Waterbury evening Democrat., 1892-03-21
LOOKING ron THE DOCTOR.
An Anxious Night Passed in watching and
Waiting.


An Anxious Night Passed in watching and
Waiting.
One of the best stories in Mr.. Barrie's
delightful Scotch book, IA Window in
Thrums," is entitled waiting for the
Doctor" Jess, the mother of the fam
lily. a cripple who had not been out Of
the house, and seldom out of the room,
for twenty years, had gone early to
rest, and the door OF her bedroom in the
kitchen was pulled to. All at once she
called: 'tLeebyw Leeby was the daugh-
ter. She answered aye" and Hendry,
the father, opened the door of the bed
room. Eyer mothers no weel," he
said to Leeby. Leeby ran to the bed.
In another two minutes we were a
group of four in the kitchen, staring
vacantly. Death could not have star
tied us more. tapping thrice that quie t
night on the window-pane.
Its diphtherial'' said Jess, her
hands trembling as she buttoned her
wrapper.
She looked at me, and Leeby looked
at me.
Its no! It's mop cried Leeby, and
her voice was as fist shaken at my
face. She blamed me for hesitating in
my reply.
Jess had discovered white spot on
her throat. / knew the symptoms.
Leeby ran off for the doctor, and af-
ter time returned painting to say that
he might be expected in an hour. He
was away among the hills.
Hendry wandered between the two
rooms, always in the way when Leeby
ran to the window to see if that was
the doctor at last. Fina''y he sat down
by the kitchen fire, Bible in his hand.
1t lay open on his knee, but he did not
read much. He sat there with his
legs outstretched, looking straight be-
fore him. believe he saw Jess young
again.
sat alone at my attic window for
hours waiting for the doctor. About
midnight Hendry climbed the stairs and
joined me. His hand was shaking as he
pulled back the blind.
"She's waur," he whispered, like one
who had lost his voice.
His eyes were glazed with staring at
the turn Of the brae where the doctor
hand on his shoulder, and he stared at
me.
'Nine-and-thirty years come June, -"
For this length of time, 1 knew, he and
Jess had been married. He repeated
the words at intervals.
II mind -" he began, and stopped.
He was thinking of the springtime of
Jess's life.
The night ended as we watched; then
came the terrible moment that precedes
| the day-the moment known to shud-
a&a1a a. 10
| chill wind cuts through the house, and
the world seems cold In death.
This is a fearsome night" Hendry
said hoarsely.
! He turned to grope his way to the
stairs, but suddenly went down on his
! knees to pray.
There was a quick step outside. /
arose in time to see the doctor on the
brae. He tried the latch, but Leeby
was there to show him in. The door OF
the room closed on him.
From the top of the stair could see
into the dark passage, and make out
Hendry shaking at the door. I could
hear the doctors voice, but not the
words he said. There was a painful
silence, and then Leeby laughed joy
ously.
"It's gonew cried Jess. THE white
spots gonel Ye JUST touched it, an it's
gone Tell Hendry."
But Hendry did not need to be told.
AS Jess spoke heard him say, huslzi-
! lY, THANK Godr' and then he tottered
back to the kitchen. When the doctor
left, Hendry was still on Jess arm
chair, trembling like a man with the
palsy. Ten minutes afterward I was
preparing for bed, when he cried up
the stair:
"Come ava doon!"
joined the family party in the
room. Hendry was sitting close to Jess.
"Let us read" he said, firmly, Sin
the fourteenth of John" - Youths