The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1915-01-17

rected. The rebellion had been Int
down but / was not yet reconstruct
Then / thought of the physician f. m
the town who had visited me I'm the
institution. l went to him. He uua.r-
stood He told me to stop thinking
of myself as abnormal or disuTi,r,i
or as a woman with an experience He
told me to take up my responsibility rs
II | were well. lie bade me Keep nv
mind busy with objective tasks rather
than intellectual puzzles.
To insure this he gave me a little
plan for the day: what / must d. It
8 o'clock and 10 o'clock, and and {.
and so on. He helped me to I'LL my
life so full that there was not room
for the devils of doubt and mischlur,.
In six weeks | was almost a normal
woman. To-day | am a normal woman.
1t is two years since that Christmas
eve when l entered the hospital In
these two years no morphine has
crossed my lips. No craving for il
has ever returned. If il should return,
II the day should come when it seems
that l must have morphine or d., |
shall die. But that day, feel sure. Will
never come. The appetite has uc.n
taken away and l have recaptaurd
and rerigged the drifting derelict the
morphine habit made Of me.
Shall I tell you how I realized that
was cured? / had been getting better
and better without comprehendIng that
l was well. They sent for me at the
hospital to come and see a patient,
woman who had taken the treatment,
and was feeling rebellious and hopeless.
The poor little thing! The morphine
pallor was on her face. She was mere
skin and bones. Her hands twitchcd
and tossed upon the Coverlet, which was
no whittier than they. Her whole body
trembed. Her eyes were the eyes II
hunted, helpless animal. She looked up
at me and said:
"Oh, want 10 leave this place.
want to get away from here. |
never"
MY DEAR" I exclaimed, breaking IN
upon her speech as | remembered the
psychological value Of the supcrn'
tendent's brusqueness, II was once IN
this house, in this room, in THIS very
bed! was worse, much worse, ihan
you are took this Treatment tuih-
fully, fought my convalescence battle
and / am well. You are not true 10
your womanhood If you will Not do the
same"
She closed her eyes and then opened
them again with a dizzy star OF sur
prise, and looked me over with mingled
doubt and astonshment. ! knew l
looked we'll / knew my chech- were
full and rosy. | knew that there ~
that room of weakness and pain ] r'llIy
was the very image and incarnl''n Oh
health.
DO you mean to say that yon were
once worse than I, and that ! can %
as well as you II Il take this tr'' .m'nt
and patiently build myself up after Il
over?" she asked with such GH.'N
eager utterance that she got her Iohg
question all into one breath
| Eyes, yes" 7 urged earnestly.
| The little thing had half risen on
her pillow. '"Then," she w'l. 'red,
with a look of determination. "I--i WI"
do IT."
II she had doubted me 7 should ave
doubted myself. But when ! sN" n'I
| inspired by my appearance To i.0. ne,
own battle I knew that | was N'..
left that hospital I tripped dow ..'So
steps and out upon the walk o. w
air. No drug ecstasy in all my no
had ever equalled the rapture "' 'u"
moment. I had not only gained my
own victory but had helped ano'he'
woman to gain hers.
To-day no words can portray ."0
sober yet exultant Joy which ] I'fl ",
cause OF my victories over the m Tpnlne
habit. I am like a pilgrim WAC "'s
returned. Ten years of my lie are
frightful dream. 1t is horrid I''rh nr',
which I have travelled alone, I'll dans
I sank into it's depths, and now | ""'
back again.
l(Copyright. Pd6et Newspaper ".'''ce'