CHAPTER XVII.
One lovely morning in April, Mary was called to the telephone.
"I want you to drive to the country with me this morning," said herhusband.
"I'll be delighted. I have a little errand down town and I'll come tothe office--we can start from there." Accordingly half an hour later shewalked into the office and seated herself in a big chair to wait tillJohn was ready. The door opened and a small freckle-faced boy entered.
"Good morning, Governor," said the doctor. The governor grinned.
"What can I do for you today?"
"How much will ye charge to pull a tooth?"
"Well, I'll pull the tooth and if it don't hurt I won't charge anything.Sit down."
The boy sat down and the doctor got out his forceps. The tooth came hardbut he got it. The boy clapped his hand over his mouth but not a soundescaped him.
"There it is," said the doctor, holding out the offending member. "Doyou want it?" A boy's tooth is a treasure to be exhibited to all one'sfriends. He took it and put it securely in his pocket.
"How much do I have to pay?"
"Did it hurt?"
"Nope."
"Nothing at all."
The boy slid from the chair and out of the door, ecstasy overspreadingall the freckles.
"That boy has a future," said Mary looking after him with a smile.
"I see they have brought the horse. We must be starting."
Ting-a-ling-ling-ling. Ting-a-ling-ling-ling.
"They want ye down at Pete Jansen's agin."
"What's the matter there now?"
"O, that youngun's been _drinkin'_ somethin' agin."
"Into the lye this time, too?"
"No, it's coal oil and bluin' this time and I don't know what else."
"I'll be down right away," said the doctor, taking up his hat.
"Get into the buggy and drive down with me, Mary, it's just at the edgeof town and then we can drive on into the country."
When they stopped at the house, an unpainted little frame structure,Mary held the horse while her husband went in.
"Where's the boy?" he asked, looking around.
"He's out in the back yard a-playin' now, I guess," his mother repliedfrom the bed.
"Then what in thunder did you send for me for?"
"Why, I was scared for fear it would kill him." The doctor turned to gothen paused to ask, "How's the baby?"
"She's doin' fine."
"She's just about a week old now, isn't she?"
"A week yesterday. Don't you want to see how much she's growed?"
The doctor went to the bed and looked down at the wee little maiden.
"Great God!" he exclaimed, so fiercely that the woman was frightened."Why haven't you let me know about this baby's eyes?"
"W'y, we didn't think it'd 'mount to anything. We thought they'd gitwell in a day or two."
"She'll be blind in less than a week if something isn't done for them."
"Grandmother's been a doctorin' 'em some."
"Well, there's going to be a change of doctors right straight. I'm goingto treat this baby's eyes myself."
"We don't want any strong medicine put in a baby's eyes."
"It don't make a bit of difference what you want. I'm going to the drugstore now to get what I need and I want you to have warm water and cleancloths ready by the time I get back. Is there anyone here to do it?"
"There's a piece of a girl out there in the kitchen. She ain't much'count." The doctor went to the kitchen door and gave his orders.
"I'd ruther you'd let the baby's eyes alone. I'm afraid to have strongmedicine put in 'em."
For answer he went out, got into the buggy and drove rapidly back totown where he procured what he needed and in a few minutes was back.
"You'd better come in this time, Mary, you'll get tired of waiting andbesides I want you to see this baby. I want you to know something aboutwhat every father and mother ought to understand."
They went in and the doctor took the baby up and seated himself by thechair on which stood a basin of water. The mother, with very ungraciousdemeanor, looked on. Mary, shocked and filled with pity, looked downinto the baby's face. The inflammation in the eyes was terrible. Thesecretion constantly exuded and hung in great globules to the tiny lids.Never in her life had she seen anything like it. "Let me hold it foryou," she said, sitting down and taking the baby in her lap.
The doctor turned the little head toward him and held it gently betweenhis knees. He took a pair of goggles from his pocket and put them overhis eyes to protect them from the poison, then tenderly as any mothercould have done, he bathed and cleansed the poor little eyes opening soinauspiciously upon the world. He thought as he worked of this terriblescourge of infancy, producing one-third of all the blindness in theworld. He thought too, that almost all of this blindness was preventableby prompt and proper treatment. Statistics had proven these two thingsbeyond all doubt. He thought of the earnest physicians who had laboredlong to have some laws enacted in regard to this stupendous evil butwith little result.[1]
[1] 1. Ophthalmia Neonatorum
2. There has been legislation for the prevention of blindness in the States of New York, Maine, Rhode Island and Illinois.
When they were in the buggy again Mary said, "But what if the baby goesblind after all? Of course they would say that you did it with your'strong medicine.'"
"Of course they would, but that would not disturb me in the least. Butit will not go blind now. I'll see to that."
Soon they had left the town behind them and were fairly on their way.The soft, yet bracing, air of the April morning was delightful. The sunshone warm. Birds carolled everywhere. The buds on the oak trees wereswelling, while those on the maples were bursting into red and furzybloom. Far off to the left a tall sycamore held out white arms inwelcome to the Springtime and perfect stillness lay upon the landscape.
"I am so glad the long reign of winter and bad roads is ended, John, soI can get out with you again into the blessed country."
"And I am glad to have good company."
"Thanks for that gallant little speech. Ask me often, but I won't goevery time because you might get tired of me and I'd be sure to gettired of you."
"Thanks for that gracious little speech."
* * * * *
That evening when the doctor and Mary were sitting alone, she said,"John, that baby's eyes have haunted me all day long. And you sayone-third of the blindness of the world is due to this disease."
"Yes."
"That seems to me a terrific accusation against you doctors. What haveyou been doing to prevent it?"
"Everything that has been done--not very much, I'm afraid. Speaking formyself, I can say that I have long been deeply interested. I havewritten several papers on the subject--one for our State MedicalSociety."
"So far so good. But I'd like to know more about it."
"Write to the secretary of the State Board of Health for all theinformation that he can give you."
The next day Mary wrote. Three days later she received the followingletter:
SPRINGFIELD, NOV. 16, 1909.
My dear Mrs. Blank:
Several states of the Union have laws in relation to the prevention of blindness, some good, some bad, and some indifferent, and I fear that the last applies to the manner in which the laws are enforced in the majority of the States. In the December, 1908, _Bulletin_ of this Board, a copy of which I send you under separate cover, you will find the Illinois law, which, as you can readily see, is very difficult of enforcement.
But, as I said, much can be done in its enforcement if the State Board of Health can secure the co-operation of the physicians of the State. However, in this connection you will note that I have made an appeal to physicians, on page 757. Yet, to the best of my knowledge, the Board has not received one inquiry in regard to the enforcement of this law, except from the Committ
ee on the Prevention of Ophthalmia Neonatorum.
In regard to the other States, it will take me some time to look up the laws, but I will advise you in a few days.
Sincerely yours, J. A. EGAN.
After reading it carefully through, Mary's eye went back to thesentence, "Much can be done if the State Board of Health can secure theco-operation of the physicians of the State."
She rose and walked the floor. "If I were a Voice--a persuasive voice,"she thought, "I would fly to the office of every physician in our greatState and then to every physician in the land and would whisper in hisear, 'It is your glorious privilege to give light to sightless eyes. Itis more: it is your sacred duty. O, be up and doing!'"
"To think, John," she said, turning impetuously toward her husband,"that I, all these years the wife of a man who knows this terribletruth, should just be finding it out. Then think of the thousands of menand women who know nothing about it. How are they to know? Who is totell them? Who is to blame for the blindness in the first place? Whocan--"
Ting-a-ling-ling-ling. Ting-a-ling-ling-ling. Ting-a-ling-ling-ling.
"Is this Dr. Blank?"
"Yes."
"This is Mr. Ardmore. Can you come up to my house right away?"
"Right away."
When he arrived at his destination he was met at the door by awell-dressed, handsome young man. "Just come into this room for a fewminutes, Doctor. My wife says they are not quite ready for you inthere."
"Who is the patient?" asked the doctor as he walked into the roomindicated.
"The baby boy."
"The baby boy!" exclaimed the doctor. "I didn't know the little rascalhad got here."
"Yes, you were out of town. My wife and I thought that ended the matterbut he got here just the same."
"Mighty glad to hear it. How old is he?"
"Just ten days."
"Pretty fine, isn't he?"
"You bet! I wouldn't take all the farms in these United States for him."
"To be sure. To be sure," laughed the doctor. He picked up a littlevolume lying open on the table. "Do you like Omar?" he asked, aimlesslyturning the pages.
"Very much. I don't always get the old Persian's meaning exactly. Takethis verse," he reached for the book and turning back a few pages read:
"The moving finger writes; and having writ, Moves on; nor all your piety nor wit Shall lure it back to cancel half a line, Nor all your tears wash out a word of it.
That sounds pretty but it has something in it that almost scares afellow--he doesn't know why."
The nurse appeared in the doorway and announced that the doctor mightcome in now. Both men rose and went across the hall into the bedroom.The doctor shook hands with the baby's mother. "Where did you get this?"he asked, laying his hand on the downy little head.
"He came out of the everywhere into the here," she quoted, smiling.
"Nurse, turn the baby's face up so the doctor can see his eyes. They'regreatly inflamed, Doctor," she said.
The doctor started. "Bring a light closer," he said sharply.
While the light was being brought he asked, "Did this inflammation beginwhen the baby was about three days old?"
"He was exactly three days old."
"And been growing worse ever since?"
"Yes. Dr. Brown was with me when he was born. He came in the next dayand everything was all right. Then he was called to Chicago and I didn'tknow enough about babies to know that this might be serious."
"_You_ ought to have known," said the doctor sternly, turning to thenurse.
"I am not a professional nurse. I have never seen anything like thisbefore."
The light was brought and the nurse took the baby in her arms. Thedoctor, bending over it, lifted the swollen little lids and earnestlyscrutinized the eyes. _The cornea was entirely destroyed!_
"O God!" The words came near escaping him. Sick at heart he turned hisface away that the mother might not see. She must not know the awfultruth until she was stronger. He gave some instructions to the nurse,then left the room followed by the baby's father.
"Stop for a few minutes, Doctor, if you please. I'd like to ask yousomething about this," and both resumed their seats, after Mr. Ardmorehad closed the door.
"Do you think the baby's eyes have been hurt by too much light?"
"No by darkness--Egyptian darkness."
The young man looked at him in wonder.
"What is the disease?"
"It is Ophthalmia Neonatorum, or infantile sore eyes."
"What is the nature of it?"
"It is always an infection."
"How can that be? There has been nobody at all in the room except Dr.Brown and the nurse."
The doctor did not speak. There came into his mind the image of Mary asshe had asked so earnestly, "How are they to know? Who is to tell them?"
Leaning slightly forward and looking the young man in the face he said,"I do not know absolutely, but _you_ know!"
"Know what?"
"Whether or not your child's eyes have had a chance to be infected bycertain germs."
"What do you mean, Doctor?" asked the young father in vague alarm.
Slowly, deliberately, and with keen eyes searching the other's face thedoctor made reply:
"I mean that the sins of the fathers are visited upon the children."
There was bewildered silence for an instant then a wave of crimsonsurged over neck, cheek and brow. It was impossible to meet the doctor'seyes. The young man looked down and made no attempt to speak. By and byhe said in a low voice, "It's no use for me to deny to you, Doctor, thatI have been a fool and have let my base passions master me. But if I haddreamed of any such result as this they wouldn't have mastered me--Iknow that."
"The man that scorns these vile things because of the eternal wrong inthem will never have any fearful results rising up to confront him."
"All that has been put behind me forever, Doctor; I feel the truth andwisdom of what you say. Just get my boy's eyes well and he shall neverbe ashamed of his father."
The doctor looked away from the handsome, intelligent face so full atthat moment of love and tenderness for this new son which had been giveninto his care and keeping, and a wave of pity surged over him. But hemust go on to the bitter end.
"You have not understood this old Persian's verse," he said, taking upthe little book again. "Tonight his meaning is to be made plain to you."
Slowly he read:
"The Moving Finger writes; and, having writ, Moves on; nor all your Piety nor Wit Shall lure it back to cancel half a Line, Nor all your Tears wash out a Word of it."
He laid the volume gently down and turning, faced the younger man.
"Listen: In those licentious days the Moving Finger was writing a wordfor the future to reveal. It wrote BLIND in the eyes of your helplesschild."
"My God! You don't mean it!"
"It is true. The cornea is destroyed."
A deathly pallor overspread the young man's face. He bowed his head inhis hands and great sobs shook his frame. "My God! My God!" he gaspedover and over again. Accustomed as the doctor was to suffering andsorrow this man's anguish was too much for him. The tears rolled downhis cheeks and he made no effort to restrain them.
After a long time the younger man raised his head and spoke in brokenwords, "Doctor, I must not keep you here. You are needed elsewhere.Leave me to Remorse. I am young and you are growing old, Doctor, butwill you take this word from me? You and all in your profession shouldlong ago have told us these things. The world should not lie inignorance of this tremendous evil. If men will not be saved fromthemselves they will save their unborn children, if they only know. Godhelp them."
The doctor went slowly homeward, his mind filled with the awful calamityin the household he had left. "It is time the world is waking," hethought. "We must arouse it."
* * * * *
Ting-a-ling-ling-ling. Tin
g-a-ling-ling-ling. Ting-a-ling-ling-ling.
"Is this Mrs. Blank?"
It was a manly voice vibrating with youth and joy.
"I want to tell you that your husband has just left a sweet littledaughter at our house."
"Oh, has he! I'm very glad, Mr. Farwell. Thank you for telephoning.Father, mother and baby all doing well?"
"Fine as silk. I had to tell _somebody_ right away. Now I'm off to sendsome telegrams to the folks at home. Goodbye."
Ting-a-ling-ling-ling. Ting-a-ling-ling-ling. Ting-a-ling-ling-ling.
"This is Mrs. Blank is it not?"
"Yes."
"Will you please tell the doctor that father is dead. He died twentyminutes ago."
"The doctor was expecting the message, Mr. Jameson," said Mary gently.This, too, was the voice of a young man, but quiet, subdued, bringingtidings of death instead of life. And Mary, going back to her seat inthe twilight, thought of the words of one--Life is a narrow vale betweenthe cold and barren peaks of two eternities. The eternity before thebaby came, the eternity after the old man went, were solemnly in herthoughts. But they were not cold and barren peaks to her. They werecrowned with light and warmth and love.
And into her thoughts came, too, the never-ending story of the 'phone asit was unfolding itself to her throughout the years. Humor and pathos,folly and wisdom, tragedy and comedy, pain, anguish, love, joy,sorrow--all had spoken and had poured their brief story into thelistening ear of the helper. And when he was not there, into the ear ofone who must help in her own poor way.
O countless, countless messages stored in her memory to await hiscoming! Only she could know how faithfully she had guarded and deliveredthem. Only she could--
Ting-a-ling. Ting-a-ling. Ting-a-ling-ling-ling.
[ Transcriber's Note:
The following is a list of corrections made to the original. The first line is the original line, the second the corrected one.
"That's about five miles out, isn't it. Whose sick out there?" "That's about five miles out, isn't it. Who's sick out there?"
Well, where is the _doctor_?" "Well, where is the _doctor_?"
Small's at Drayton. When the voice came she said, "I wanted to tell you Small's at Drayton." When the voice came she said, "I wanted to tell you
"Mary heard the 'phoner say in an aside, "He won't be back for an hour Mary heard the 'phoner say in an aside, "He won't be back for an hour
asked central to give her Drayton, Mr. Walton's house." asked central to give her Drayton, Mr. Walton's house.
She flew to the Farmers' phone. She flew to the Farmers' 'phone.
"Wait a minute, I'll see." She raced through the pages,--yes, here it "Wait a minute, I'll see." She raced through the pages,--"yes, here it
"Thought you was a-goin' to hold the' phone. I've had a turrible time "Thought you was a-goin' to hold the 'phone. I've had a turrible time
"Shake up your 'phone. I can't hear you. "Shake up your 'phone. I can't hear you."
interested listener at the phone. Going, one morning, to speak to a interested listener at the 'phone. Going, one morning, to speak to a
"Doctor, will it hurt the baby to bathe it every morning?" I've been "Doctor, will it hurt the baby to bathe it every morning? I've been
"Likes to see it's mamma?" "Likes to see its mamma?"
My land! I've been here three or four times. Looks like I'd ketch him "My land! I've been here three or four times. Looks like I'd ketch him
was mightly emphatic." was mightily emphatic."
That sounds good, Doctor. I was awfully scared. Much obliged. "That sounds good, Doctor. I was awfully scared. Much obliged.
"Wait a minute, Mrs. Blank," said the voice of central, some one is "Wait a minute, Mrs. Blank," said the voice of central, "some one is
"Yes, you _can_!" roared a voice. You jist want to fool around." The "Yes, you _can_!" roared a voice. "You jist want to fool around." The
It's _exactly_ in his line. Years ago when I was a little girl he "It's _exactly_ in his line. Years ago when I was a little girl he
would break and then she said, "Father, I _must_ tell you, but don't would break and then she said, 'Father, I _must_ tell you, but don't
tell mother; and then she told me." tell mother'; and then she told me."
"The doctor was fixing up powders and went placidly on till he got The doctor was fixing up powders and went placidly on till he got
"Oh," said the voice, somewhat mollified, I'll just call him up when he "Oh," said the voice, somewhat mollified, "I'll just call him up when he
number again with vehemence." number again with vehemence.
The circumflexes were irresistible." The circumflexes were irresistible.
him this evening. This is Mrs. X. Will you be right out? him this evening. This is Mrs. X. Will you be right out?"
"When I yas a young fellow and first hung up my shingle it was a "When I was a young fellow and first hung up my shingle it was a
"Certainly," I answered promptly. 'Certainly,' I answered promptly.
"My husband is very sick and I came to see if you would go down and ask 'My husband is very sick and I came to see if you would go down and ask
Dr. Smithson to come and see him." I swallowed my astonishment and Dr. Smithson to come and see him.' I swallowed my astonishment and
sweet day you'll retire from practise. Then hully-gee! won't I be free! sweet day you'll retire from practice. Then hully-gee! won't I be free!
"Then do it. Do it right away. Have the water _hot_, now. "Then do it. Do it right away. Have the water _hot_, now."
If they knew what I know their little hearts would almost burst for "If they knew what I know their little hearts would almost burst for
there," she continued. "A woman's intuitions are safe guides' but she there," she continued. "'A woman's intuitions are safe guides' but she
table his wife, said, "John, I shouldn't think you'd say things like that table his wife said, "John, I shouldn't think you'd say things like that
"Hell-_o_!" Where's the doctor?" "Hell-_o_! Where's the doctor?"
"Yes. When I went in the man who was a stranger to me, said, "I'll tell "Yes. When I went in the man who was a stranger to me, said, 'I'll tell
said to myself, "He's the man I want." said to myself, "He's the man I want."'"
"Very well Thank you." "Very well. Thank you."
The voice was icily regular, spendidly null. It nettled the doctor. The voice was icily regular, splendidly null. It nettled the doctor.
"_Where do you live!_" "_Where do you live?_"
"Well maybe it does. I've not got my directions here yet--then it must "Well, maybe it does. I've not got my directions here yet--then it must
"My wife swallowed poison. Hurry, Doctor, for God's sake! "My wife swallowed poison. Hurry, Doctor, for God's sake!"
CHAPTER XVI. CHAPTER XVII.
"I'll be down right away," said the doctor, taking up his hat." "I'll be down right away," said the doctor, taking up his hat.
"Why haven't you let me know about this baby's eyes." "Why haven't you let me know about this baby's eyes?"
inauspiciously upon the world. He thought as he worked of this terribe inauspiciously upon the world. He thought as he worked of this terrible
"Thanks for that gracious little speech. "Thanks for that gracious little speech."
Nor all your Tears wash out a Word of it. Nor all your Tears wash out a Word of it."
]
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