South Bend news-times. (South Bend, Ind.) 1913-1938, 1921-03-26
Revelations of a Wife
Ny Heart and Ny Husband
By Adele Garrison


: nly father makes "a practice OF carry
ing in his coat pockets for the child
he idolizes.
When he had returned as swiftly
to me / felt him taking my pulse.
kissing my forehead and my palms
lightly TO test my temperature. Tt is
a test ] often use when / do not wish
10 disturb my child with a clinical
thermometer-one which my mother
taught me years ago. i could almost
heear her voice instructing me about
it,
Your hands vary with external
conditions" she used 10 say They
are seldom an accurate guide. But
unless YOU are in a fever yourself
your lips are always the same tenn
perature, and YOU can safely trust
them
1 felt too exhausted to open my
eyes, which had closed upon the
picture of my baby boy playing con-
tentedIy upon the couch, but I won
dered weakly If my fathers brain
was busy with the same memory as
mine. only extending farther back.
Had he stood with my mother be-
side me as a little child while SIZE
gave me this same test? / was sure
Of it as L heard the quick intake Of
his breath as he raised his head and
the involuntary grOan which he
smothered so quickly as to make its
very existence a question.
must either have dozed or lost
frr l-r1a 70 a ont 70 ~
next think I knew was my fathers
voice calling sharply, Margaret"
and upon my weak response the
slipping of his arm under my
shoulders and the pressing of a
spoon against my lips
Take this" ne commanded, and
as I obeyed felt upon my lips the
bitter taste of the potent remedy
with which I have often revived my
mother and my mOther-in-law from
attacks of faintness.
His movements were as def as
those Of a trained nurse or a ply
stefan. 1 knew that he. in common
with all other sojourners in strange
countries. was compelled to nave a
smattering knowledge Of medicine
and emergency treatments. / was
thankful for his knowledge as the
deadly faintness which had overcome
me began 10 lift
When 1 opened my eyes he was
watching me anxiously I tried 10
smile up at him reaeSSuringly but
I made a dismal failure of it be-
cause Of the exhaustion which
- los
Listen darling" ne said with a
tense quietness that betrayed mis-
emotion. you must have some one
more used to illness than I with you.
Pardon me If guess that your
mother-in-law IS partly 20 blame for
this collapse. and her taking care Of
YOU is out of the question. I sup
pose the next best person is Mrs.
Durkee. Am not right2'
I knew that he was. absolutely.
NY little neighbor is a tender and
sdlIfuI nurse. except for the habit OF
feeding her patients too induiSentiy.
a tendency which would not trouble
me. for I felt as If I never wished
To see a mo~sel Of food again. But
genuine as is my affection for her
the very thought of her fluffy cheer
mess. her Earrulous chatter. made
me shiver inwardly. even as assent
ed TO my fathers proposal ir order
TO relieve his perplexed anxiety.
As he went out OF the door 20
summon her I felt a sudden unrea-
soninr desire TO call him back. and
send him instead laughed weak
~. hysteriSaIly at my own incOn-
sistency-for the last person in the
world under the circumstances whom
I ought 70 have wished for-nly
mother-in-law.