The true northerner. [volume] (Paw Paw, Mich.) 1855-1920, 1912-12-13

BY IDA PATTERSON.


chine which records every word you
say. emitting nothing, excusing moth
ing, soitening nothing. 1t is the
worlds great repeater, a professional
eavesdropper, realizing i'm part Robert
Burns wish. except that instead or
seeing, il makes us hear ourselves
as others hear us. | was swinging
along on top Of Fifth avenue stage
on a moonlight night. Wedged be-
tween the bus railing at the left and
a stout man asleep On the right, more
hrs railing In front and an absorbed
in.themselves couple behind me, I
could not avald playing the dicta-
graph.
A woman's sweet, rather plaintive
voice poured this into the ears of the
man who sat beside the owner Of the
voice.
Eyes. don't know what will be-
come of me, a weak woman all alone
In the world"
She'll get him." thought. THAI
kind Of talk always goes with men IL
the woman's pretty"
Il was not brought up to do any
thing. I've always had some one 10
| lean on
Great" thought l. "She's a widow.
III warrant he's bursting with a pro-
posal this minute"
when I found myself alone and
with very little money l didn't know
what to do" The stream of stickily,
sweet voice went on.
He'll know | tried to send
thought wave TO her.
Il went to a hospital and was there
six months"
bad move" / started a warning
| thought wave toward her. Men are
economical for every one but them
selves. Tack your conversational
| ship"
The thought wave missed, for she
went on. y had such a fine nurse
big. strong woman who used to lift
| me about as though / were a baby.
She used to say: You poor little
thing. You're just barely alive. You
might almost as we'll be dead"
Tack. tack" / mentally shouted to
her Men hate invalids, you know.
While one man will turn nurse ninety
nine will leave home when there's
sickness In IT,"
"They made a mistake when they
discharged me from the hospital.
wasn't out two weeks when l had a
relapse and had to go back. This
time I had TO take a more expensive
room and had to have two nurses In
stead OF one. The DOCTOR said l would
never be strong again"
"Oh, woman, woman" l thought
waved.
when | left the hospital l took a
nurse home with me. | was so weak
could hardly walk. | kept her with
RE a year. When | got a little better
from the heart trouble l developed
case of uric acid. The nurse used to
say to me: My dear, you have
enough uric acid in you to float
ship | had to take Turkish baths
every day and massage with salt and
had to go south for two winters"
STOP" l wigwagged, but in vain.
Then my nerves gave way. They've
not been right since"
that men are more afraid of nerves
in a woman than Of a grizzly bear la
polar shows. J
Yes. There was a time when r
wasn't quite responsible for what /
said or did"
You're not now" tried another
despairing thought wave. 1t was lost
at sea.
81 had frightful pains in my head
and was so irritable. | haven't gotten
over it yet About that time my liver
cot out OF order"
We're here" The mans voice,
hearty. vibrating with health ana
vigor, Interrupted. He offered her his,
hand and guided her down the steps
winding from the top of the stage
The vehicle obligingly waited for
some painting, waving, halloing would
be passengers hurrying toward US
from the side street. During that
pause the man guided his still talk
ing companion up the steps to an
apartment house around the corner,
lifted his hat and hurried away as
though something were pursuing him
She stood in the doorway looking
after him, but he did not lock back.
At the next turning he was lost from
sight, forever, l doubt not to that
woman.
Pity is not akin to love if the pity
is for bodily ills. Cupid ballSs at med
ical records No man wants to marry
a walking hospital. No proposal ever
followed a recital of aches and pains
except Robert Brownings, and Rob
ert Browning was Of another age and
country. Moreover he was a poet,
and poets are different. Moreover.
still, this one was rich.
The Point Of View.
Apropos of the dictum of a certain
actress that New York mon ara