Emmons County record. [volume] (Williamsport, D.T. [i.e. N.D.]) 1884-current, 1908-05-28
: DESIRE OF DISTINCTION.
ou.;n. ILLUSTRATION Of . p.sslls,
Phase o. Human Natveo.

In Doc Gordon" BY Mary 2. WI
kins- Freeman, Il q quaint illustration
Of = peculiar phase OF human nature.
It 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 satusnine with an odd shyness,
which had something almost hostile In
II, OF they were eausivesy hospita BILE.
forcing apple jack upon the two doc
tors. James was EEch struck by the
curious unconceru shown BY the rela-
t!vcs Of the p1tien;s and even by the
patients themselves. In only one case.
that OF . child suffering from bad
case Of measles. was much interest
eyinced. 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 q wooden doll II
any emotion was shown. it was that
of a singular inverted pride. Il 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 triumphant
expression Even the children cluster.
ing about the doctor looked uncon.
sciousiy 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 vas evid4ntly SUI
fering. kept calling out feeble Joke in
her cackling old voice.
Those people seem positively elated
because that old soul Is Sick" said
| James when he and the doctor were
again in the buggy.
They are" said Or. Gordon; .eveu
the old woman herself, who knows well
enough that she has not long to i've.
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 Il
| the way these people live here. grub.
bling away ut 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, AZ usual, and, al
| though the women want to marry, all
the men do not. There remains only
sickness and death for q standby, 90 "a
speak. II one Of them II really sich
and dies. the people are aroused t.
take notice. The sick person and Tn,
corpse have Il certain state and dignity
which they have never attained before
Why. bless you. man. I have one pa
tient middle aged woman. who has
been laid UP for years with rheuna
tism, and she Is fairly vaingloriols. ans
so is her mother. She brags Of her In
valid daughter II she had been mere
y an old maid ON her hands, she woi,lL
have been ashamed Of her, and the we
man herself would have been sour ant
Disseminated. But she has fairly mar
ried rheumatism. 1t has been to her ~.
husband aud children. tell you
young man, one has to have his it'll,
footstool of elevation among his Eel
lows. even If 1t is a mighty queer one
or he loses his self respect. and sci
eespect Is the best jewel we have"