The Jasper weekly courier. [volume] (Jasper, Ind.) 1858-1922, 1889-08-30
A CONSULTATION.
Tho Family Doctor and tho fash.
ions bic Physician.

am a family doctor. with suii-
GENTLY urduous. IL not over-lucrativc,
practice. chiefly among the lower mid
die class whose homes abound in n
southeastern suburb Of modern Bah
ylon. Some years ago. when ! was
more OF strnggler than happily
now am. had BY good fortune OBJ
tanned foothold rs medical adviser
in the household OF wealthy city
stakeholder, who dwclt in a spacious
and luxurious mansion some three
miles further out on the Surrey hills
than the extreme limits Of my rec ilar
round OF visits; and the fees received
for occasional calls to Mount Aureo
when Mr.. Midas Contango had a touch
of his chronic tormenter, the govt; or
his somewhat sentimental spouse
quite grand dame. however. in her
own cstccm--was suffering the pen
altics Of systematic outrage on the
digestive iit-up Of her portly person.
were so liberal in their extent as to
form in the aggregate no inconsidera-
Bile proportion Of my modest income.
After my connection at Mount Aurco
had continued, to the seeming sntis-
faction OF all concerned. for some
TWO years. ! began TO receive more
frequent summonses thithcrward. The
only daughter 81 the Contangos. Miss
Muricl. d fine. tall. graccfully-formed
damscl Of seventeen. who might have
stood for a sculptor's model, SO per-
feet was her physique, had returned
mono for her Christmas vacation from
her fashionable Brighton boarding
school troubled with slight cough.
in all respects save this trilling laryn-
gcal affection, she enjoyed the excel
lent health OF which both her parents
had had possession In their earlier
days. before the indulgenccs which
follow in wealths wake had made
them profitable acquaintance OF my
own. II was clear enough. too. to me
that Miss Muricl Contango's throat
trouble was purely local; nevertheless.
II was causing serious alarm to the
master and mistress OF Mount Aurco,
who idolizcd their charming daughter.
The dream OF the Cantango existence
was to mate Miss Muriel TO some scion
OF the aristocracy, their reputation
for riches having obtained them cntrse
to society to which, By birth and
breeding. they were not entitled.
Mr.. and Mrs Midas Contango had
both begun to dread that Miss Muriel's
indsposition would eliminate in bron-
chitis or decline. The slightest cough.
the least bronchus, raised the grim and
terrible spccter Of phthisis. and tho
bcautiA 4 young lady was held TO be in
imminc I danger OF an early grave.
! had examined her chest with the
most anxious and minute care but
could discover nothing to justify any
fear or even doubt Of tho correctness
Of my diagnosis; yet, despite balsamics
and scdatives. exposure, however little.
in treachcrous weather would cause
hoarsencss and a transitory cough.
Indeed. those disagreeable symptoms
often manifested themselves without
any apparent cause. except as
judged. the inordinatc precautions
taken to avert them. The rooms at
Mount Aurco were always too hot;
Miss Muricl was overlooked, could
not stir out for constitutional in the
garden without a respirator. or take a
drive unless hidden in nm development
OF costly furs. When vcnturcd 70
hint at this. tho invnriablc reply Of the
Contangos was: .'Ah! doctor. II We
did not take this care OF Muricl. how
long would she DO with us?--thc dear
child il 50 delicate" And nothing
could say would alter their opinion.
One day in the April succeeding.
when Miss Muricl had been coddlcd uI,
al home for four months instead Of
being sent to Brighton to continue her
studies, Mrs. Contango was moro than
usually concerned about hor daugh-
tcr's condition. The stockbroker and
his good lady had over night held an
anxious discussion. had made my