Butler citizen. [volume] (Butler, Pa.) 1877-1922, 1888-07-20
THE CITIZEN.
MISCELLANEOUS
A True Story In Real Life.
Is LIFE WORTH LIVING? ?

don it as a profession, still bad
more or less practice among personal
friends, sufficient to keep up my in
terest in it
One day | received a visit from an
old friend, the Captain of a coasting
steamer. He seemed much worried,
and for a time made his visit any,
thing but pleasant, At last | said
to him, Captain, you seem troubled
about something, can | aid you in
any way 2"
mo !" he replied shortly, cat least
| don't think you can, and i have
pretty good reasons for thinking so"
| felt hurt for a moment, and rath-
er angrily replied, "well | don't have
to-"
''Of course you DON'T" be respond
ed, "but it is an Internal shame, and
il makes me mad all through, when ]
think of the way that / have been
bled by lot of frauds, that call them
selves doctors"
Then be continued rapidly, you
know that hoy Of mine? ?" | nodded.
"Well, be has been serious tax
upon me for years, not that l be-
grudge him anything that be has
cost me, but ! do curse, every time l
think Of the hundreds OF dollars. earn
ed in tie hardest manner, disappear
ing into the pockets Of men who prom
ised much, Only to do the worst kind
Of damage in the end"
Now, | have the cheerful ptos
peet of having an undertoker's bill TO
pay, besides losing my boy" But"
be added savagely, 81 have spent the
last dollar, that ever viii for medi-
cine, and, as be has to die, the quick
er, the better"
! You have no right to talk in that
way, Captain" said ! severely AS
long as your boy lives, it IL your duty
to do everything in your power to
aidhim."
And haven't II" was his re
sponse; "what is the use Of your talk
ing. you know just as much about
curing him as the rest OF them, al
though" be added, Il believe you
have conscience; the rest that | have
had dealings with, don't pan out so
well in that respect" 81 will tell
you," be continued, that boy is
doomed;be will go just like his moth
er did, and the doctors can write
down in their books Of failures, 'oue
more death from consumption, a die
ease we know nothing about. "
He relspsed into moody silence.
AT last said, "is your boy very low,
Captain Z"
"He can just crawl around, was
bis response, and what makes the
matter worse for me, is the pitiful
way in which he asks me to try and
do something for him, However, be
will be here after awhile, and want
you as friend of mine, to tell me &c
the best of your knowledge, how long
do you think be is going to last. SO
that | can make my calculations"
While he was talking, saw the
boy approaching, and just as be step
ped into my office painting and gasp
ing, from bis exertion in walking,
said to myself, the grip ofdeath il toe
firmly fastened on you to be ever
shaken Off After greeting him, al
his fathers request, ! examined him
and found him in the condition that
shah describe. He bad evidently in
herited consumption from his mother
bronchial tubes much thickened, sc
much go as t. make the operation OIL
breathing extremely difficult and
painful. Chest cavity much con
tracted; auscultation and percussion
showed extensive tuberculous depos
iis, and eavities, especially in the LEFT
lobe Of the lungs; body much emacia-
ted and bloodless. In fact unless
Ito my mind) some miraculous inter
vention occurred TO stay thq progress
Of the disease, the paticut could not
survive but few weeks. / talked
as cheerfuIly as / could to him, but
be was too much depressed, to pay
much attention TO anything bot HE
suffering.
The father sent him to restaurant
near by, and turning to me he asked.
"Well, what is the verdict Z"
! had been thinking rapidly, and
as he spoke i had made up my mind
to procedure. as regards the boy,
that | determined to follow out, Ia
answer to his question, | said, Gap
tain, unless something is done for
that boy, you will bury him within
a month";
"Well, what can be DONE" he said
excitedly, "do you want to try your
hand 10 experiments q? Do you want
some OF my money, too? Are you
going TO sicken him TO death with
rotten cod liver oil, blister his skin
with plasters, drug him and rush him
into bis coffin 7"
"Hold on, Captain" | replied, 81
don't want you money, but ! am 60
ing to try an experiment with your
permission. 1t is matter of duty.
and in bis condition, can do no harm,
if it does no good"
"How much is it going to cost p
be asked. 81 don't know" was my
reply. "Whateyef it il" be rejoined,
will come out Of your pocket, not
mine" Don't bother yourself about
that" said coldly. When the boy
returned, he seemed more exhausted
than when he first entered my Office,
and az his father handed him chair.
he said to his son, "Del, the doctor
here thinks be can do you some good
What do you say; do you want him
to try 7"
shall meyer forget the look on the
boys face, and his words, and the
heading OF this article came forcibly
into my mind: "Is Life w orth Liv-
ing 2" Evidently it was to him. as
it is TO all mankind, when tortured
with pain, with the clammv hand OF
death encircling their throats, they
struggle in his relentless grasp, and
cry out in an agony Of terror, for
Gods sake, save me. ] put him on a
nutritious diet, eggs and milk head
ing the list, and provided him with a
/ 4 Al 4 A