St. Landry democrat. (Opelousas, La.) 1878-1894, 1892-03-05


doing, and so they decided to meet altar
off DIR. Harry, who was expected to DC
returning from an all nights visit 10 q
distant patient.
They did not meet him coming, and
when they found him it was in desper,
ate plight indeed-lying insenslbIe ana
bleeding in the grass-fringed pralrle
road. They understood the situation at
elance-his horse, frightened perhaps
at a blowing tumble-weed or the sudden
bursting of lack rabbit from a clump
of iron weeds, had unseated his master
and dragged him cruelty, and perhaps
kicked him, before his foot, which had
remained fastened in the stirrup, had
been released.
They bore him tenderly to the settle
ment, up the one short street and knocked
at the door beside which was displayed
tie off @nsive sign.
Looks as if the new doctor painted 1t
...mself," growled Ike Fosdick.
The young woman-now that they saw
her nrtterthe prominent citizens, knew
that e was very young, but just out OF
ie: ,rens-opcned the door.
"l,line him right in,' she said, brskIy.
! They did so, and placed poor Harry ON
tie bed that the yonng girl indicated.
She began to examine his wounded head
in a prompt, business-like way.
owe want the new DOCTOR said Ike
Fosdick, hastily.
81 am the new DOCTOR answered the
girl, without turning her head. "Mother,
bring me basin of water, please. L
should like to have one of you gentlemen
remain and assist me. The rest will
please go. Your presence now would
hinder rather than aid me-
Colonel Pride remained and the others
shuffled out, so dumbfounded that, for the
moment, they hardly knew whether they
were ON foot or horseback, as Ike Eos
dick afterward expressed it.
"a girl doctor.' snorted Fosdick pres
emily. Girls, as girls, is all right; but
as doctors-wuh. I'm a-feared Harry is
in mighty poor hands,"
The others were of the same opinion,
but it seemed as if they had done the
best they could They unused dejectedly
over the matter till Colonel Pride joined
them an hour later, with the information
that Harry's right arm was shattered, his
head confused, and that in addition to
sundry abrasions there was q possibility
that he had sustained internal injuries.
"Then he'll shore die.' growled Ike
Fosdlck, impetuously. ats goodbye,
Harry, poor Teller"
II do not know that" said Colonel
Pride. "The young lady seems to I'M
JorSton1 hor huSinaSS !"
When the conference was ended the
others went their several ways wagglnG
their heads.
For week Harry's life hung in the
balance, and during that time the girl
lowered over him it seemed almost con-
stantly, and our friends voted unani-
mously that it was to her constant and
untiring ministrations, more than to his
own constitution that young Harry owed
, his life.
"Gentemen," said Colonel Pride to
: the other prominent citizens, one day
after the crisis was over, Il have always
maintained that woman should not SC
outside of her proper sphere in life; bu
! Ell Well, there we e tears in hel
> blue eyes when she set the shattered
bones in Harry's arm"
This was not at all to the point, per
hans but his hearers did not call him t
; account.
"Yisterdav," said Benson, slow v-ht
> was never much Of {; talker-''whcn
sorto sa inferred over to see if | couldn
be NV of some use, hecred suthin tina
. kinder set me to thinkin. was tip
he
,, could, an as passed the open winder
\ heered the girl prayin' for Harry-jest
homely, earnest prayer to her dear Lor
!: for Harrv's life | dunno as its wha
YOU might call customary for doctor It
pray for patient, but, SEE | to myself
l If a doctor mixes prayer with medicine
!, reckon the combination is hard to beat
d An say, added TX Fosdick, tina
G if q girl wants to be q doctor she's so
. Just as good right to as anybody!'
@ II reckon she has, agreed Hank Fan
~ shaw.
> "An',' continued Benson, in his sl"'
. way, "she kept on a-prayin' kinder as
Is she was tellin her dear Lord all about il
Harry must live, not only for all that
y meant to him, but the much that
> meant to her, too s'pose she was tina
II tired and worn with watchin that he
y courage had kinder given out, an sh
~ felt as if she must tell ii all to some one
,. an it seemed too, as if her dear Lor
u was about her only friend. | judge
- times had gone pretty hard with her, al
" tat if she failed to make a Twin stal
here, it was all up with her, SO to speal
= IN she prayed on an on jest as if sh
! WIS trlIll' all her troubles to a pityil
i friend IN then her head dropped TO
" wart CA her hands as she knelt by
chair, an'-an' then [ come away"
Colonel Pride, never Of q retiring d
) position, had, during the days that TO
~ lowed the accident, made himself as #
10 miIiar as possible with the anteceden
- of the girl doctor Her mother, sleI
"a "a der, unworldly woman, had been 6 lad
~ pour the story into the sympathetic ca
n of the colonel
70 She was very proud, in q meek way,
il Jean, and full of quiet faith in the Cir
10 future. The past had been full of stel
w seIf-denial and brave struggling again
4 privation, but she felt sure that Jean
,o triumph was not far off The lit
Ia widow and the fatherless girl had boar
to ed their savings long and well befo
Jean could begin her course at Il
n medical college, and though mother ~
g daughter practised self-denial to pi,
f. full extent, their little savings were We
an nigh exhausted ere the completion of t
,c studies.
10 "And she worked, oh, SO hard!'' t
~ little mother said, with moistened eyes.
It, Then, when Jean graduated, they h
" put their two inexperienced heads
: ] Il -, 10 III