Iowa state bystander. [volume] (Des Moines, Iowa) 1894-1916, 1908-09-04
A Simple Matter
Of Suggestion

coming to her, moved restlessly about
a room that was Uttered with all the
accessories and the confusion OF pack
Ing. She sat down for moment to
pick up refractory ribbon with her
bodkin. when there was a hurried
knock on the door. and entered her
best friend.
"Oh, my dear" she said, hutterins
down upon the window ledge, the only
available seat she could md. Il came
around breathlessly because I heard
you were too Ill to stay in town an
other day, and here find you packing
as calmly as though nothing were the
matter" 49,.
The imaginary invalid fixed her with
4 cold eye. you are the twenty-ninth,"
she said
THE twenty-ninth? What twenty.
ninth?" asked the best friend, anx.
lously wondering II brain fever had
already set in.
The invalid dropped her bodkin.
! "fhe twenty-ninth person who is max
ing this trip q necessity for me-" she
said. coldly.
Three persons stopped me in one
store and four in another to say anx:
iously: How pale you are! Have you
been iii? or, You look awfully done
up; why don't you 60 home and rest?
Well. l did 90 home, but not to reAt
The insidious poison Of those thought
less remarks was beginning to get in
its good work. My dear, said mamma,
meeting me at the door as came IN,
you are not looking at all well today.
Do go and lie down ! found myself
looking into every mirror I passed for
signs OF decay. l didn't sleep that
night for wondering If I were really
going to be III. have typhoid fever OF
appendicitis or something.
The next day was Mary's wedding
went, looking paler than ghost.
as you may perhaps remember you
took pains to tell me. So did every
one else. BY that time knew it was
tuberculosis. l even began to cough
and to imagine / could taste blood
My brother advised Scotch whisky. J
detest it, but TOOK it regularly thres
times a day. and felt the worse for 1t
Mamma insisted on raw eggs; tool
them. too. They made me frightfull,
bilious l don't like milk, but l drank
several glasses day, and began
tonic of iron and quinine.
1T began to leak out around town
that was going away for my health
People congratulated me and hNid II
was the very thing l ought to do.
hadn't the least idea of going. had
planned to stay in town all summer,
and have perfectly lovely trip IL
the autumn. But not at all. The i'm.
portunities of my friends are literally
driving me away. II stayed here and
had to listen to another word on the
subject of my health l should die OF
60 mad"
Her friend futtered down beside her
"You poor child" she said. Il know
exactly how you feel. l went through
the same thing precisely winter before
last. They just would have it that J
was Ill until actually became .
wreck, and it cost papa pretty penny
to pull me through, what with doctors
bills and massage and trained nurse
It's downright heartless for people to
60 about making thoughtless remarks
about other peoples pallor and worn
out appearance and all that sort OF
thing. 1t always has its influence.
No matter how we'll you are feeling,
If some one comes along and says
alphabetically that you look pale
or tired your whole system seems to
respond with pale and tired feeling
Now, l dare say you aren't feeling i'll
at ALL"
"Oh, yes l am" broke in the imagin.
airy invalid. II wasn't at first, but It's
been rubbed in too hard not to make
a lasting impression. If had met two
or three persons that first day who
had told me was looking unusually
we'll l am certain I should have sum
moned all NY forces to meet their
opinion"
"Well. l think that all disparagins
remarks about ones health should be
punishable by law" said her friend
decidedly. II never again expect tc
tell any one she looks bad even IL
see her cut in two by trolley car
or run over by an automobile. Once
I saw q woman turn deathly pale, and
knew she was going to faint. 1t waa
1T the play, and simply turned to he,
and said, How remarkably we'll you
are looking and will you believe me,
my dear, she became rosy in a mo
ment. 1t was like Whit of ammonis
to her. That was justifable story,
but OF course wouldn't go out of my
way to tell one to no good purpose
Still, when look at you, being driven
from your happy home and having ali
your plans upset by lot of thought
less half-truths l don't know If it isn't
better to go about scattering such sto
ries in every direction" and she drew
of her gloves and picked up the bod
kin with a determined air.