Plentywood herald., 1930-06-19
High Calling
By Maude Radford Warren

1T has always seemed to me that
speaking the truth as one sees 1t should
be helpful" Gordon said. "and that
in university of all places, speech
should be free. But l should have
remembered that Hawley, IN our sense
is not a university person.
Marcia spoke as her heart bade her
comforting her man. But little hard
voice spoke, too, in her mind. word
leSsly. Surely, even an idealist should
admit that a certain amount OF defer
ence was due common sense. The
speaker must expect to take the con-
sequences of his free speech. If rich
man with patronage to give held a
strong prejudice, why not avoid that
prejudice, if it meant winning just the
margin that would be bulwark
against financial anxiety. An idealist
as uncOmpromising as Gordon ought
to be endowed. In no other way would
his wife and children be financially
safe
And why should being an idealist
| give man the right to voice his
visions without counting the cost? Was
there not some egotism there? Then
she drove away such thoughts as dis
loyal to Gordon. Nevertheless, she
knew as well as if Hawley had already
stated it, that Conklin, and not her
husband, would be given the editorship
Of the textbooks.
Before Christmas Gordon mad ap-
parently forgotten that lost chance.
| Through Lois Parcher, who had found
position on the local newspaper, he
got in touch with a publisher who ar
ranged to send him the manuscript of
occasional novels for criticism. He
could count upon perhaps ten a year
at twenty-five dollars each. A good
stout little club with which to buffet
the world from his door, he said.
During the next few weeks Marcia
wondered drearily how much buffeting
that little club was expected to do.
For one petty misfortune after another
fell upon them, deepening depres-
sion against which she almost ceased
to struggle. A thief took the blankets
which she had left airing on her back
porch, and new ones had to be bought.
The landlord raised the rent. Gordon's s
brother fell ill, and his wife wrote to
ask if they could not lend some money;
lending there meant giving. Marcia's
teeth suddenly needed drastic atten-
ton.
So far as she could see, their addi-
tional income was already spent. Cor
don was cheerful enough. He was un-
usually absorbed in his work, rejoicing
in a number of graduate students who
were excellent timber.
She felt as if she were failing her
husband in admitting fear, but she
could not control her feelings. The
best she could do was show serene
face. Yet she wondered if he felt her
sense of defeat. He said nothing but
sometimes he was unusually silent
Perhaps the long stretch of cold and
cloudy weather affected them both.
Christmas week brought back some
Of her old optimism. The children
we're SO happy, SO eager. Uncle Max
had sent the very things that rejoiced
them, and besides that, substantial
check for herself. She would be able
to see to those troublesome teeth, and
Walter could have the overcOat he
needed. Happily, the two dressed the
Christmas tree, and watched their little
people through the joyous days.
In the middle of Christmas night,
Marcia woke to hear Junior crying.
Hurrying into his room, she found him
sitting up in bed, holding his ear.
my ear mother" he walled. Make
it stop hurting"
Marcia tried the usual remedies, her
heart sinking, for she saw an omlnous
swelling behind the ear She lit the
fire in the living room, and, for the
rest of the night, sat with Junior in
her arms. The pain was intermittant
but agonizing. Each time it stopped,
rS, j,n q oCippn
he sat tense, waiting for it to come
back. 1t wrung her heart to see his
strained, expectant eyes. At dawn she
called the doctor. He examined the
ear and then gave the child cOdein.
With passionate relief Marcia saw
the little body relax, the watching eyes
pain, at least for the moment. But
her relief was brief; the doctor said
that he would call in an ear specialist,
but that he was certain mastoid
operation was necessary. After he had
gone, Marcia sat for few minutes,
dazed.
Gordon would wake in moment
and would have to be told There would
be breakfast to get. The day must
be lived through as if it were any
ObllC1 OdJ.
Two hours later, Gordon and Marcia,
Junior in her arms, were being driven
by the specialist to the hospital An
immediate operation was necessary At
least they would be spared long sus-
pense. They were fortunate that the
operating room was free, that the sur
geon had spare hour, that they could
get good nurse for the day and an
equally good one for the night. Parcher
was taking Gordon's lectures and Ali
da Conklin was staying with Mary and
the baby.
The long night of Juniors pain had
lessened Marcia's courage. She trem-
bled as she entered the gray walled
hospital. She resented the indifer-
ence of the nurse at the receiving desk
who muttered to her assistant, An
other mastoid case. Wouldn't you
think that people whose children have
weak ears would take them out of
this climate?"
AS she and Gordon went upstairs
to the room where Junior was to be
prepared for his operation they passed
a woman being taken on stretcher
from the operating room, leaden faced,
reeking with ether. Next door to