Wausau pilot. [volume] (Wausau, Wis.) 1896-1940, 1914-11-10
KEEPING A
RESOLUTION
By MARGARET c. DEVEREAUx


medical school-the only woman in my
class-dear old DR.. Phillips, who hand
ed me my diploma, said to me, with a
smile:
There 1t is. my dear. But it will do
you no good"
why do you say that, doctorY' ]
asked. much disconnected.
"Some young fellow will induce you
to marry him, and you will have no
time to practice profession which, if
practiced properly. will require all
your time"
| was young and headstrong. More
over, l had spent years preparing my
self for my vocation. ! grasped the
doctors hand and. raising my other.
dramatically said:
II promise you, DR.. Phillips. that l
will devote my life to the sick. l make
this pledge that it 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 recei 7ed this vow. L
strutted out of the room and as closed
the door behind me shut off part of
what he said:
IN bet you don't practice three
tried to get a position that would
give me hospital work, but, failing in
this, hung up my single as a general
practitioner. had been practicing but
a few months when an elderly lady
oonoo m INV ofioo oDd cold tbaf che
would like me to treat her son. From
her description of his disease thought
that it was probably nlelancholia. The
young man was up and about and at
tending to business. l 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 man.
This argument prevailed, and it was
agreed that was to call the next day
after in the afternoon, when the
young man-Dick his mother called
him-had returned from business. l
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
could not tell who the other person
was. He did not appear to be i'll, but
appearances are often deceptive.
l piled him with questions, which
he seemed disinclined to answer, and
l 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 in
terview. and when | arose to depart
she put her arms about me and said:
Help us out by giving US your CON-
pany occasionally as we'll as your pro-
fessional services, won't you? Dick
won't so 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 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
1 am not going TO give the history |
of my professional treatment of my pa |
tient. Richard Ashley. for mingled with |
it is love story of which he is the /
hero and the heroine He was never |
iii. though he led me to suppose that |
there was 2 nervous weakness about !
him that did not appear on the surface
/ STUDIED his case for months. trying |
different remedies. which ! had my |
doubts he ever took Finally | found |
myself so deeply in love that | was
ready 70 sacrifice my profession for
him indeed. the great problem of my /
life became not how TO cure hIn. or
any one else for that matter. but to /
appropriate him TO myself Ii was 4
rather than he who suffered from I
peculiar disease. If any attractive
young woTan came near him ! was
seized with 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 hiB AID
had been invited TO dinner his mother
left Us alone together in the library.
and what | so desired was clinched by
a proposal
As soon as our engagement was
made known to the members Of our re-
speetive families congratulations be-
Gan TO come in. Ills sisters and his
cousins and his aunts" called on me.
and they were all not only very gra-
cious to noe. but regarded me with an
amused curiosity. One day who should
come to see me but my old preceptor,
DR.. Phillips. TO whom had made the
pledge not to marry. could not es
cape him. 50 faced him. He was
trimming over with amusement
'you little haInbngr be sad. u
knew You weEld not he saved for the
medlCel profession. so resolved to get
you into nv family. tod nv nephew