The Democratic advocate. [volume] (Westminster, Md.) 1865-1972, 1888-06-09
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NOTPROFESSIoNAL
From AL the Tear Round.
PARTI

DIR. Walter afternoon Tuuhus H"
seemed to him long and wearisome, and ne
was more than usually glad to get out OF
his carriage at the door of his own house
in Kensington. 1t was cold, rainy even
ing, and the dripping umbrellas of the few
people obliged to be out, with the pave
ment shining under the gaslight with rain,
gave depressing aspect to the street. DIR.
Walters face showed that he found it de
pressing as he went up the steps and let
himself in. The light in his hall was turn
ed low; the fire had been allowed to get 0w
too, and it felt chilly even after the bitter
outside air. He hung up his coat impati-
emily, and shortly opening door on ms
left went through his consulting room into
a small room opening from it, where he
spent most of his leisure moments. The
other rooms of his house were, as he often
said, too large for one man.
The little room he entered was furnished
with that attention to comfort first and ap-
pearance afterward which is much oftenef
a characteristic of men than women.
There were as many easy chairs of various
forms as the size of the room would allow;
two long book cases, in which was great
deal of light literature, and the writing
table, which stood on one side of the tire,
contained every appliance Of comfort and
luxury. The fire here was brighter. Ring
ing for lights DIR. Walter drew chair close
to it and sat down. He was tired, and
gave himself up for few moments to the
pleasure of doing nothing mentally or physi-
cally.
He stretched out his hand for the new
novel lying on the shelf of the book case
nearest to him, with which he meant to
spend the half hour before dinner, only to
lay it down again instantly, however, as
there came into his mind the remembrance
of letter which had been brought to him
lust as he went out-too late for him to be
able to answer it then. Knowing that it
must be answered that evening, he rose,
and, going to his table for it, read it again,
with frown on his face.
1t was from Mr.. Meredith speaking of
his daughters serious illness, the result of
carriage accident, and asking if DIR. Wal
ter would be willing to hold consultation
with-and it was this that deepened the
frown as he read it-"Dr. Mary Chaston,
who has attended my daughter for the last
two years." A few polite words as to the
way in which Or. Walters name had been
mentioned to him and request that If 1t
were possible some time in the afternoon of
the next day might be fixed for the consul
tation brought Mr. Meredith's letter to an
end.
On his first hasty reading of it in the
afternoon DIR. Walters only thought had
been of refusal. He, in common with
many other members of his profession, en-
tirely objected to women doctors. His had
been one of the strongest voices when sew
eral professional friends, with whom he
sometimes spent an evening, had thoroughly
talked over the question, and had decided
that, to their minds, her entrance into the
profession was placing woman in an uRatu-
raj position, and would inevitably harden
the woman who became a doctor to an ex7
tent which must take all womanliness from
her.
The question of her competency had
never been discussed, though probably only
because there was perfect unanimity of
feeling among them on that part of the
subject Still, though the remembrance of
his words was very strongly before his mind
he did not at once begin his note. He sat
in front of his table thinking-frst, that
he had no very definite reason for refusing.
OF course he could plainly have stated his
feelings about women doctors, but, though
he hardly had confessed it yet, they were
beginning to yield to a strong curiosity 10
see for himself woman who, 1t seemed to
him, must have lost her most attractive
characteristics; also, he was not without
anxiety, though he would not have said it
in so many words, to see what woman
was able to do in the profession to which
he had given so much of his life, He was
too practical, besides, to lose chance of
doing anything which was agood for the
practice" if possible.
This Mr. Meredith, though unknown
personally to DR.. Walter, was, he well knew,
the centre of large circle of people to
whom he would like to be known. But
there came to him, as he had nearly decid-
ed, the natural dislike and feeling of some
thing like humiliation at meeting womaa
on the equal footing consultation would
imply, and the other considerations nearly
faded from his mind before it. They re-
asserted themselves, however, with great
strength in the last of two or three turns
he took up and down the room in front of
the ffe=his fayoEite way of thinking out
a diffculty-and he faally wrate shoet
note of acquiescence, making an appoint
ment for 3 O'Clock the next day.
nAfter all, Ae said aloud, as he threw
himself again into his easy-ohair, sit will be
an experience-I need never repeat it if it
is disagreeable one-and I can stand half
an hour, for once, of short hair, angularity
and spectacle. ! think"
The next morning as he drove about the
thought of 3 o'clock occurred at intervals
to his mind with a sort of unexpressed
wish that the consultation were over he
disliked the thought more than he. had
done on the night befnrei and ONCE or twice
thought that, had It been possible, he would
even now have refused. But he came back
to his former decision, and it was with rath-
er sarcastic smile at his vacillation of the
morning that he left his own house to keep
the gppoiptment, The house at which he
arrived had about it lhe odd hush which
illness always gives, familiar enough gener'
ally to DR.. Walter; but to-day 1t seemed te
him almost oppressive, and the entrance
of Mr.. Meredith was a welcome break.
After few words of greeting and some
meptioR of his daughter Mr.. Meredith
saying, a4ou viii alloy me tG Introduce
you at once to DIR. Mary 0haston,n rose
DR.. Walter mechanically rose and followed
him through the folding doors into large
drawing room, where a lady stood by the
window. DIR. Walters eyes fell on her al
once as he entered the room, and by thu
time Mr.. Meredith was introducing him he
had had time ta regain some of the self
possession which she irst sight of her hac
taken away. The slight, tall figure, dress
ed very well but severely in gray, was Sc
different from anything he could hav'
imagined that he felt almost prepared fol