Eagle River review. [volume] (Eagle River, Wis.) 1890-1927, 1902-06-28
Evident Failure.
By Mabel Earle.

ned By Mabel Earle.
5 elected i Marshall will see Miss Hunt
1rces. IA, the Office said Thomas, the
ted win boy as he appeared opposite
State carm of Ward 3,
s sneratas1 he went on his upward way,
prosIdar.g to St. Marys Ward on the
md ia above; and Agnes Huntley drop
tha /, be pillow cases she was putting
s oanpass in the Iinen-press, and leaned
.oah 49, Mrebead against the great oak
lei, 49,. for a moment, steadying her
IN tIamas 1g thoughts.
n interview with Miss Marshall
% s.a let her know within the next
ted fas. In minutes, if she was accepted
- 1,s, 80 nurse to complete her training
- ~ work she had chosen. It seem
n her, in the blind moment after
u, a~4s $3.50 as had disappeared, that the
4 a.sss Of lifetime were to stand trial
p; .411 sa fifteen minutes. She looked
= over The three months or her
alton with dread and confidence
~ ~ 81, hating
TP were ugly little memories of
donS when she had been hopeless
Did, encouraging bits of praise
" -, one or two doctors; but above
onolis all rose the face of Miss Mar
a fha II inscrutable as always. Miss
5 phenoi 'ii never gave hlntS OF her de-
pared d n propatloher coulo never
, 63soo before she was summoned to
,sMsao. htcful interview in the office
q s., 3her acceptance or rejection was
blow
snes reused herself in another in
and walked down the stairs
aeed o. ,a'" 7el' f'0'''e'''0li 90 710 ''lN
,im minute after she entered the
isssAeuta Miss Marshall went on writing
sa''0a he desk and Agnes could not see
as no face.
- ! But when those quiet gray eyes were
led to her own, the girl said to her
saa Its all over" Miss Marshall
IS. sliei as she looked just before cap
Operation.
a.a''ss You are not the kind of woman
80 needs sugar-coated preliminar-
the elder woman said, in a tone
t Agnes remembered hearing only
Sc sef @ Or twice by bedsides of great
- IS Herring Il am very sorry to tell
81 that We cannot accept you"
IS 49, Agnes dill not try to speak. Her
SIS aaS cutched the back of the chair
~ which She was standing, but she
ated quietly while Miss Marshall
pron bent on:
IS Z It's our rule, you know, that no
ssh'ns' gGej candidate ask the reason for
10y rejection. But something is due
81 In this case. You have a right to
1'aaes -oT that YOU are not charged with
-1I neglect OF duty. You have
- s. 'aa5 hard, with every effort to be
lnenct 1atL
certain questions of physique and
! ~ -2%ament lie outside our control"
81 + continued. 81 have watched you
~ 0 unusual care. because I realized
3 81 @eGjDg Of your love for the work
n ~ Your ambition. But it is better
aens9 you to know at once, trusting the
ts'Aasa Nefence Of another rather than
& own, that in the matter of ply
~s' strength alone you are not quail
'or nurses life. Your health
I'LL serve YOU very we'll if you do not
unnecessary strain upon it, in
~e HE or some other profession.
have no right to allow you to
~a~opt it at the outset"
agnes had lifted her eyes, and
sSAed Miss Marshall's face intentIy
sA ,~"e she spoke, noticing, as never be-
AL @S.tS strength and sweetness. She
,aS0t with dull pain how complete
%'SS Marshall fulfilled the ideal she
set before herself--the life of
veSSlul ambition. of beautiful help
s~sSS Beside that vision rose the
eDss 1s7 OF the sleepy little town, the
&agnant life to which she must
be . WI. with her defeat
.ard 'Oo are kind to put it on that
.Io' Miss Marshall" she said,
~ s,'eSSiy. But I know feel-so
more than you say: and it all
wv ~ rn to this-I am a failure"
- ], ., 's''er, then, to realize that at once
A., year from now, when some
81 =, "le Is hanging on help that you
- Dan poI able to give" said Miss Mar
s a,s b. neXorably, but with strange
~ ~rs'heSS in her face and voice.
s I"l tenderness broke down the re-
NJ r. with which Agnes had meant to
n, ner misery. Suddenly without
|ss conscious intention of such I'M
Is Nm -,neo action, she found herself
/. '.hs at Miss Marshall's side, with
lace buried in the folds of the
Is Me- =,
= SS Marshall did not repulse her
q 4. S0sh at her. she laid one hand on
: ToFR hair. and stroked Il softly. |