Tazewell Republican. [volume] (Tazewell, Va.) 1892-1919, 1900-05-31
Mr.. JObSOn Gets Sick
7vS7sTS m IN 9TS'TS

MIR. JOBSON looked very solemn
W and resigned when he got home
from his Office about three hours aheao
of his usual time the other day. Mrs
Jobsop met him at the door with an eX'
preston of alarm.
"Why," she inquired, anxiousiy'
what is the"
Mr.. Jobson smiled sadly as he inter
rupted her. =,
Don't you bother, little woman"
said he, in a weak, far-away voice, and
then Mrs. Jobson felt sure that some
thing dreadful allied him-he hadn't
called her "httle woman" for years.
Don't YOU worry at all. And don't
come too close to me, either. I've got
typhoid fever, that's all, and guess my
race is about run"
what in the world makes you"
"Now, kindly refrain from giving
way to any expressions of alarm" cut
in Mr.. Jobson, with a wan smile. i've
felt it coming on me for some time
last, but haven't said anything about
it. because 1 didn't feel like worrying
YOU. I've always been afraid OF ty-
phoid, which is perhaps the reason why
fate has been so ironical as to hand me
out nv dose of it. I've got all the
symptoms-had 'em for some time, but
now it's a case of 60 to bed and stay, l
guess, with me. I'm so weak that"
Mrs. Jobson had him bundled up in
bed in jig time, with hot water bag
applied to him IN. B.-WhaS ailment
in life, up to blighted affections, does
not modern woman use the hot water
bag for?) and a toddy steaming over
the spirit lamp, and the servant girl
post-haste out the alley gate for the
doctor.
Mr.. Jobson took it all with an an
gelic smile of gentle reprobation.
ITS all no use," he said, still in that
thin, far-away tone. "Of course, it's
good of you, my dear, to set about in
an endeavor to pull me through, but
I've a feeling that I've about reached
the end of my tether. Now, never
mind weeping"-Mrs. Jobson had her
handkerchief, done up in little wad,
at the corners of her eyes-"for it had
to come some time, you know-it had
to come some time" repeated Mr.. job
son. in a voice that seemed to demand
the accompaniment of slow, tremolo
music on the E. string near the bridge OF
the violin. "When the typhoid gets
YOU, YOU know, the chances are about
five to one against you ever living
through it, and there isn't doubt in
life that I've got the typhoid fever
| I've"
"But YOUR head doesn't feel warm, y
said Mrs. Jobson, anxiously pressing
her palm against his forehead.
perhaps not yet" said Mr.. Jobson,
"but I'll be in raging fever before the
night is over. The fever comes later
I've got the preliminary symptoms
dull pain in the back of the head, shiv-
cry feeling along the spine, no appe-
tite, lassitude, all-gone feeling in gen.
eral, and finally strong presentiment
that this all marks the end of my days
I've looked the subject up in book
I've got down at the Office and it will
be simply a waste of doctors time to
fool around attempting to make any
other diagnosis of my case. Now, be-
fore l lapse into Inconsistencies, my
dear-you know people with typhoid
become delirious when the fever gets
a good hold on them-Tve got few
little things to say and some directions
to leave in case anything happens tC
me"-Mr. Jobson said, Gin case any
thing happens to me" in an exceeding
ly affecting, sepulchral way-"and
might as we'll dispose of these matters
now"
"But don't you think it would be a
we'll to wait to see what the docto
says? He might"
"My dear, this presentiment I hav
Is stronger than any superficial word
of any mere doctor could possibly be,
said Mr.. Jobson, dismally. II know
that I'm dished this time, and tina
: I'm not going to get over this What
ever the doctor says won't change N
in my belief little bit"
Here Mr.. Jobson paused and too
Mrs. Jobson's hand and squeezed it.
81 hope you won't always think c
me simply as of cranky old pest
he said, with a shadowy, spiritu'
smile. 81 know I've jawed and raise
. Ned without any occasion goo
many times, and 1 guess you've had
pretty hard time of it humoring M
=, little girl" =,
Here Mrs. Jobson began to sob qul,
q convulsively, and she tried to deny h
self-accusations.
= "Oh, there's no denying it all
: know it," said Mr.. Jobson. Now tn
= I'm about ready to make my pea'
in this world, 1 can clearly see that Il
: a good many years past I've been tt
!, crankiest and hardest-to-get-alon
. with old nuisance in the District
Columbia or anywhere else, but L
square enough to own up to 1t a
!. anyhow, now that my end approache
and that's something. But hope yC
= won't hold it all against me after