Chinese Diamonds for the King of KingsGoforth, Rosalind
Religion
Chinese Diamonds for the King of Kings
Goforth, Rosalind
Missions -- China
As the man with the barrow disappeared in the distance, Dr. Dwan
appeared at his dispensary gateway, across the street from where his
wife was sitting. Calling him to her she related what had just passed.
The Doctor listened, but said nothing; paying no attention to the fierce
denunciation of the missionaries with which she ended; her husband had
learnt through many years of bitter experience with her to say little
but act. When the following morning the Doctor announced his intention
of taking the younger son to the foreign Doctor to have a growth on his
foot removed, of course, Mrs. Dwan began to storm and rage but to no
purpose, except to give matter of interest to her neighbors, trouble to
her household, and sickness to herself. Her fits of temper were so
violent and sustained that it is little wonder Nature usually had her
way by a general collapse, when the naturally strong woman would lie for
days as helpless as a child.
As Dr. Dwan started off for the Mission Hospital, it would be too much
to imagine that his mind was quite free from fear or doubt, but his
intense curiosity to see the foreign Doctor about whom he had heard such
conflicting reports, and a desire, if possible, to see something of his
methods of treatment, overcame every other thought. A walk of some
twelve English miles brought them to the city of W——. On reaching the
Mission Hospital they found themselves in the midst of a crowd of sick
and suffering ones. Procuring their tickets of admission they joined
themselves to the queue moving towards the Dispensary door. The moment
Dr. Dwan found himself and his child, with a dozen or more others,
ushered into the Doctor’s presence, all fears vanished,—who, indeed,
could not trust those keen, quiet, kind eyes?
Stepping aside purposely so that the others might be treated first and
thus give him his chance to watch the foreigner, Dr. Dwan made the most
of his opportunity. At last the assistant called him forward to take
his name. The moment he had given it, Dr. Blank, the missionary, looked
up quickly and said, "Why, are you Dr. Dwan of C——?"
"That is my unworthy name," replied the other. Immediately Dr. Blank
left the patient he was treating, and came forward with such a friendly
smile the Chinese doctor was completely taken by surprise.
"I’m very pleased indeed to meet you," the missionary said heartily, and
in a few moments had the other quite at his ease. From their first
meeting these two men drew naturally together. The missionary doctor
recognized in Dr. Dwan the true instincts of a physician and generously
remembered that this man’s ignorance and inefficiency as a doctor was
not due to lack of natural ability but from the lack of advantages such
as he himself had enjoyed.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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