The Democratic advocate. [volume] (Westminster, Md.) 1865-1972, 1904-04-23
s elett Stnrp.
THE DOCTORS STORY.
BY HARRYDELE HALLMARK.

almshouse had given year to teaching
the harmless insane how to sing. This
morning the result was to be given to the
world
The whitewashed assembly room of the
insane was transformed this Sunday morn
ing. The money of the rich who made of
philanthrophy cult, and the flowers of
those who loved all humanity, depraved or
diseased, for the dear Christ sake, had
made of this place bower.
The imbeciles sat in rows on a large
platform waiting for the organ music.
They were dressed in white. Some were
nervous and detected Others were giggling
and uudgins their neighbors as they saw
come into the room pauper whom they
knew Some of the paupers in the room
looked on with glee; Others with contempt.
4 few elegant women with their maids
were eyeing the scene with an enthusiasm
born Of well, doing The doctors, keen
eyed. eager, watchful, were sprinkled
through the audience The head nurse
was talking to distinguished nerve spec
ialist as eminent in letters as in medicine.
Leaning against the wall was brain sur
geou of international repute, over in cor
ner louueed man who knew more about
insanity than the insane could tell him.
The resident physician was in his ad-
joining office talking to a nurse. He kept
his eyes shifting to and from bent woman
who sat by the window Her face showed
4 pair Of weary eyes, beyond weeping, aud
as she lifted her veil for moment a mouth
uf unusual melancholy,
In few minutes lovely woman, in
the last Of her tweuties. came through the
door from the room where the Paupers
were singing
You want me, Doctor she said, aud
greeted the Iogtor sister who stood near.
Yes. sent for you, the physician said,
10 tell YOU a story. He continued after
a pause They say that you are proud
and cold. Miss Carter, as well as the most
sought after woman in society, but Alice
and know better than that, including
hi, sister with a half turn of the head
This Is a beautiful Sunday morning; you
might have heard sermon had You stayed
in there. but instead want you to hear a
story. God grant that it may end with
bencdiction, he added in 4 prayer half
under his breath
4 want to tell YOU the story Of this
lady who sits here. he went on. 1t
won take long, and you viii be interested.
She is nearly fifty years old, and in those
glorious cid days before the civil strife
Virginia knew no loveler girl
Her father sent her to a well-known
seminary near Charlottesville, for Virginia
was the land Of her dear, dead mother.
Her father was Philadelphian, aud had
great expectations Tor his daughter He
would make her rich She was always beau
,iful: she would be a leader in society she
would marry a great man. Bu' she mar
ried a senior at the University, and they
kept the marriage quiet until he should be
graduated.
sFoolisho Yes, but they loved each
other arlently. The day that he was
graduated they announced their marriage
TO few friends, and month afterward
he was in that hopeful band Of young
Yirginians who followed Lee.
"One day little girl was born, and, 4
fortnight after, astraggiins soldier brought
a letter from the boy-husband with his
last good -by. He saw Death the same
day that the baby saw Life The young
mother father had never written to her
since the DAY she announced her marriage,
and in her poverty and agony she came to
Philadelphia to find him. She found no
trace of him, for he had gone to the sup
port Of the victorious flag, and had met
death when honor had just crowned him.
Miss Carter was leaning forward with
both arms on the table watching the doc
tor face with growing interest. He
loved dramatic story, aud he was telling
this one with all the resource Of voice at
his command
In this city. the doctor went on, ''she
found no one to whom she could turn.
She had placed her hopes on her father,
aud he was gone
wv hen | tell YOU the next step bear in
mind she was young-only seventeen-She
was starving, she was hopeless she be
lieyed death would claim her any moment;
worse than all, the child was dying Of
hunger. She left it on the doorstep Of
some rich people whom she had heard her
father speak Of as philanthropists, aud
watched in the icy twilight while the butler
took the child into the warmth. She
poor Girl. hurried away to face 4 six
months illness in the charity ward of
hospital
Truth /, stranger than fiction, for when
she applied to a church society for sewing
She found it possible, upon application, to
get clothes to make for the adopted child
of the philanthropist For twenty-four
wears She has sewed for this child; first,
its baby garments, 50 delicate, demanding
such gentle work; then the underwear for
the school girl; then the dainty things for
the young lady in society.
Women friends of the girl wondered
and grew enyious at the exquisite work
done on these garments; each was hand
made, delicate as a spider's web. Three
times year the girl would send for the
seamstress. and each time the girl would
be touched with hands that trembled and
had her eyes noted the woman 5, that look
of love and hunger must have had its eX-
PLANTATION.
Time aud again the mother would pray
to God to give her strength not to say
word nor give a look that would ruin this
girls chances of wealth and happiness.
She would beguile the girl into talking Of
her beaus and her parties, of her life as a
young lady, and of her hopes and ambi-
tions as school girl When the girl 5
beauty became society pride the mother
kept every mention of her daughter name
made by the newspapers, and when her
ball gowns were described she knew that
it was the work of hours of her love.
Twice the papers rumored her betrothal,
and the seamstress would find a pretext,
some new measurement, to go to the house
and ask the girl if the rumor were true.
When it was denied she was happy, for
she knew that the girl was safe in her
present home.
s.Then came an awful day. The girl
went to Europe with the philantropist, and