the story of a pioneer-第28章

按键盘上方向键 ← 或 → 可快速上下翻页，按键盘上的 Enter 键可回到本书目录页，按键盘上方向键 ↑ 可回到本页顶部！
————未阅读完？加入书签已便下次继续阅读！



a　prison　where　I　was　held　with　tender　force。　　I

loved　my　people　and　they　loved　mebut　the　big

outer　world　was　calling；　and　I　could　not　close　my

ears　to　its　summons。　　The　suffrage　lectures　helped

to　keep　me　contented；　however；　and　I　was　certainly

busy　enough　to　find　happiness　in　my　work。



I　was　in　Boston　three　nights　a　week；　and　during

these　nights　subject　to　sick　calls　at　any　hour。　　My

favorite　associates　were　Dr。　Caroline　Hastings；　our

professor　of　anatomy；　and　little　Dr。　Mary　Safford；

a　mite　of　a　woman　with　an　indomitable　soul。　　Dr。

Safford　was　especially　prominent　in　philanthropic

work　in　Massachusetts；　and　it　was　said　of　her　that

at　any　hour　of　the　day　or　night　she　could　be　found

working　in　the　slums　of　Boston。　　I；　too；　could　fre…

quently　be　found　thereoften；　no　doubt；　to　the　dis…

advantage　of　my　patients。　　I　was　quite　famous　in

three　Boston　alleysMaiden's　Lane；　Fellows　Court；

and　Andrews　Court。　　It　most　fortunately　happened

that　I　did　not　lose　a　case　in　those　alleys；　though　I

took　all　kinds；　as　I　had　to　treat　a　certain　number

of　surgical　and　obstetrical　cases　in　my　course。　　No

doubt　my　patients　and　I　had　many　narrow　escapes

of　which　we　were　blissfully　ignorant；　but　I　remember

two　which　for　a　long　time　afterward　continued　to

be　features　of　my　most　troubled　dreams。



The　first　was　that　of　a　big　Irishman　who　had

pneumonia。　　When　I　looked　him　over　I　was　as　much

frightened　as　he　was。　　I　had　got　as　far　as　pneu…

monia　in　my　course；　and　I　realized　that　here　was　a

bad　case　of　it。　　I　knew　what　to　do。　　The　patient

must　be　carefully　packed　in　towels　wrung　out　of

cold　water。　　When　I　called　for　towels　I　found　that

there　was　nothing　in　the　place　but　a　dish…towel；

which　I　washed　with　portentous　gravity。　　The　man

owned　but　one　shirt；　and；　in　deference　to　my　visit；

his　wife　had　removed　that　to　wash　it。　　I　packed　the

patient　in　the　dish…towel；　wrapped　him　in　a　piece　of

an　old　shawl；　and　left　after　instructing　his　wife　to

repeat　the　process。　　When　I　reached　home　I　remem…

bered　that　the　patient　must　be　packed　‘‘carefully；''

and　I　knew　that　his　wife　would　do　it　carelessly。　

That　meant　great　risk　to　the　man's　life。　　My　im…

pulse　was　to　rush　back　to　him　at　once；　but　this

would　never　do。　　It　would　destroy　all　confidence

in　the　doctor。　　I　walked　the　floor　for　three　hours；

and　then　casually　strolled　in　upon　my　patient；

finding　him；　to　my　great　relief；　better　than　I　had　left

him。　　As　I　was　leaving；　a　child　rushed　into　the　room；

begging　me　to　come　to　an　upper　floor　in　the　same

building。



‘‘The　baby's　got　the　croup；''　she　gasped；　‘‘an'

he's　chokin'　to　death。''



We　had　not　reached　croup　in　our　course；　and　I

had　no　idea　what　to　do；　but　I　valiantly　accompanied

the　little　girl。　　As　we　climbed　the　long　flights　of

stairs　to　the　top　floor　I　remembered　a　conversation

I　had　overheard　between　two　medical　students。　　One

of　them　had　said：　　‘‘If　the　child　is　strangling　when　it

inhales；　as　if　it　were　breathing　through　a　sponge；

then　give　it　spongia；　but　if　it　is　strangling　when　it

breathes　out；　give　it　aconite。''



When　I　reached　the　baby　I　listened；　but　could

not　tell　which　way　it　was　strangling。　　However；

I　happened　to　have　both　medicines　with　me；　so　I

called　for　two　glasses　and　mixed　the　two　remedies；

each　in　its　own　glass。　　I　gave　them　both　to　the

mother；　and　told　her　to　use　them　alternately；　every

fifteen　minutes；　until　the　baby　was　better。　　The

baby　got　well；　but　whether　its　recovery　was　due　to

the　spongia　or　to　the　aconite　I　never　knew。



In　my　senior　year　I　fell　in　love　with　an　infant

of　three；　named　Patsy。　　He　was　one　of　nine　children

when　I　was　called　to　deliver　his　mother　of　her　tenth

child。　　She　was　drunk　when　I　reached　her；　and　so

were　two　men　who　lay　on　the　floor　in　the　same　room。　

I　had　them　carried　out；　and　after　the　mother　and

baby　had　been　attended　to　I　noticed　Patsy。　　He　was

the　most　beautiful　child　I　had　ever　seenwith　eyes

like　Italian　skies　and　yellow　hair　in　tight　curls　over

his　adorable　little　head；　but　he　was　covered　with

filthy　rags。　　I　borrowed　him；　took　him　home　with　me；

and　fed　and　bathed　him；　and　the　next　day　fitted　him

out　with　new　clothes。　　Every　hour　I　had　him

tightened　his　hold　on　my　heart…strings。　　I　went　to

his　mother　and　begged　her　to　let　me　keep　him；　but

she　refused；　and　after　a　great　deal　of　argument　and

entreaty　I　had　to　return　him　to　her。　　When　I　went

to　see　him　a　few　days　later　I　found　him　again　in　his

horrible　rags。　　His　mother　had　pawned　his　new

clothes　for　drink；　and　she　was　deeply　under　its　in…

fluence。　　But　no　pressure　I　could　exert　then　or　later

would　make　her　part　with　Patsy。　　Finally；　for　my

own　peace　of　mind；　I　had　to　give　up　hope　of　getting

himbut　I　have　never　ceased　to　regret　the　little

adopted　son　I　might　have　had。　







VII



THE　GREAT　CAUSE



There　is　a　theory　that　every　seven　years　each

human　being　undergoes　a　complete　physical

reconstruction；　with　corresponding　changes　in　his

mental　and　spiritual　make…up。　　Possibly　it　was　due

to　this　reconstruction　that；　at　the　end　of　seven　years

on　Cape　Cod；　my　soul　sent　forth　a　sudden　call　to

arms。　　I　was；　it　reminded　me；　taking　life　too　easily；

I　was　in　danger　of　settling　into　an　agreeable　routine。　

The　work　of　my　two　churches　made　little　drain　on

my　superabundant　vitality；　and　not　even　the　win…

ning　of　a　medical　degree　and　the　increasing　demands

of　my　activities　on　the　lecture　platform　wholly　eased

my　conscience。　　I　was　happy；　for　I　loved　my　people

and　they　seemed　to　love　me。　　It　would　have　been

pleasant　to　go　on　almost　indefinitely；　living　the　life

of　a　country　minister　and　telling　myself　that　what

I　could　give　to　my　flock　made　such　a　life　worth　while。



But　all　the　time；　deep　in　my　heart；　I　realized　the

needs　of　the　outside　world；　and　heard　its　prayer　for

workers。　　My　theological　and　medical　courses　in

Boston；　with　the　experiences　that　accompanied　them；

had　greatly　widened　my　horizon。　　Moreover；　at　my

invitation；　many　of　the　noble　women　of　the　day　were

coming　to　East　Dennis　to　lecture；　bringing　with　them

the　stirring　atmosphere　of　the　conflicts　they　were

waging。　　One　of　the　first　of　these　was　my　friend

Mary　A。　Livermore；　and　after　her　came　Julia　Ward

Howe；　Anna　Garlin　Spencer；　Lucy　Stone；　Mary　F。

Eastman；　and　many　others；　each　charged　with　in…

spiration　for　my　people　and　with　a　special　message

for　me；　which　she　sent　forth　unknowingly　and　which　I

alone　heard。　　They　were　fighting　great　battles；　these

womenfor　suffrage；　for　temperance；　for　social

purityand　in　every　word　they　uttered　I　heard　a

rallying…cry。　　So　it　was　that；　in　1885；　I　suddenly

pulled　myself　up　to　a　radical　decision　and　sent　my

resignation　to　the　trustees　of　the　two　churches

whose　pastor　I　had　been　since　1878。



The　action　caused　a　demonstration　of　regret

which　made　it　hard　to　keep　to　my　resolution　and

leave　these　men　and　women　whose　friendship　was

among　the　dearest　of　my　possessions。　　But　when　we

had　all　talked　things　over；　many　of　them　saw　the

situation　as　I　did。　　No　doubt　there　were　those；　too；

who　felt　that　a　change　of　ministry　would　be　good

for　the　churches。　　During　the　weeks　that　followed

my　resignation　I　received　many　odd　tributes；　and

of　these　one　of　the　most　amusing　came　from　a

young　girl　in　the　parish；　who　broke　into　loud　protests

when　she　heard　that　I　was　going　away。　　To　com…

fort　her　I　predicted　that　she　would　now　have　a　man

ministerdoubtless　a　very　nice　man。　　But　the　young

person　continued　to　sniffle　disconsolately。



‘‘I　don't　want　a　man；''　she　wailed。　　‘‘I　don't　like　to

see　men　in　pulpits。　　They　look　so　awkward。''　　Her

grief　culminated　in　a　final　outburst。　　‘‘They're　all

arms　and　legs！''　she　sobbed。



When　my　resignation　was　finally　accepted；　and

the　time　of　my　departure　drew　near；　the　men　of　the

community　spent　much　of　their　leisure　in　discussing

it　and　me。　　The　social　center　of　East　Dennis　was

a　c