Year: 1874

tnatl VI course you WOu.u not. III would
not be natural.


Now don't know why it should, but
our baby suffered a great deal from ab.
dominal trouble. Mother thinks he in
herits it, she says that all her children
we're that way. think this very salts.
factory explanation. Why shouldn't a
child inherit things of that kind just the
same as hair, teeth and things of that
sort? II looks reasonable TO mother and
me. But somehow Pheegie don't seem TO
think so.


But upon my word, | have written so
much that have but little space left to
tell you about little matter in our own
baby's tender experience which illustrates
how little doctors care for other peoples
children. Mother says she thinks they
get hardened. But one would think they
wouldn't | have been after the doctor
a good deal for our own baby, but he
never seems to come with alacrity.
Mother generally tells me when to CO.
She thinks that one cannot show too
much care for a child-it is such grave
responsibility. | think so, too. But
somehow Pheegie don't always seem to
think so. l wonder if she really does love
our own babyY spoke to mother about
it the other night, and she said she hoped
|
ones own child into the teeth of Provi-
dence and thought so, too.
| But now l certainly must tell you what
happened the other night.
Our own baby was sick, and mother
wanted me TO go for the doctor. PheegIe
didn't think there was any use in going
for him, but mother thought there was.
| However, mother very frankly owned up
that the child was Iphigenias. She said
| that her solicitude sprang entirely and
only from love for the little one, but if
that affection was irksome to us we had
only TO find her humble cot in some re-
tired spot, where she would pass her wild
owed days praying for her children and
their child, and thanking God that its
death did not lay at her door. Pheegie
rolled over in bed and said, ooh! good
gracious" But l went out for the
doctor.


1t was not good night to CO. 1t was
one of those freely kind of nights when
the rain becomes ice on the pavement. 1t
Was real hard work to 60 for the doctor
1t was impossible to run. tried to walk
fast, but slid and slipped and slipped
and slid. And then l would manage to
catch hold OF fence, and my legs would
slide from under me, and would find my
face in precisely the contrary direction
from that in which | wanted to go.
tried the middle of the street. but it was
very little better and when | tried to get
back to the pavement thought | might
as well give up going. But, then! there
was our own baby perhaps at the point of
death, and l fastened, slipped up, and
fastened again.


It. must have taken me good halfhour
to reach the doctors house, and it only
halt mile away from mine. However,
| got there at last and rang the bell.
rang several times.


Finally somebody opened window,
and masculine voice wanted to know
who the mischief was, and feminine
voice wanted to know if l was Horace"
| was amazed and bewildered. The tone
of the masculine voice was not familiar
10 my ear, and could hardly account for
the feminine voice, as the doctor is a
widower. But l nevertheless asked if the
doctor was at home. At that The mascu-
line voice suggested that had better ring
the doctors door-bell and find out. 1t
certainly was very stupid of me to make
the mistake but was somewhat confused
after my difficult walk, and then was
nervous as | thought of our own baby at
home.


However, apologized and explained,
but while was doing it the parties at the
window slammed it down. did not feel
called upon to make any further explana-
tlon, but sprang up the doctors steps and
pulled his bell.


They seemed to be sleeping pretty
soundly in that block, for | had to ring
four times before reused the doctor. He
opened a second-story window at last
and, after suggesting that ii was trying
to pull off his bell.pull had better say 40,
he asked who was The doctor is getting
old and peculiar; and then l don't sup
pose it is pleasant to be called upon TO
answer bell at two O'Clock in the morn
ing. But, then, amt he paid for il?
However, | overlooked the reference to
the bell-pull, and said that was +" me-"


"Mer who the mischiefs me?" said
the doctor.


| supposed that he knew my voice; but
he alleged that he did not, and so | said
that me" was Smith.


"Smith what Smith ?" says the doctor.


Now that was absurdl | know that
the name of Smith is reasonable common;
but the doctor needn't try to make out
that he has nobody but Smiths on his
list of patients.


However, answered that l was at.
Adolphus Smith" And how like fool
feltl Only think of having to holler
out " T. AdOlphus SMITH" at two O'Clock
in the morning. felt certain that some
body was listening at every window in
the block.


But the doctor, satisfied with whom l
was, then said:


"Well, what do you want?"


From the way he said it one might
think that he had been patiently waiting
y rixrit, oh 10 tall
But didn't answer curtly. On the
contrary, said "The baby is sickp'
What baby?" says he. Now, how alb
surd AS If | would go poking down
there at that hour, and through rain and
ice, for any baby but our own baby. But
| nevertheless replied, with perhaps a
touch of vexation in my tone, that the
baby under consideration was my own
baby.


"What is the matter with it?" says he.
Now began to wish that he would
come down stairs to the door. didn't
want to be hollering out what was the
matter with our own baby so that the
whole neighborhood could be informed
as to its ailments. And just then po-
liceman came along, stood in front of the
house, and looked at me as though he
felt sure l contemplated burglary. Peo-
| pie are so apt, you know, to stand at the
front door, and ring the bell, when their
designs are burglarious.


AS matter of precautionary explana-
tion, but perhaps injudciously, said TO
the aforesaid policeman that was "all
right" And then he said "Whatp and
then the doctor said WHAT" And the
policeman, who evidently didn't see the
] doctor said: "What the dickens are you
talking aboutS" And then 1 said to the
policeman that al said l was all right. T"
And then he wanted to know "whn said /
wasn't"


1t was getting dreadfully mixed up.
But Just then the doctor who evidently
saw the policeman, halloOed: Go about
your business" The policeman evident
ly saw the doctor, and moved on" after
first striking the lamp-post a most un-
necessary blow with his club.


But thought that the doctor had ad'