Arizona republican., 1898-07-07

At last she was at the summit of the ridge looking down upon the beach, and her destination was close at hand. Again she sawed and tugged at the lines. Slowly her efforts told; gradual 1y the bays speed decreased, until, as he neared the farmhouse, she had him we'll in hand Mrs. Weston, one of her boys, Mrs. Clark and two or three chil- dren were awaiting her at the gate, all eager to learn the result of her mis- sion. Dr. Banks and were close be- hind them, and, as the horse came to a stop, we pushed our way to the side of the buggy.
 "You've made wonderful time," I cried.
 Where's Fowler? Is he following you?" asked Banks.
 "He can't be here for six or eight hours," she said, quietly. "But here is a case of instruments.
 Banks and I looked at each other, appalled, by the news.
 "Dr. Fowler is in Trent" the girl went on. ''Ee is expected home at mid night. It is arranged that if you need him then, a message shall be sent to him."
 With his sound hand Banks lifted the case from the buggy.
 "This is serious, very,' he said in my ear. we can't wait for hIm; it's out of the question. Join me in your office as quickly as you can.''
 I nodded and turned to assist Miss Cray to the ground. Young Weston led the horse away.
 Come said to the girl. ''you must have some supper. By the looks of the horse, as we'll as the clock, can see that you've taken nobody's dust on the road. You must tell me all about it after awhile"
 ''I was in Bassettville hardly 40 min- utes ago." said she, with a look at her watch. 'But how is he? Have you any more hope?"
 'sHe is doing as well as anything hu-
 man could after such a crushing and
 nangling, but our opinion is not changed"
 She left me and walked away slowly
 and dispiritedly. The reaction after the excitement of her ride was already
 upon her. Almost as depressed in spirit as she, I made my way to the office
 Banks had opened the case and was
 inspecting it's contents. The room, in expectation of Fowler's arrival, had been prepared for the operation.
 ''It is fortunate she brought these Norris" said Banks. I'm afraid my
 old tools would have answered poorly What a head she must have on he1
 shoulders to have thought of borrowing the case! She is a noble woman, Nor ris, a woman in ten thousand" 'Indeed she is" @sss"e's's Best get to work at once," Banks
 added. Come, are you ready?" 1 A first capital operation! How the student looks forward to it, how he pictures in imagination the moment
 when the knife enters the flesh, how
 he dwe1ls upon the surroundings, the
 attendants, the bright, keen blades
 flashing back the light, the odor o1
 the anesthetic, the subject lying there on the table, maimed, diseased, his life dependent upon the skill of the sur. geon's hand and eye! Small wonder the novice's heart throhs with pride
 in the profession he has chosen; small
 wonder he thinks it the noblest and best in the choice of man. To cut tl cure, to shed blood to save-to him it seems to represent the highest de velopment of the progress of his race BNt when. long afterward, perhaps this same student, now general prac- titioner, finds himself confronted with the ordcal-ah, that is different. Be tween these days and those others when he hurried to the hospital amphithe, ater stretch years in which his conf Geucc may have wancd, his memory oi the scene about tLe operating table grown dull. There is TO cowardly desire upon him to shirk the responsibility his professional training would count for little did it not insure him against such wealness-but he understands the extent of that responsibility. As student-spectator he watched the
 work of specialists; now, as an oper- ator, it is his duty to endeavor to ap- proach their skill as nearly as lies in his power, though the knife comes strange and unaccustomed to his hand Mind you, I am not speaking Of the hundreds in every thousand of the pro- fession to whom surgery stands as the best-lOved branch of their art, nor yet of those who have achieved unhesitat-
 ing, unf1inching obedience to the man.
 dates of duty, but of those others
 among whom I count myself, who find themselves possessed, no matter what
 their experience, by reluctance to ply the knife, even while they prepare for the ordeal the necessity of which they
 realize. Is the feeling rare? It is sel
 dom expressed, it is true, but never theless it often exists, none the less poignant for it's concealment. I have
 never conquered it, though have taken part in many an operation since the one performed in the low-cefled room nf fba fo,