The Washburn leader. [volume] (Washburn, McLean County, N.D.) 1890-1986, 1914-12-11
KEEPING A
RESOLUTION
By MARGARET c. DEvEREAUx

The day l was Sfa0uaCeu IFOLu TIE
a.cdical school-the only wOman in my
rlass-dear old Dr. Phillips. who hand
cd me my diploma, said to me. with a
smile:
.'There it is, my dear. But it will do
you no good"
"Why do you say that. doctor?" !
asked, much Disconnected.
"Some young fellow will induce you
to marry him. and you will have no
time to practice a profession which, If
practiced properly. will require all
your time"
was young and headstrOng. More
over. l had spent years preparing N.Y.
self for my vocation. l grasped the
doctors hand and. raising my other.
dramatically said:
II promise you, DR.. Phillips. that l
will devote my life to the sick. make
this pledge that it shall be impossible
for me to go back on my profession"
| l shall 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 I closed
the door behind me shut off part of
what he said:
'Ill bet you don't practice three
l tried to get a position that would
give me hospital work, but. failing in
this, hung up my shingle as a general
practitioner. l had been practicing but
a few months when an elderly lady
came to my office and said that she
would like me to treat her o From
her description of his disease l thought
that it was probably melancholia. The
young man was up and about and at
tending to business. therefore sug-
gested that he call at my Office during
my consultation hours. But his mother
| said that it 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 a woman physician.
whereas if he went to an office he
would probably go to a man. .
This argument prevailed. and it was
agreed that l. was to call the next day
after 5 in the afternoon. when the
young man-Dick his mother called
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 l
could not tell who the other person
was. He did not appear to be i'll. but
| appearances are often deceptive.
I piled him with questions. which
he seemed disinclined to. answer, and
I succeeded in getting very little out
Of him. All l 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 i'll
terview, and when l arose to depart
| she put her arms about me and said:
Help us out by giving us your COM
pany occasionally as we'll as your pro
1essional services, won't you? Dick
won't go out. and l know nc young per-
sons to invite to the house" .
l 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 a faint resistance,
and we were oon enjoying ourselves
at table. For my life l could e no
sign of illness in Dick. who was very
entertaining and charmed me with his
conversation.
I am not going to give the history
~ ~ 10, oPoco3n,o1 fuonkp,nrk NJ mn m
tient, Richard Ashley. for mingled with
it is a love story Of which he is the
hero and l the heroine. He was never
i'll, though he led MI to suppose that
there was a ervO weakness about
him that did not appear on the surface.
I studied his case for months, trying
different remedies. which l had my
doubts he ever took. Finally l 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. 1t was l
rather than he who suffered from a
peculiar disease. If any attractive
yOullS WOI1lStu SNl41O "a NM 4 was
seized with a terrible anxiety lest some
other woman should take him away
from me-. -.
However. time proved that these
fears were. groundless. for 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 I so desired. was .clilebed by
a%sprop0sal. Il. :. So ..s
AS soon as our engagement was,
made known to the members Of our re.
spective families congratulations be-
gan to come in. Ills sisters and his
cousins lind his aunts'' called on me,
and they were all not only very gras
ciouls to- me. but regarded me.with an
amused curiosity. One day whO>shouh
come to see me but my old preceptor.
DR.. Phillips, to whomsl had made the
pledge not ia marry Il could not e.
cape him. so I faced him. He was
brimming over with amusement.
"You little humbug!' he said. II
knoxv Won would NOT he sayed for the