Watertown weekly leader. [volume] (Watertown, Jefferson County, Wis.) 1906-1908, 1908-06-05
DESIRE OF DISTINCTION.
Quaint Illustration of Peculiar
Phase of Human Nature.

Phase of Human Nature.
In doc Gordon" by Mary E. VIII
kins-Freeman, is quaint illustration
of peculiar phase of human nature
1t develops with the visits of the two
doctors to their poorer patients:
James drove all the morning with
DR.. Gordon about the New Jersey
country. The country people were
either saturnine with an odd shyness,
which had something almost hostile in
1t, or they were effusively hospitable,
forcing apple jack upon the two doc
tors. James was much struck by the
curious unconcern shown by the rela-
tives OF the patients ana even by the
patients themselves. In only one case.
that Of child suffering from a bad
case of measles, was much interest
evinced. The majority of the patients
were the very old and middle aged,
and they discussed and heard discussed
their symptoms with much the same
attitude as they might have discussed
the mechanism of wooden doll. If
any emotion was shown. it was that
of singular inverted pride. 81 had
terrible night, DOCTOR" said one old
woman, and smirk of self conceit
was over her ancient face "Yes, moth
er did have an awful night" said her
married daughter with a triumphant
expression. Even the children cluster
ing about the doctor looked uncon.
sciously proud because their old grand
mother had had an awful night. The
call of the two doctors at the house
was positively hilarious Quantities of
old apple jack were forced upon them
The old woman in the adjoining bed
ROOM although she was evidently suf-
fering, kept calling out feeble joke In
her cackling old voice.
''Those people seem positively eated
because that old soul is sick" said
James when he and the doctor were
again in the buggy
"They are" said DR. Gordon; "even
the old woman herself, who knows we'll
enough that she has not long to live.
Did you ever think that the desire of
distinction was one of the most. per-
haps the most, intense purely spiritual
emotion of the human soul? Look at
the way these people live here, grub
bing away at the soil like ants. The
most of them have in their lives just
three ways of attracting notice, the
momentary consideration of their kind
birth, marriage, sickness and death.
With the first they are hardly actively
concerned; even with the second many
have nothing to do. There are more
women than men. as usual, and, al
though the women want to ~f8larry, all
the men do not. There remains only
sickness and death for a standby, so to
speak. If one Of them is really sick
and dies, the people are aroused ia
take notice. The sick person and the
corpse have q certain state and dignity
which they have never attained before.
Why, bless you. man, | have one pa
tient, a middle aged woman, who has
been laid up for years with rheuma-
tism, and she is fairly y.iinglorious. and
so is her mother. She brags of her in
valid daughter. If she had been mere
ly an old maid on her hands, she would
have been ashamed of her, and the wo-
man herself would have been sour and
discontented. But she has fairly mar
ried rheumatism. 1t has been to her as
a husband and children. / tell you,
young man, one has to have his little
footstool of elevation among his fell
lows, even if it is a mighty queer one,
or he loses his self respect, and self
respect Is the best jewel we have"