The pioneer express. [volume] (Pembina, Dakota [N.D.]) 1883-1928, 1899-09-15
THE DOCTORS STORY

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TRAGIC HISTORY OF JOE, HIS MOTHER
AND THE BABY.
An EARLY Professional Experience That
was Brought Back to . New Fork Ply
sioiau's Mind BY tho Story Of Murder
In Bowery Saloon.
''It's q queer world" said q New
York physician as he laid the morning
paper aside.
"What prompted that original re-
mark?" asked visitor.
''Well, was just reading an account
Of q stabbing affair, and 1t suddenly &C.
CURED to me that had known the man
who did the killing" The doctor set
tied back in his chair, and the visitor
waited for the story. After few mo-
ments it came.
"When I first began to practice, I did
an immense amount Of charity work.
Every fellow does that at the start for
experience, and later he keeps it up for
humanity's sake. I had pretty good sue
cess with children and made quite q
name down in the tenement districts
and incidentally spent most Of my pocket
money on my patients. That was before
the day of free sterilized milk for sick
babies and dozens Of institutions for the
relief of the poor.
Zone summer woman began bring
ing sick baby to me. A small boy,
about 8 years old, always came with
them and seemed to be fairly strong and
we'll, but the baby was pitiful little
thing, with thin, white face and big
blue eyes with look of pain in them.
The woman seemed an ignorant, honest
soAl and generally wore thick, dark
veil to hide black eye or great blue
bruise. It's easy enough to figure out a
thing like that, you know, but she never
spoke of her husband or complained, so
I didn't ask any questions. She brought
the baby often, and each time it looked
more waxen and scrawny, but I couldn't
find out that the child had any disease,
and all the symptoms pointed to lack
of nourishment.
cat last one morning I said to the
mother that I believed the baby was
starving, and that I didn't intend to
allow her to leave the Office until she
had told me the truth about the affair.
She looked stubborn for moment and
wouldn't answer, but then the tears be-
gan to roll down her bruised, discolor-
ed cheeks, and she confessed that she
didn't have enough food to give the ba-
by. She worked hard, but her husband
drank and took every cent she made
and beat her every day into the bar
gain. She was fond of the brute in
spite of all that and told me long sto-
~ about the heavenly nature the fell
low had before he began to drink.
''Finally told her would give her
quart of milk every day. wouldn't
give her the money because didn't
covet the privilege of buying bad whis-
Ky for the husband, but would pay
the nearest milk depot to supply her
with quart day. That would feed
the baby and leave some for little
Joe, who didn't look quite so we'll as
he did when the two first began calling
ON ME. After that didn't hear any
more about the case for week or two.
Then my friends turned up again. The
baby looked worse than ever, and the
woman's face was patchwork in blue
and green, but little Joe was quite rosy.
didn't understand. The baby was in a
bad condition, and did what could
for it. After I left my Office I went
down to the milk depot. The man said
my woman had had her quart Of milk
every day.
81 puzzled over the thing that night.
The next morning the trio were at my
Office. The baby's blue eyelids were
closed, and thought at first that it
was not breathing, but found a faint
hutter. I couldn't see any reason for
such state of things, SO once more
led the woman into my private Office
and shut the door. Then said:
"'Now, look here. There's mystery
about this, and you've got to tell me
what's the matter. That baby's starv-
Ing to death, and want to know what
you've done with the milk
"The woman looked scared and turn.
ed pale between bruises Then she gave
q sort of wall and jumped up, still
holding the baby.
"'No, the baby didn't have the
milk!' she said in frantic sort Of way
Il gave it to little Joe. There WASH,
enough to feed them both, and Joe be
gan to get sick, and I loved him better
than did the baby. amt had crus
to eat myself, but couldn let Joe die
The baby's only girl, and if she doe
live she'll be unhappy like me, and
don't love her like I do Joe. I though
both of them were going to die, and
couldn't live without Joe, SO CAV
him the milk and just let the baby hav
little. Maybe you think amt suffe,
ed watching the baby. but I couldn'
spare Joe. I couldn't. Some day he'l
be man, and I'll be proud Of him.
man can do anything, but a girl woul
Just do what I've done. Joe shan't die
''Sho was screaming the words OF
and seemed almost crazy. The thin
was awful It made me feel heartsicl
Why, you IDIOT I said, 'wh
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