The Providence news. (Providence [R.I.]) 1891-1906, 1902-08-16

lision with the men. He almost forgot
Rhsna In his love for his old friend to-
night.
| And II was a scene for painters. only
painters never could catch the fun mean :
| ing Of IL all The doctor looked into the
! faces OF men by whose side he had stood
In the little cabins where life was going
out or at the bottom of tbe mines after
some horrible accident. and he was al
ways the same In his unfiinohlng dsvo-
tion TO duty and his unspoken love for
the suffering and his great skill to beat
death back and look hell in the face
without tremor OF a nerve or the CULVER
OF an eyelid.
Now. then" began the doctor I'm his
usual abrupt manner, there isn't a man
here ever heard me try 10 make a speech
In public. IL there?"
IL was very quiet I'm the hall so quiet
that the noise Of the crowd outdoors
could plainly be heard. No one replied to
the doctors questian. The men were all
waiting 10 hear the next word. They
were not easily surprised, but the sight
OF the doctor up there and the sound of
hiS voice In this new revelation OF him
were almost like seeing or hearing ~ man
who had been dead for 80 years comes
suddenly 10 life.
And I'm not going TO try IL now. But
want 10 tell you that IL you do what
be bigger fools than I've been calling you
for 80 year or more. Why. you must be
Insane idiots. every mothers son OF you,
to think you can gain anything by pull
ing up pumps! Who'll suffer? The mine
owners? What II they do lose a little
property up here? Haven't you got sense
enough TO know what that II IL only one
item out OF thousands for them? But It's
the whole thing for you. and IL you wern't
lot OF blookheaded dummies you would
know that the result OF pulling up pumps
would be simply to give me more work
to do In mending your cracked skulls
and sewing UP lot of gunshot wounds
in your useless bodies. and / tell you I've
got myAands full now without having a
lot Of extra work piled on me just be-
cause you want TO have a little picnic
with those pumps. And after you've pull
ed 'em up and about a hundred Of you are
killed or get what few brains you have
knocked out what will you gain besides
that? How much chance will there be for
mining in the spring with all the shafts
flooded? Do you want TO XIII me with all
this preparation for bloodshedf Tell you
what I'll do. Any man here that wants
me 10 amputate an arm or leg or fix his
brains back into his empty head after
he's gone and got himself mixed up in
a hght with the militia oan just take
my word for " here and now that viii
turn him over 10 the job work of these
stranger doctors that have been practis-
ing on you since the fever struck In this
winter. Hear that? simply won't do
thing for you'll
I'm As mad as you are at the mine
owners. I think that with the excop-
ton Of Mr.. Duncan here, they will have
n heavy account to settle at the day OF
Judgment. But. sure as death. you won't
gain anything by trying to improve Gods
punishment for 'em. You know what'n
happen II the mines close down for good
In the spring. Tho owners will have to
open II you let the pumps alone. and you
can go back at a rise over old wages.
The pressure for ore will force the COM
panies TO resume. But once you ruin the
mines. and what will you dor Tho babies
CRY for food IN the cabins now. you say,
but II will be worse than that if''-The
doctor softened his voice for a minute.
The effect of IL was magical. Stuart
could not believe and will not IA long as
he lives that DIR. Saxon was talking for
the next few sentences. He has never
heard him with that voice since. The
babies that lie out there on the great
slope will never hunger again. have
wa tched hundreds Of them leave this un-
satisfactory world this winter and not
one of them that aid not pull my heart
strings with his little fingers as death ,
won him from me. But God is merciful
There is no doubt OF his Justice. There
isn't a man here who doesn't know /
love him and would never counsel an act
that I was not sure would be for your
good and the good of your wives and chill
dren in the long run. Why, every one OF
you knows"-here the doctor resumed his
voice that the miners knew so well. and
every one started and came back again
staring at the great rough coated figure
that even Ajax has more sense than
to go and kick over the measure that
contains his oats. But that's what you
plan to do I always said that the stupid
est mumskuils that ever lived could be
found in De Mott where I've looked into |
more cracked craniums than anything |
else, and I've made up my mind that after
this when I've broken heads TO fix up |
I'll use cotton or wool OF something like |
that 20 stun the vacant place ! And
Just then there was a disturbance down |
by the door, and the next moment n |
voice broke the silence of the crowd: lis |
the doctor here? He's wanted at onco |
outside. Been a row. and Pat Penryck |
has got n broken head. Tell the doctor |
10 come right out"
Hear that" roared the doctor. IF |
you pull up pumps. TIL go right up and |
get killed with the rest Of you when |
the militia fires. and after I've gone |
who'll come and pump life into you when |
death has you by the throatf And IL 1 |
don't get shot I'll leave you and go down |
10 Chicago, where won't have 10 furnish |
the brains for the whole community
Without another word the doctor |
Jumped down of the platform and worked |
his way outside, whore he cared for the /
man ar skilfuIly and tenderly /
M n his patient had been the president