The Roanoke times. [volume] (Roanoke, Va.) 1890-1895, 1890-11-04
CRUELTY OF sELFlsHNEss.
An incident Which should Teach n Ics,on
% lIiliiA ,rI,a n..II ,>ss I,..rna....

An incident Which should Teach n Lesson
To lInny ThougLtiess Persons.
1t Was in the waiting-room of n popu-
lar city physician. ono dark, drizzly
afternoon. Tho lcathcr-oushionedc chairs
were filled with waiting patients, some
IN real and some in imaginary need of
i.calinr.
Among those who had longest been in
waiting were Il mild-manncrcd ladv
with babc in her arms, and a we'll
dressed man and woman. But whilo
they frequently expressed thcir vcXa-
ton Al the length Of tiino consumed by
those before them, in tho consulting
room, the gcntlc-faccd lady spoke not
4 word of fault-nnding, although as sho
paced up and down the carpet with her
frctful child in her arms. there WAS :,
look of deep solcit;idc on her face.
Gradually the babc became ouiotcr.
but the anxious look only docped on tho
mothers face, and she looked q shade
winter and almost stopped breathing as
she stopped once to press her face
against tho babes check Then she
glanced longingly toward the door of
the consulting-room, but was compelled
to renew her restless pacing up and
down, with moro nervousness in her stop
than before
AT last, when it came the turn of the
hysterical looking lady to enter, tho dis
tracted mother, in a moment of despcr-
ate anxiety for her babe, which over
came all her natural timidity, took a few
quick steps, and, with hurried apology
for her boldncss, asked if she would not
grant her tho privilege of taking her
turn. 81 would not ask it, but for my
baby's sake. which fear is"
Your baby seems quiet enough" was
tho freezing reply of the other. in tho
tone with which She would address an
inferior; land I'm sure my suTcrings
deserve some consideration
B With this the lady swept in to con-
sumo the busy doctors time in detailing
the minutcst symptoms Of her latest all
mcnt. while the anguishcd mother
pressed her infant closer to her heart
and renewed her walk, more to givo
vent to her OWN nervousness than to
quiet the child.
When the lady came out. the mother
looked up TO cast one appealing glance
at the gentleman who was to follow her,
and who evidently was her companion.
But she was met only by Il stolid express
sion of Indifference, and subsidized into
her weary rounds of tho room
At last it came her turn. With ncry-
Gus haste she struggled toward the door,
pausing Il second on the steps to remove
the covering from the child's face. No
one could ever forget her cry of startled
horror and the expression Of white de-
spair on her face. There was no need
for her to sec 4 physician. The child
was quiet enough. as she had been told;
but 1T was the quiet of death.
The physician said that it was one OF
OF those cases whore prompt attention
might have saved life. No doubt both
the persons who had denied the mothers
request with such hcartlcss incivilitv.
would have written liberal check TO
relieve ease of need, or welcomed some
great opportunity to play the benefac-
tor. but ii is the little calls for human
lty that run counter to our own love of
case, or that call for some common sacri-
flee of pride or sclf-interest, that most
bring out the exceeding cruelty OF sell
fishncss. iouths Companion