The Dickinson press., 1895-12-14
well for coming. IT'S shamefui- air.

Ole. ana I've u great mtnQ TO
send you about your business"
IF your ladyship is dissatisfied with
a medical a who tries to do his
duty to all his PATIENTS" l said rising.
"Sit down, sir" she said angrily.
mo, come here and look Mt my tongue
and feel my pulse. l was taken hor-
ribly bad-eXcruciating pain"
Really, Lady Mount-D enniston," I
began.
"Nill you come and look ut my
tongue, sir, and tell me If you think
1t was the gorgonzola cheese? 1t was
a new one and very nice. There,
shake hands; we two won't quarrel;
mind the tongue. Stoop down,
I want to kiss you. There you're q
dear. good boy, and you've given me a
deal more confidence in you than I
had before. Now tell me how the
poor little child is"
l told her.
"IIll!" she cried. I'm very. very
glad and very proud of you. Old Min
O would have let II die. Look here.
doctor. If you want port wine and
jelly and things for your patient they
shall he sent. Now. then. you'll come
over aud dine will, me tonight"
"No," l said. II must go and spend
some time with my little patient"
every we'll. sir; If you are deter
mined to slight me-, pray go. I'm
thankful to say I'm better and eau,
do without yom now" Rmat SIZE shook
lands very warmly when we parted,
and that nj.lt ( sat up till . with the
cimiii6, though he was mcnding fast.
During the weeks which followed l
had plenty of opportunity for study.
ing patient aud mother; and by de-
grees l learned that two years before
the young husband had died. leaving
his wife and child in penury. and that
since then Mrs. White had been maxi
ing Il brave struggle for existence,
but with very little success. for in a
country town to be a stranger is often
to he f%riendless.
I tried hard to serve her. hut my adj
vances We're rejected quietly and I
found a disposition to shrink from me.
Even Lady Mount-D enniston's offers
Of assistance were gratefully declined,
while l went OH thinking more and
more deeply day by day. with that
palc. wistful countenance rarely out
of my thoughts. while the child l had
brought back to life obtained n strong
ll1Id upon me.
Three years passed. during which I
could see that she was working her.
self to death for the sake of that boy.
\ young dog! How he used to run
after me and beg for a ride round
with me in my chaise! He often used
to come. and somehow l vas very
proud of him. for l felt that in my
fight with death l had won. and that
in some respects he belonged to me.
But the distance between me and his
mother seemed to grow.
At last the young dog came to NE
crying one morning ID ask me to e
malnnia, who couldn't get up and vas
so cold and strange she frightened
him. He did not quite say all this,
for he was too young. but his earnest
young face spoke, and l vas so pleas
ed with the young rascal for flying to
me as his great friend who would help
him in his trouble that I bent down
ard kissed him.
He frightened up directly and
smiled. though his eyes were still wet
with crying; and he trotted along be-
side me. chatting away, as If he ill.,
stinctively knew that all his troubles
were IaSSed. while l felt very thought
full and strange.
"Willie.' l said at last, did your
mother tell you to cOme to me:"
He shook his head.
Then, why did you Gomez
"iCause mas very bad; and she's
often told ME that when l was Ill you
came like a good angel and made me
"Dil-did she say good angel, Will
l said huskily.
He nodded.
My mind was made up. and l walk
ed on so fast that the little fellow was
to run by my side.
Five minutes later he had led me I'D
. Tho. bedside. where. pale and ghast-
his mother lay-the same
bed beside which l had knelt three
gears before. Her eyes were half
and I went up SO silently that
she had not heard my coming, SO that
| had time to glance round and in
1orse my preconceived opinion of what
was really the matter. There, upon a
chair by the bedside, was the new
dress upon which she had been at
work for their daily bread, till utter
had compelled her to desist.
The little fellow crept softly to the
bedside frOwning and holding up his
to me to keep silence, and then,
with the tlloughtless incongruity of a
child. he began softly to stroke the
soft brown hair, which lay abundantly
upon the pillow.
She uttered a faint cry, and caught
him to her breast.
"Oh, my boy! my boy!" and then,
with widely staring eyes, she gasped
out: Doctors"
"Yes. madam" I said roughly. evil
lie knew better than you did. 1t was
quite time l came"
She uttered a cry nov of horror and
dread as she stretched out her hand
wildly to HE.
Am l going to die? No, no., not yet
his sake"
l took the hand and held it in mine
as l felt the weak pulse.
II must know; tell me the whole
truth" she cried.
utter Observation-Disclosures
duced by overwork and neglect of self,
even to sending for medical aid when
you felt you were failing fast. Am l
right, MADAME" I said, and l pointed
to her unfinished work.
She looked at me wildly and as if ap-
pealing for mercy, and if l had not
kept to my hard firm way, l should
have made myself look stupid, for l
never felt so much moved in my life.
II have tried-so hard" she mur-
INJURED ut last. II must not die; save
me, doctor-save me, for my poor boys
sake"
l nodded. 1 could not trust myself
speak, and l sat down, took out my
pocketbook and pencil and wrote SLOW
ly in a large round hand, which a sick
person could easily read, my recipe,
which l honestly believed would re-
iiey e the terrible strain upon her mind
and work a cure.
This briefly done. I tore it off and
held it to her, saying:
You are not bound to take this,
Mrs. White; for God knows, whatever
you. reply, l will do my best to say
your life-for Willie's sake"
My voice shook at those last words,
and ! saw how keenly her great, wild
eyes were trying to read me through
aud through.
Then she glanced at the recipe, and
held out a feeble. trembling hand.