The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1894-09-23
LIFE OF A DOCTORS WIFE.
She Must Be Sympathetic and Ready
for Everything.

Mrs. Doctor Tells of Some of Her
Trials in Brooklyn-Kept Busy Day
and Night by Bells and Telephones.
The Doctor Tells Her Nothing About
His Patients, but They Expect Dis
play of Interest by Her in Their
Troubles
From the New York Times.
If there are any residents of Brooklyn
with aches and pains who are anxious to
keep all knowledge of them from their
friends-it would be a remarkable in
stance of reserve, but such thing might
happen-and if, having this feeling, they
hesitate to consult doctor for fear of be-
ing discussed as cease" they may dis
miss their fears.
The doctor never tells.
At least he never tells his wife, for a
bright, wise Brooklyn woman says so.
And she has had experience enough
ever since the day she promised to be,
through better and worse, the doctors
better half, or, as she is called, to her sor-
row and to the delight of about half the
Doctors patients, Mrs. Doctor''-to
know that the position of doctors wife
is no sinecure even without the additional
burden of condolences.
sit is curious thing" said this partic-
ular Mrs. Doctor, "a woman's life at the
end Of so many bells and telephones Now
here is an example" Just then sound
reached her trained ear.
Yes, it's a man"
Then came a series Of questions over
the telephone-''When will the doctor be
at homel Where is her etc.-all of which
are carefully answered before Mrs. Doc
tor is at liberty again.
at is very much like a kaleidoscope"
she went ON after being released from the
telephone, this life of a doctors wife.
You will Just get something nicely started
when from here or there comes a call
that brings things to standstill just at
an important moment, ana then it all has
to be begun over again.
"NOw, Just take the bells in this house
There is the front bell, the basement
bell, the Office bell and the garden gate
bell. Then there is the bell from the Of
fee TO the kitchen--a certain number of
rings calling for the horse, or this, that
or the other thing that the doctor may
need. There is bell and a speaking
tube from the office TO the bedroom for
night use. There being two doctors here,
there is a second bell for the second doc
tor. If neither of the doctors are at
home 1t will awaken the coachman. The
telephone is arranged at night so that
the call rings down stairs and up.
"Of course, there are doctors wives
who take no interest in their husbands
business, and have nothing at all to do
with it, but if they do, they are kept con
stantly on the qui vive. With social,
charitable and family duties, every mo-
ment and every thought are occupied.
lone must be prepared for almost
everything A doctors wife must always
sympathize with every one, be always
nice to them, and at the same time she is
not supposed to know anything about
them.
"Of course physician never tells his
wife anything about his patients that the
world does not tell ner first. That is
another thing one has 10 be very careful
about
'Why do people like TO tell all about
their illness DO you suppose it is be-
cause they want sympathy Well, they
will tell all about themselves and their
families, and go fully into particulars.
They often forget they have done so as
quickly as the words have left their lips,
and If later you display interest in their
trials and what they think is an undue
knowledge of their symptoms they are
Immediately sure that the doctor has been
talking about them.
Another curious thing is 10 hear the
expressions OF lay people who do not
know anything about it criticising the
doctors who have attended them or their
friends. They think this is wrong and
that Is wrong and do not think that
something else would have been better"
That is where Mrs. Doctor. with all her
dove-like harmlessness, makes use Of the
wisdom Of the serpent.
''The apologies Of the people who do
not employ my husband as a physician"
she goes on, "are the funniest things yet.
IL Is an extremely delicate thing 10 re-
ceive these apologies In delicate man
ner. You really do not know what 10 do.
/ think sometimes a Doctors wife who
says just the right thing must be in