South Bend news-times. (South Bend, Ind.) 1913-1938, 1913-10-01
MARRIED LIFE THE
FIRST YEAR AFTER
THE HONEYMOON
BY Mabel Herbert Urner.

- - y = = y y = = = - - y
For three days Helen lowered very
near death. For three days Warren
watched the anxious faces of the doe
ter and nurses, but they gave him
little hope
The girl-baby was well and perfect,
so the doctor said. But Warren
would not go near il. And if it was To
cost him its mothers life. he felt he
would never want to see il.
For few moments at time ne
was allowed to be with Helen. But
she was mostly unconscious, and
when she was not he wasn't permitted
TO talk to her: she was too weak for
that. So he could only sit by the bed
and hold her hand.
The Torture Room.
The darkened room, the odor of
medicine, and Helen's white face on
the pillow-it all added TO the fear
that was growing in Warren's heart.
He seemed TO find something menac-
ing in every detail of the sick-room.
The small table by, the bed with
its white cloth and glasses, the clinical
thermometer, the bent tube from
which she drank-to him they all
seemed instruments of torture.
His mother came. but there was
nothing she could do. To Warren
.
there was nothing any of them could
do. Even Anna, much to her indigna
ton, was not allowed to make the
broths. The doctor insisted that
everything must be prepared by the
nurse.
And very grudgingly Anna let the
nurse take possession of her kitchen.
For in her heart was the strong con
VictiOn that the chicken broth she
| could a % he no
mistress than anything those nurses
had learned to make at hospital or
| cooking schools.
The Husbands Cry.
There was a day nurse and a night
nurse, and Anna heartily disliked
them both. Even to Warren they
seemed needlessly officious, but the
doctor had assured him they were
two Of his most capable and expert
enced nurses
/ In their starched whiteness they
were always immaculate. And every
thing was done with clock-like pune
tuality while they moved noiselessly
about in their fet-sOled shoes.
And if their faces were lacking in
any expression OF feeling or sym
pathy, Warren supposed it was from
long association with the sick room.
And, after all. il was skillful attention
wife-love and sympathy he himself
could give.
If only they could carry her
through. If only they would give
her back to him safe and we'll
1t was not until the fourth day
that the doctor told him the fever was
/ lessening and the greatest danger
| passed. And that afternoon for the
first time, she was allowed TO talk.
Alone Together at Last
The room was still kept dark on
account of the baby's eyes. But even
/ in that dim light he could see that
Helen was more herself. Her hair
: combed straight back from her fore
head. and twined in two long braids
as il had been ever since she was ill.,
made her look very like a little girl
As ne took her hands in his, he
/ found that they were not so hot and
I dry as they had been.
The nurse left them alone for a
/ few moments, but with a warning TO
/ Helen not TO talk too much. And then
| in this. their first moment alone since
I the birth of their child, the moment
! he had looked forward to. in which
| he had thought to kneel beside her.
\ and murmur his love and reverence
| for her motherhood this moment
/ came tragedy of the commonplace.
! How rarely any situation is ever
! what we think ii Will be- What a
! perverted, irOnical sense of humOr
| Fate must have. and what wicked de-
light she must take in buffOOning our
/ most sacred mOments
For now it was Helen who failed 10
! rise TO the occasion. Helen the senti-
mental. the romantic. the idealst,
was for some strange reason at this
moment only intensely practical
/ Her first words. in a weak but very
| matter of-fact voice were:
Warren, don't YOU think / could
get along without the night nurse
now? II will be so expensive keeping
them both" -
For a second Warren was too dis
] concerted TO answer.
! why. dear. you mustn't think of
such things yet You have been very
i'll. you must have the best OF care
until YOU are stronger"
But I'm better now and these
/ nurses charge SO much. It's $25 a
week. isn't H. $50 for them both
And then the doctor ?" her weak class
on his hand frightened anXiously
Warren do you know how much the
doctor will charge? Will il be just
for the case, or will he charge Tor
each visit ?'
The Prosaic Ruled.
Helen, Helen, 30 YOU realize how
sick you've been? And they have
saved you for me-and you and the
I child Does il matter what they
charger What makes YOU talk OF
such things"
i ION I've been living bara thinking