The Yale expositor., 1895-04-26

"And have been scolding him like
all Billingsgatel" |"
"Eh?" said Mrs. Kesley, upon whom
the classic allusion was lost. 'It's
fever, 1 calculate; or p'raps measles.
l don't remember that Larry ever had
the measles as child"
"What will he think ?" said Hannah,
despairingly.
'La, he don't sense word you say I"
said the old lady. "He's as crazy as
q cricket!"
Hannah went up to the side OF the
lounge.
"Hold the candle, Mrs. Kesley, I"
said she, as she laid her light, cool
hand on the fevered brow and felt the
bounding pulse.
"Why, you don't know nothin' OF
doctorin', do you?" said Mrs. Kesley,
in amaZement.
Don't /, thought" said Hannah,
who had, in very truth, CLEANED many
pathological experience among her
uncle's patients. ''This is nothing
more than heavy cold, Mrs. Kesley.
accompanied with a slight sympathetic
fever"
"La !" said the old lady, again.
"Let his feet be soaked in hot mus
tard-water, and kept warm by water
jugs" said Hannah, authoritatively.
"Give him nine drops of the contents
of this vial once in two hours. Use
every effort to throw him into pro-
fuse perspiration. "
"Folks used TO steam themselves
over tea kettle when was O gal, :"
said Mrs. Kesley.
"Ahr" said Hannah. "That was
the old system"
"Lal" again repeated Mrs. Kesley.
"But," calmly added Hannah, "we
have improved upon all that now.
You'll be sure and not forget the mint
drops, Mrs. Kesley. The pulse is fre-
quent, but not alarmingly so. l think
l should recommend cold-water band
ages around the throat and on the
forehead. And be sure that he is kept
very warm. How strangely he looks
at me! You are quite sure, Mrs. Kes-
ley, that he is delirious?"
"As crazy rs a-crotou-bug !" re-
peated Mrs. Kesley, rather at loss
for comparison aud remembering a
peculiar variety of insect which she
had known as New York house
keeper thirty years ago.
'Now he is shutting his eyes again, :"
said Hannah, passing her hand with
light, magnetic touches over his brow.
"Poor fellow"
"P'raps," suggested Mrs. Kesley,
"Pd better get the big shears and cut
off his hair. It's plaguey thick; and
if his head has got to be kept cold"
"Oh, no, | wouldn't do that !" said
Hannah. "It's such soft, curly hair |
Let it remain"
And she applied herself to measur-
ing out sundry camphor-smelling pow
ders from pocket case.
81 will call early in the morning."
said she, when the powders were all
measured out.
'La!" said Mrs. Kesley.
Hannah Digby drove home, silently
and meditatively, old Blackie picking
his slow woy along tho dreary road,
while the wind shrieked and the pines
rustled mysteriously on either side of
the highway.
"Now l have got myself into pret.
ty scrape," said she, addressing old
Blackie's ears. "Shall tell Uncle
Zalman, or shan't I? Will he scold,
or won't he? After all, the man has
only got touch OF influenza. If
congestion set in Oh, pshaw, it
won'tl IL there is any danger of
pneumonia Bat the man breathes
rs regularly as pair of bellows No,
I'll risk it. Pve begun the case, and
I'll carry it throuy b."
While Larry Neville, smiling to
himself in the freight, thought:
"How pretty she was !-and how
velvety and cool her hand felt on my
forehead oh, yes, I'll take all tho
powders between here and the Maine
line # she says so !"
The next morning the patient was
decidedly improved. He was sitting
up in the big rocking-chair, in front
OF the fire, while Pinkton's boy piled
on more logs, and shufiled back and
forth on errands for Mrs. Kesley.
"Here she comes I" said Pinkton's 5
boy, staring out of the window.
"Who comes?" Larry asked.
"The doctor-young-'oman," said
Pinkton's boy. "Will tell her you've
got well and don't want she no more?"
But Larry only frowned at him.
"Open the door for her, you young
scampl" said he.
Miss Digby was as good as her word.
She conducted the case triumphantly
through to its end.
1t is just possible that Mr.. Neville
protracted his conyalescencs unneces-
sarily, but that is neither here no.
there.
$50 Larry is going home to-mor-
row." said Mrs. Kesley. "Well, l
declare shall miss the boyi"
"Yes," said Hannah, demurely.
"But he's coming back again in May,
| he saws"