The national leader., 1889-02-16
HER OPPORTUNITY.

lLIG vi OOl " NIL j 4.
DR.. Mary shook the snow from her
black Astrach cap, unfastened her
cloak with a quick, professional air
making the most of every minute,
drew off her articles and sat down
before her cheerful open fire, with a
discouraged sigh. A lady busily writing
on the other side OF the room looked
up. with her pen poised in mid air and
a mildly interrogative arching of the
brows. She knew all DR.. Mary's way,
and was discreetly silent.
The doctor sighed again, and gave
the fire an impatient poke. She knew
the nervous system, root and branch,
yet had her little tempers like any
ordinary woman without scientific
bias.
Yes, l know what you're waiting
for, EudOra Blake. You are holding
your precious pen 'twixt heaven and
earth, like Mahomet's coffin, waiting
until my wrath chooses to explode. L
suppose 1 have interrupted the thread
of your love story, but as long as you
depend on me for hints from real life,
you will have to take them as they
come
Eudola slowly turned her eyes upon
her friend.
"A little tired, aren't you, dearl' she
said medltatively. You make too
many visits IN one day. Don't let your
own vital springs run down, trying to
keep other people in repair
She dipped her pen in the inkstand.
and scribbed a sentence or two.
Trying to keep them in repairl Yes,
that's just the trouble exclaimed DR..
Mary. 4 might try till the day of
doom, and they would 60 on violating
one hygenic law after another, ill it
makes ones soul sick within him.
What do you suppose 1 found Bridget
Dolan doing this afternoon? Pat was
dead drum nu the bed, and she was
washing with her two-weeks-old baby
tucked away in one corner of the table,
and breathing the steam at the rate of
40 respiratlons per minute. Bridget
herself looked hardly able to stand.
Tomorrow they will send for me post
haste to attend both mother and child,
and then Systematically disoDey every
Injunction | give them. wish it were
possible to lind one human being whom
I could truly help
She passed her shapely hands across
her forehead, and brushed back the
short dark hair from the temples to
relieve the nervous tension.
Eudora Blake came to the fire and
spread her fingers to the blaze.
The world Is full of people to be
helped. You will find the right one
some day. Do you remember the sem
tence in Little DorrIttP In our course
through life we meet the people who
are coming to meet US from many
strange places and by many strange
roads; and what is set US to do TO them,
and what is set them to do to US will
all be done.''
THAT is as solemn as the tolling of a
funeral bell,' said DIR. Mary. What
overshadowing things you do pick up.
Eudoral l suppose il 1t should be my
fate to administer dose Of poison to
patient, I should do 1t in spite of all
my care and watchfulnesS. 1t will all
be done. It will all be dOneP
She lighted the gas and made tea for
Eudora and chocolate for herself. They
kept house together to save expense,
and for the pleasure of each others
company. taking turns at the simple
household duties. The romance of life
had faded out for both. and now they
were sober women with a purpose.
DR.. Mary's Office was in the neighbor-
hood OF Rugg's court. The place had
teen selected with purpose. The
rich have physicians enough said the
doctor. L will minister among those
who faint by the wayside in sight of
priests and Levites.'
1t must not be understood that DR..
Mary said this In any self-rlghteous or
complacent spirit. 1t was only her
6gurative way of putting things.
Rugg's court was Of the CRIME,
griniy. It's morals were as lar removed
from immaculate waiteness as were the
wretched vestments which fluttered on
long lines from window to window
when Rugg's court had washing day.
Yet DR.. Mary did not always despair.
The day after this sketch begins, she
was walking toward her Office. when
her attention was drawn to a woman
staggering in front of her. and holding
at intervals to the area railways OF the
dingy tenements. The doctor quickened
her pace. 1t was such an old. old
story: vet her heart yearned over this
poor tossed creature. she laid her hand
on the woman's arm and said:
my friend
The woman turned upon her such a
face as Marian Erie must have shown
to her tormentors when, as she tells
Aurora Leigh:
tuThey feared my eyes and loosed me, as boy
might
A mad dog which they had tortured"
q face In which the hollow cheeks
famed with fever, and the eyes cleaned
with woeful desperate light.
Pm not drunk. Don't think 1t. I'm
-only-starving'
yes said DR.. Mary. I know it
,now.'
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