The Bossier banner. [volume] (Bellevue, Bossier Parish, La.) 1859-1952, 1889-03-07

40 another stroke OF work. An me not
turned sixty yet.
''Is it so badP' asked Hetty, in a sym
pathetic tone, ''will your arm have to
taken off, Uncle JepthaP"
''Wuss than that, child. wuss than
that, " sighed the farmer. Read that
there certiicut and see what the doctor
says, an he knows what he's talkin
about
Hetty took up the piece of paper and
studied it attentively.
Il don't understand it." she said at
last. "but it must be something dread
full. What does it mean?"
''It means that | can never do another
days work again. The doctor ain't
comm any more-he amt time to ride
out nine miles to see me often. / asked
him what it was, and he told me, and
l got him to write it down in black and
white. don't want folks to think it's
ordinary sprain, AN Jeptha Lynn is
too shift less to work in his old age"
You'd better sit right down and
write to Rube, suggested Hetty's aunt.
It'll be hard medicine, I'm sure, for
him to Civ up his learnin' an come
down from bein' a doctor, as he has
allus wanted to be; but it can't be
cured and must be endured, as the
copy book used to say. You can write
the letter and send it tonight"
So Hetty wrote few words in a
prim, neat hand, asking cousin
Rube'' to leave his studies and come
home, for his father had fallen from
the hay-mow and hurt his arm so
severely that he would never be able
to use it again.
The letter was a great surprise to
Rube. He was both pleased and dis
appointed. He wanted to go home and
see them all and become better ac-
quainted with his pretty cousin, who
was new member in the houshold; ;
but to go in this way and relinquish his
fond hopes of becoming a graduate at
the next term of the medical college,
that was very hard to do? He was very
sorry for his father, who had never
been sick in his life; but he hoped it
was not as bad as Hetty believed.
He ran out from the city on the first
train, but said nothing to his mate about
leaving college. When he reached the
farm Hetty was at the door accident
ally, of course-and was shyly glad to
see him.
"How is father?" he asked, after the
first greeting.
'Dreadfully low-spirited," Hetty an
swered. g And oh, Rube-I mean
cousin-he will never do another days
work in his life. and you know he just
loves the farm"
"That's funny thing to love" said
Rube, with saucy look, and then he
went in, kissed his mother, and would
have shaken hands with his father, but
Jeptha just shrieked aloud.
Don't tech me! 1t will kill mel
I'm all broken up an crippled, an
amt goin' ever to be any thing but a
ruin. There's the doctors certifcut;
read it-he knows"
Certificate, said Rube, "what
about? What did he give you GER
tifcate for? l don't see what he
meant. Are you sure you understood
him?"
Read it." commanded his father,
with a woe-begone look, ''bein' as
your most doctor yourself, you'll see
it's Greet"
Eyes, Rube. you'd better read it.
Poor feyther, it's too bad" And Mrs.
Lynn wiped away tear.
Rube's face was also very grave. His
father, bundled in shawls and COM
forters, did not much resemble the
hearty, stalwart man he had left when
he went away to college. He opened
the paper with a perplexed look and
read it aloud. As he proceeded, his
face frightened. When he had finished
he broke into a merry laugh. This
was what he read:
'You have suffered compound comminuted
fracture of the elbow. The olecranon process
having been separated from the ulna is dis
is doubtful If recovery is not attended by an
chylosis"
When Rube could speak without
laughing, he said:
"That is nothing, father, but an at
tack of doctors Latin. You have sim
ply fractured elbow-anchylosis
means only stiffening of the joint.
Why, you could go out to the barn and
fodder the cattle now, if you wanted to
lit would be better than sitting around
rolled up like mummy. I'll have
you all right in week-I can stay that
long g''-and he glanced at Hetty, who
looked at the ceiling.
''Sakes alivep' exclaimed his father
admiringly, Its fine thing to know
Latin! ] was that mixed up with
them big words that / wuz as scared ez
your mother wuz. I'm right glad
sent for you, Rube. y
$50 am /, father. announced Rube,
like dutiful son, and if he looked at
Hetty, who can blame him? We were
all young once. When Rube returned
- a1l5r<., L, t. ga Loa