The St. Mary banner. (Franklin, Parish of St. Mary, La.) 1889-1931, 1908-02-01


Jason snorted. He is an unsympa-
thetic cuss. :.
"Sick! how can you say the word!
How can any one consider being SICK
this glorious day."
We were lolling on the beach watcn-
ing the bold green and white crasnine
OF the surf. Further out the blue wal
ers were streaked with purple; on 'ne
horizon the masts and smoke-stack Oh
a steamer grew slowly taller ana We
watched the never-tiring proof OF our
globes rotundity. The sand was ue'
liciously warm and dry to the touch'
the sun gave gracious heat. temper
ed by the intoxicating ozone that ole"
out of the north. 1t was a divine day'
and we we're as gods
All except poor Mrs. Norman. whose
maid helped her home for her oroereu
sleep, carrying pillows, umbrella anu
rugs. She waved us rueful eooo-
bye with one thin hand.
Clarissa, wriggling her fingers INTO
the sand, rehearsed Nap and massage;
SO many hours out of doors; medicine,
so and so often; tonic, night and morn
ing; salt rub; glass of milk every three
hours-peptonized, of course; SIX raw
eggs a day, can't walk, mustn't taiK'
mustn't read; mustn't think, II she
can help it."
Eye dogs and little physics" par
odied Jason, lis life worth living on
those terms? Better be buried at
once" He dumped heap OF sand over
Clarissa's hand, shaped and smoothed
1t into a brown mound and stuck
fiat stone emphatically up at one
end.
While Clarissa was resurrectlng. l
reflected over an invalid knew in my
younger and poorer days, who could
only lie on a sofa all day, and eat
special kinds of attempting food meas
ured out in small quantities. and take
the air in horse cars-it was before
the day Of the electric trolley. She
was unable to walk more than block
and not wealthy enough to have car
riage often. /, who could and often
did walk three miles to save a nickel
was so sorry for her. "Oh, well, she
said, I'VE all have some cross, and
might have been poor!" The tone o.
devout gratitude for an escaped hor'
ror was a great surprise to me.
Another thankful soul Is the hard
est worker OF my acquaintance. HI
says he enjoys nothing so much a:
being sick. He never takes holiday
but when the doctor absolutely order!
it, when with a clear conscience h;
can stay away from his internal bust
ness, and lie in his heavenly bed, know
that it is the right thing, know tina
his imperative duty is to rest! Rest!
Rest! he is beatific He smiles al
over. Some folks when i'll want {
great deal OF attention, but he prefer:
to be left in peace. He doesn't wan
to bother talking to them; and ii there
is one question he hates answering
worse than another, it is How d.
you feel now" He doesn't want t.
think about his feelings.
l like to be left alone, too; but fee
terribly injured IL | require anything
and have to get it for myself. Nobody
to so much as give me glass o.
water. Nobody to pull down .he shade
and keep the sun out. .;obody to pull
up the shade and let the light in. No
body to open the window; nobody tt
get me an extra blanket when l an
uncomfortably chilly-grOWing colder
every minute-going to have rheumat
ism and be crippled all my days fol
want Of little ordinary human at
tention. Seems to me Id have beer
willing to just get another covering
for some one who felt as bad as I do!
oh, and the people in your boarding
house who make such useless offers!
You have to be polite and grateful
just as IL they did you any good. Nov
be sure and let me know IL you neet
anything" says Mrs. hummer. Idiot!
Imbecile! Does she expect you t.
climb up two flights to tell her thai
they forgot the salt on your breakfast
tray?
Or Mrs. Moony comes in at moor
with. Isn't there something can d.
for you? | would be only too happy
/ am sure" You grin and look crate
ful, when you want to throw your
medicine bottle at her. Your medicine
that you had to wait until eleven fol
any one to go out and order; and ther
the druggist took his time in com
pounding 1t and sending 1t over. Ant
the doctor had said get 1t at ono,
and take every half hour. You hav,
only had one dose. when by this tim,
you should have had three. That mucl
delay On the way to getting well!