Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1898-09-09
A Victim TO the Blues.

young woman was staying in a
distant city, where she had made few
acquaintances. She had money, but
inconsistencies and insufficient occupa-
ton were unfriendly conditions to
health of mind or body. At length she
felt Obliged to call upon a physician
and ask his advice.
1t happened that the doctor whom
she consulted was a religious man as
well as skillful one. He understood
her symptoms. and when she COM
planned that she was victim to ''the
blues,s he astonished her with the orig
inal prescription: David Sones lives
at 40 Dash street. He is i'll, and con-
fined to his bed, and very poor. Call
there. show sympathy with him and
his family, and read the bread and
butter psalm TO him; and when you go
away leave small sum of money in
his hand
OF course he had to explain to the
amazed lady that the Scripture he had
so oddly named was the 103d Psalm,
and that the heartening and rejuven-
atinE effect of fifth verse and all
made 1t to him just what he called 1t.
OF it's virtue in this case he seemed to
have no doubt.
But the very idea of doing as he
recommended was as distasteful to the
young woman as it was surprising.
why. how rude and intrusive the
man would think me to break in upon
him so. perfect stranger!" she said.
Il could not do such thing
She went from the Doctors office dis
annnintod md dicnlaaSoa4 n,,t +h;n1,
ing. The very bluntness of the advice
had stirred her stagnant spirits. and
she was already beginning to forget
her own ailment. The storm of pro-
test in her mind gave her bad hour
or two. but finally something-she
could hardly tell what-compelled her
to, surrender to the doctors orders.
She found the sick man, and after
talking kindly to him about himself,
and encouraging him to hope for re-
covery and for better days, she opened
her Bible to the psalm. Her lips were
dry. and the first three or four verses
We're pronounced like mechanical
exercise. but further on her voice and
mood mellowed. The force and beauty
of the words aroused her, and she read
the last verses of the psalm with real
feeling.
A woman, who had entered the room
and listened, sat in the corner weeping.
She was a recent lodger who had tried
in vain to find work at her trade as a
dressmaker, and had become dis
couraged. The young lady had already
earned the gratitude of three strangers.
With feelings entirely new to her she
remained in the poor tenement. con-
versing with the sick man and his wife
and their needy friend, until she had
quite gained their confidence, and then
left them with encouraging words and
a small gift of money.
few days secured orders for the dis
couraged dressmaker, and work not
long after came in so abundantly that
the family was placed above want.
The sick man, relieved of his anxieties,
soon recovered. A Swallowed home
had been frightened by an involuntary
kindness.
1t was a lesson that the complaining
young woman never forgot. Her ex-
periences--thanks to the good doctors
counsel-had exploded the vain notion
that 1T is useless to try to do good un-
less you feel like it, A brave effort
to cure s'the blues" had resulted in
opening her heart to an unselfish act.
and to broader view of her relations
to less fortunate souls about her
Youths Companion.