The Daily Ardmoreite. [volume] (Ardmore, Okla.) 1893-current, 1911-03-02


your attention. She's very like
child
Il asked if she were always quite
gentle, and the answer was yes, but
that she would, in some moods, be-
come suicidal. and they had to be
very careful with her, going up
or down stairs, for instance: she
had twice tried to throw herself
over. Though one of the most do
cile, she was among those patients
who needed the most continual SUI
peryision. She was a beautiful needle
woman, always making little gar
ments for her baby, which she never
believed was dead She thought she
would be allowed to see it when
she was well enough, and sometimes
with tears and sobs besought them to
let her look, if but for a moment.
But of her husband she had no
memory at all. and would stare at
him when he came to visit her, with
the same mournful, unrecognizable
appeal that | had encountered.
I'VE had been conversing thus in
an undertone for some while when
| felt small hand-Un, so small and
soft,-slipped into mine; and the
girl said, speaking as sensible and
as quietly as any person in full
possession of their reason
II should like to tell you about
my baby
Il had no words in which to reply.
| felt as if | must burst into tears
but l managed to give her a quaver-
ing smile and a glance of sympathy.
which / think meant more than words
TO her
Shall | tell you all about it."
she said, earnestly. 1t was like this:
Cecil told me it would be all right, |
so OF course l thought it would /
But all the time | could see
great black bar right across the world |
and / knew well that, to get my |
baby / should have TO go into the |
dark and l was always afraid of
the dark | did try to explain to
Cecil. But he said it was nerves.
and that when the baby came | !
should see the daylight quite clear,
best, you see, though he is a strong
man and | am only silly girl The
time came, and ! went into the dark.
| felt the black come round me and
shut me out. My baby did try 10
cling to mel felt his hands and
his little, little body-but the dark
shut me out, as | knew it would
She stopped speaking a moment
pushing up her hair on her fore
head, as if in an effort to collect
her thoughts. What should you do,
in my place.? she asked me. con-
Il answered as well as | could
for my feelings had me by the throat,
BE patient. The day will break at
last
She had sat down on the hearth
rug at my feet, and she made a
gesture as if brushing something
from before her eyes. Sometimes.
she said, | get vision-I think see
the way to cut away the darkness,
and dash through to that place be.
yond, where the baby is. | think if
fell into the water, or jumped out
of the Window She looked up ap-
pealingy for my approval. | shook
my head You don't think that
would be good plan?
No, said; no more does
"'Ah, she said, very wisely, but
nurse doesn't understand. You do.
You see, don't you, that ! must get
10 the light somehow
Il asked her, cuaously, DO you
mean that this room seems to you
to be in darkness-that you cannot
see me, nor the sunshine, nor the
garden out there
oh, no. she said, almost plying
y. I mean the darkness that is in
side us. | shouldn't mind it's being
dark in this room.
The attendant was watching me
lnXicusly. / think she saw that the
interview was, to me, terribly un.
1erving, She interposed trying to ,
urn the patients thoughts in anoth- ;
er direction. But we could not do ,,
his. She was most loath TO part
rom me, and when | said good
'ye, wistfully beggeo me to come
lgain. In the hall | gave way to
ny tears, and turning to the nurse,
lsked her if the case were quite,
luite hopeless.
The doctors think So, was the :,