The Columbia herald. [volume] (Columbia, Tenn.) 18??-1935, 1903-04-17
LUCY'S PRESCRIPTION.
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Lucy always IeIL tlfeO NAen she NatNnSN
her mother and the hired girl do the
homework. Therefore she watched them no
more than she could help. Her favoriie
method OF not seeing that which fatlgued her
was TO retire 10 the parlor, reeline grace
fully on the sofa, and read a novel. Here she
generally had peace, although her baby
brother, neglected perforce by mother
busy with other duties, sometimes disturbed
Lucy BY crying in his CRIB IN an ADJOINING
room On suca occasions Lucy was required
10 make great concentration OF mental ei-
fort to follow the hero and heroine anG the
other characters of her book through the
maze Of their haps and mishapS. TINS was
annoying, and Lucy didn't like annoyanees,
especially from a baby. Lucy was 20. ana
had been the only child until this brother
came Now that he was here he put her nose
badly out of joint. He was now the fatheriy
pet So she bothered with him a. little "a
possible which was very little. indeed.
Recently Lncy had not been feeling quite
herself She was not in any immediate dan
ger of death-merely oppressed with sense
Of lassitude ad chronic WEAKNESS. She won
lered what was the matter with her, and
might possibly be wondering yet were 1t not
for her latest novel. In that book the hero
inc felt just as Lucy felt, if the author could
be believed. But the heroine had become
feminine athlete through devotion to physi-
cal culture, and "that tired feeling both
cred her no more. In detail the author de
:cribed the apparatus used by the heroine
and the costumes worn by her while she
trained her muscles.
All this was read with interest by Lucy,
who decided that she must have physical
culture But how would she get it? Her
father had what seemed to her most un'
reasonable objection to spending money
upon what he called unnecessary things.
Most of the things Lucy wanted he thought
unnecessary There were her last two vaca-
ZION trips. If she had not persuaded the
family doctor to order her to the mountains
year before last, and to the seashore last
year, her father would not have opened his
heart to consent to her going and his pocket
book to pay her expenses.
Thinking of the clever family doctor made
the whole thing easy. The doctor was an
amiable old chap, and Lucy thought she
could bring him to look upon things as she
wished She had done so before, and what
woman has done with man, woman can do
especially the same woman with the same
man.
factory He was properly sympathetic when
Lucy described the symptoms of her malady,
and he rose to the adroit suggestion of ply
steal culture as the trout rises to the n.y.
1t undoubtedly would be good thing. She
did not need any medicine in the shape OF
drugs; Just some exercise with proper ap-
paratus and in correct costume. Certainly
he would inform her father of the state of
III IL ,Io@ ,~l,f 10 n
effect cure. He would write her father
letter that evening.
Lucy dreamed that night of the spare
room turned into private gymnasium, with
herself in dainty dress of dark blue French
flannel trimmed with white braid, swing
ing polished Indian clubs and putting up
light, gilded dumbbells. In the morning, in
stead of following her usual custom of hav-
ing her mother or the maid bring her break,
fast to her in bed, she arose and appeared
with the rest of the family at the table. She
wanted to be present when her father re-
ceived the doctors letter.
The letter was handed to her father just
as he finished his meal, and he opened 1t
at once As he read it the look of concern
on his face was followed by one of perplexity,
and then smile succeeded. He handed the
letter to his wife, saying to Lucy
81 did not know you were i'll. The doctor
tells me you have been to see him, and in
fer that your trouble is a serious one RE
recommends a course of treatment which
wish you would carry out faithfully
Lucy smiled obediently and replied Yes,
Papa I'll do just as the doctor advises.
Then her mother gave her the letter, which
read:
New York, Feb. 6, 1903.