunset.
A serious epidemic broke out 10 the e1d
of the winter-the weather was unusually
damp and hot-and it gave DIR. Walter
severe, almost incessant, work and thought
before it could be at all subdued.
One evening as he walked from pa
TENTS house to the street where he had
arranged that his carriage should meet him
he was thinking very earnestly over some
sanitary measures which had occurred to
him as likely to prevent fresh outbreak.
He was so much engrossed in these thoughts
that no did not notice until he was close
to it the small crowd on the outskirts of
which he was passing. He gave a hur-
ried glance at it, and seeing that the centre
of it was carriage more or less smashed, !"
he waited a momeRt that ha might find out
if any one was hnEt.
At that instant the crowd moved that a
lady might come through iton to the pave
ment and, loaking In the same direction az
every one else, DIR, Walter saw, walking
slowly, with face which, though not
alarmed, was very white, Mary Chaston.
He made his way through the people to
her instantly and said
ssWhat can l do for you? How can l
help you?"
iiThapk you,V ahe answered, evidently
knowing him again at once, Hthe man will
do all that Is possiblei and IL will, |
think, walk straight home'
But the rather uncertain sound of her
voice made DIR. Walter, without ceremony,
put her hand on his arm, saying:
"No-you will let me drive you-my
| carriage is near.'
aThank you" she said once more.
When they reached his carriage he put
her in carefully, asked her address, and,
after look at the white face which leaned
back against the dark cushions Of his han
som, said "You let me see you safely
home" and got in beside her. They drove