Ellsworth American. [volume] (Ellsworth, Me.) 1855-current, 1914-11-25
KEEPING A
RESOLUTION
By MARGARET C. DEvEREAUx

| medical school--the only woman In my
class--dear old DIR. Phillips, who hand
ed me my diploma. said to me. with a
smile:
There 1t is, my dear. But It win do
| you no good
why do you say that doctorT !
asked. much Disconnected
"Some young fellow win induce you
to marry him. and you win have no
time TO practice profession which, II
practiced properly. win require all
your time"
over. had spent years preparing my
self for my vocation / grasped the
doctors hand and. raising my other.
dramatically said:
Il promise you, DIR. Phillips that
will devote my life to the sick. make
this pledge that 1t shall be impossible
for me to go back on my profession"
| shall never forget the kindly smile
or the twinkle of the eye with which
the good doctor received this VOW. l
strutted out OF the room and as closed
the door behind me shut or part of
what he said:
I'll bet you don't practice three
tried to get position that would
give me hospital work. but failing In
this, hung up my single as general
practitioner had been practicing but
few months when an elderly lady
came to my Office and said that she
would like me to treat her son. From
her description of his disease | thought
that 1t was probably melancholia. The
young man was up and about and at
tending to business. | therefore sug-
gested that he cab at my office during
my consultation hours But his mother
said that IL was she who desired the
services OF a physician for her son
and she could only succeed In submit
ting him to treatment and insisted on
my going to the house Besides. she
wished him to see woman physician.
whereas II he went to an office he
would probably go to man.
This argument prevailed, and II was
agreed that was TO call the next day
aAtti III tAt dlktinopB. "hth AlS
young man-Dick his mother called
him-had returned from business.
made the call. was received by the
lady and introduced to the patient
There was that about him which re-
minded me of some one else, but
was. he did not appear TO be Ill, but
appearances are often deceptive
piled him with questions. which
he seemed disinclined to answer, and
l succeeded In getting very little out
of him. All | could do was to rec
ommend that he take out of door exer.
else and have what society he relished
His mother was present during the In.
terview. and when | arose to depart
she put her arms about me and said:
Help us out by giving US your com
pany occasionally as well as your pro
fessional services, won't you? Dick
won't go out, and know no young per
sons to invite to the house"
could give no definite reply to this.
Of course. and simply bowed assent
"Oblige me by staying to dinner with
u.s." continued the old lady, and she
began quietly to remove my hat and
coat l made but faint resistance.
and we were soon enjoying ourselves
at table. For my life l could see no
sign of Illness In Dick, who was very
entertaining and charmed me with his
conversation
am not going to give the history
of my professional treatment OF my pa
dent, Richard Ashley. for mingled with
1t is love story OF which he is the
hero and the heroine. He was never
Ill, though he led me to suppose that
there was a nervous weakness about
him that did not appear on the surface
l studied his case for months. trying
different remedies. which had my
doubts he ever took. Finally 1 found
myself so deeply In love that was
ready to sacrifice my profession for
him. Indeed. the great problem Of my
| life became, not how TO cure him. or
| any one else. for that matter. but to
| appropriate him to myself. Ii was
| rather than he who suffered from a
1 peculiar ulseuse II any alldCtfe
young woman came near him ! was
eeized with a terrible anxiety lest some
| other woman should take him away
| from me.
| However. time proved that these
fears were groundless. for one evening
after one of my visits to him and
had been invited to dinner his mother
left US alone together In the library.
and what SO desired was clinched by
proposal
AS soon as our engagement was
made known to the members Of our re-
spective families congratulations be-
gan to come in His sisters and his
cousins and his aunts" called on me
and they were all not only very gra.
cious to me. but regarded me with an
amused curiosity. One day who should
come to see me but my old preceptor
/ n DyfIlivg a. xvknvv, I Rod r,aoda fha