The Lynden tribune. [volume] (Lynden, Wash.) 1908-current, 1911-01-26

every meal, and yet never once nave
they fed me a bit of meat. We i've
high, and I'm getting fat, but what
makes me feel ashamed OF myself IS
that when on the steamer day or
two ago | had chance to eat come
meat it didn't look, smell or taste
good any more. They say meat eating
is just another filthy habit, like TO-
bacco chewing and whiskey drinking.
What | started to tell you, Bill,
was how l got humiliated and why
| went home the first time. | was
taking treatments for bad neart.
They were giving me daily treatments
Cold water over my heart. and hot
water over my spine, sitz bath and
shower and a rub down and mas
sage and just few things like that.
was getting better fast, but | was
enjoying the distinction of being in Il
dangerous condition. That meant that
the attendants were very careful VI
the temperature of all applications,
and that they were always gentle and
kind with me, and tried too. to shield
ME from all annOyances. 1t was real
nice, and | felt real proud of being 80
sick But, you remember, Bill, ma
|, used to always tell us that pride
goes before a fall. 1t does.
One day | was laying gracefully in
nude condition on a cot While the
bath man was getting the hot appli-
cations. | heard sigh from the ad-
joining cot. | was separated from 1t
only by curtain. | couldn't see, but
| could hear the man who was on it.
He groaned He sighed again, and
then groaned some more.
| smiled wan smile-a sweet, love
provoking smile-all to myself, ana
mused: Poor man. No doubt you suf-
fer. But how would you moan and
sroan, and sigh, if like me, you had
an incurable disease, one that was
likely to kill you without minutes
notice. had a notion to think it nut
loud, but | mastered the notion, and
grOaned instead.
There was a moments stoppage Of
the groans on the other side of the
curtain then they started again.
| called to mind all the pain | had
had in a week and groaned again,
miserably.
There was no pause on the other
side to listen that time. He kept on
groaning.
l groaned.
He grOaned.
uttered heart rending sigh and
groan combined 1t broght tears of
pity to my own eyes.
He groaned louder, more pitifuller
than l.
| conceived myself in a dying con-
dition. The pain was rending my in
ards. A groan, that was wall and
clanking chains combined with the
bowling of a winters wind, escaped
me.
He started to groan, and stopped
held my breath. Then curiosity get
ting the better of me l leaned over
to pull the curtain aside. l was go
ing to see il he was dead. Before my
| fingers reached the curtain, Suant
bony hand grabbed it stealthily and
pulled it back.
We looked into each others eyess.
His were gaunt and sunken. l was
beginning to take on flesh at that
time. Those gaunt, pain burdened
eyes gazed directly into mine, and
while l held my breath, he groaned--
groaned as Satan must have groaned
when he was first thrust out of para
disc.
There was no use, l was out-groan-
ed
| got up and hunted up the bath
man:
That fellow in there is dying"
told him.
"Ah now, don't you worry about
that He's little sick, but he isn't
dying by a long shot," the bath man
assured me.
Whats the matter with him.
"Why he's got heart disease. 1t is
case just like yours. only he is old
er, and a good deal worse than you
are"
| didn't answer that bath man.
hunted up my clothes and went home
tried to stay there but when | got
to thinking how that older and wors-
er fellow than me. was getting well
and | was getting worse | made III
Iy mind to try it again. So here
i. am. getting we'll. If you can't come
/, see me. write.
Good bye, from Charlie.