Aberdeen herald. [volume] (Aberdeen, Chehalis County, W.T.) 1886-1917, 1904-07-21
ELUSIVE COUNTRY DOCTORS.
The Experience of "a Man Who Went
to Call One at Night.

The Experience of "A Man W no Went
to Call One at Night.
Did you ever go to get doctor In
the country mt night" asked a man
who lives out in one of the parishes
OF II New Orleans Times Democrat
man. We'll. | did the other night;
and | want to say that | had an inter
esting experience then. My stepmother,
who had II severe case of measles. sur
ferng from an unusually high fever.
and almost smothering from the cold
, that accompanied the sickness, sud.
denly became very i'll about 10 o'clock
at night, and we decided to call tina
doctor Al that time the rain and wind
ana lightning were coming 80 fast that
] thought the heavens were falling:
it was most vivid rain. wind and
electrical storm: and want to say
here that | never beheld more beau.
tiful display of electricity ghtnina
and thunder In all directions and all
the universe seemingly to be in con.
vulsions of voltaic collisions, got
dripping wet catching the mare and
hunting for the doctor.
when | reached the town where the
doctor lives and which Is five miles
from home | found that only bar.
bei shop in the town was open. one of
he loungers about the shop told me
that the doctor was not at home. but
was visiting patient about half
mile farther down the road | went to
the latter's home. but was told that the
doctor had just left to see sick WON
all about mile up the road. which
place | had previously passed. After
returning to X aud after leaving
word ut the doctors residence. | turn.
ell my face for the village of II
e.. though without having def.
mite idea as to where to look for the
doctor there 1t is a village of scat
tered lanes and scattered residences
Egyptian darkness pnvelOped all. The
entire place was flooded. water being
away up over the muddy undula tons
OF the roadbpds.
IFS a good thing bad lantern
without it something serious would
have befallen me in the roads. for |
should have run into the fences and
the bitches. | found myself lost In
darkness. and with the rain still over
head. After driving some distance
dOwn-or up. probably; for | did not
know. and am yet ignorant as to the
way | took-l found myself in front
OF a little den, which still was open
One of the men. in answer to inquiries
put by me, said he thought that tho
doctor was at that very time at pa
tents house, which was. he added, a
half mile farther up the road, in sub
urb Of the village. should know
where the house was he said-it was
where 'dey killa de beef, as he put It,
meaning the butchers place. Well.
drove on tOward-up the road. hoping
to find light in some window or
door which would give indications Of
the presence of a sick person and n
doctor. | am sort of detective. by
the way. Sure enough, there was a
window with light. 1t was field
and about 200 yards from the public
road; and as l drew reins to look |
saw big gate open before me. He
must be there! And here we incident.
ally come to story saddening to CON
template.
when the doctor came out to sea
me he told me that he was attending
II dying woman. He expected her to
die within a few hours. he said. She
had pneumonia and he had Just in
jected stimulants to keep her heart
hoOtlNn {tfIo lar, A.
crack Of the door, that stood ajar, I
caught one or two glimpses Of bed
with bar hanging over 1t. From an
adjoining room came stifed sObs Of
women. The rain had by that time
turned into haze and the haze drift
ed through the rays that shot from
the door. perhaps just az a soul would
soon drift away. The doctor was suf-
ferlng from physical and mental strain.
for he had worked hard to save his pa
tents life. Defeat stared him In the
face. He returned into the house, but
came out presently. and as we both
turned our buggics to drive away
heard the cries Of women and a man
sobbing like that Of a child. The farm
house, situated in the field as it was.
and at midnight, with human form
just sunk into lifeless lump--with a
soul just loosened from its earthly Dor.
tals-well. we will not dwell on the
picture. for was speaking you know,
Of some Of the hardships Of getting a
doctor in the country--a familiar hard
ship to those who have lived in remote
sections"