Devils Lake inter-ocean. (Devils Lake, Ramsey Co., Dakota [N.D.]) 1884-1905, 1898-10-14

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THE DOCTOR'S STORY
TRAGIC HISTORY OF JOE. MS MoThGR
AND THE BABY.
An Early Proscssional Epsrsssss -
Wa Brought hack to . New YsskAy.
sieian's Mind BY the seosy C : Mssaw
In . Bowery Saloon.
cts q queer world" eaid . New
York physician as no laid the moenin9
paper aside.
"What prompted that original -
mark?" asked a visitor.
"Well. I was just reading an account
Of o stabbing affair, and IL suddenly %.
Cured to me that I had known the man
who did the killing" The doctor -
tied back in his chair, and the visitor
waited for tho story. After . tew mo-
ments it came.
when I first began, to practics, / did
an immense amount Of charity work.
Every fellow does that at the start 1ug
experience, and later he keeps Il MP foe
humanity's sake. I had pretty good suc-
cess with children and made quite 5
name down in the tenement districts-
and incidentally spent most Of my pocket
money On my patienta That was be6oro
the day Of FREQ sterilized milk Tor sick
babies and dozens Of institutiousfor the
relief Of the poor.
"Ono summer q woman began bring.
Ing q sick baby to me. A mall boz.
about 8 years old, always came With
them and seemed to be fairly stronx and
we'll, but the baby was a pitiful little
thing, with a thin, white face and big
blue eyes with a look Of pain In them.
Tho woman seemed an ignorant, honest
soul and generally wore . thick, dark
veil to hide q black eye or great blue
bruise. It's easy enough to figure out .
thing like that, you know, but abe never
spoke Of her husband or complained, %
! didn't ask any questions. She brought
the baby often, and each time Il looked
more waxen and scrawny, but I oouldn't
find out that the child had any disease,
and all the symptoms pointed 20 Q lack
Of nourishment.
Eat last ono morning I said to tho
mother that I believed the baby Was
starving, and that I didn't intend 10
allow her to leave the Office until abo
had told me tho truth about the alRatr.
She looked stubborn for q moment and
wouldn't answer, but then the tears be.
gan to roll down her bruised, discoloe-
ed checks, and she confessed that she
didn't have enough food to give tho b.
by. She worked hard, but her husband
drank and took every cent abe made
and beat her every day into tho bar
gain. She vas fond Of the brute In
spite OF oil that and told me q long sto-
~ about tho heavenly nature the fell
low had before he began to drink.
FINALLY I told her I would give her
Q quart Of milk every day. I Wouldn't
give her tho money because I didn't
covet tho privilege Of buying bad whis-
Ky for the husband, but I would nay
tho nearest milk depot to supply her
with a quart a day. That would feed
the baby and leave some for little
Joe, who didn't look quite 20 we'll %
he did when tho two first began calling
Oh me. After that I didn't hear any
moro about tho case for q week or two.
Then my friends turned up again. The
baby looked worse than ever, and the
woman's face was q patchwork in blue
and green. but little Joe was quite rosy.
I didn't understand. The baby was In 3
bad condition, and I did what I could
for 1t. After I left my Office Invent
down to tho milk depot. Tho man aid
my woman had had her quart Of milk
every day.
II puzzled over tho thing that night
Tho next morning the trio were at my
Office. Tho baby's blue eyelids were
closed, and I thought at first that IL
was not breathing, but found . faint
autter. I couldn't see any reason for
such q state Of things, 50 once moreI
led the woman into my private o4lce
and shut the door. Then I said:
"'Now, look here. There's q mystery
about this, and you've got to tell mo
what's tho matter. That baby's starry
ing to death, and I want to know what
you've done with the milk
1.-THE woman looked scared and turn.
ed pale between bruises. Then abe rave
. sort of wall and jumped up, still
holding tho baby.
"'No, tho baby didn't have tho
milkv she said in o frantic sort Of way.
Il gave 1t to little jos. There wasn't
enough to feed them both, and Joe be-
gan to get sick. and I loved him better
than I did tho baby. I ain't had . crust
to eat myself, but Icouldn't let Joe die.
The baby's only Q girl, andif she does
live she'll DO unhappy like me, and
don't love her like I do Joe. thought
both Of them were going to die, and
couldn't 1.-Two without Joe, 20 / gave
him the milk and just let the baby have
q little. Maybe you think amt suffer
ed watching the baby, but I couldn't
spare Joe. I couldn't. Some day he'll
be a man, and I'll be proud Of him. a
man can do anything, but girl would
lust do what I've done. Joe shan't die.
@She was screaming the words out
snd seemed almost crazy. The thing
was awful. Il made me feel hea1tsisk
"'Why, you idiot I mid, why
you tell me? I'd have looked o1t
for Joe too
"Just then the baby opened IL
great, uncanny, weird eyes IN the tiny
T. o<orod AZ mo ia = -Sn-h ~ -