Cora and The Doctor; or, Revelations of A Physician's WifeLeslie, Madeline
General
Cora and The Doctor; or, Revelations of A Physician's Wife
Leslie, Madeline
Physicians -- Fiction
"About eleven o'clock, one of the servants was passing through the
apartment next that which he occupied, when she was startled by loud
snoring. She stopped to listen, when finding it continue, she hastily
called the housekeeper, and together they entered the room. The Squire
lay in what seemed to them a heavy slumber; but they could not arouse
him. The sound was like the snorting of a brute, more than like the
breathing of a human being.
"By this time they were thoroughly frightened, and sent in haste for the
Doctor."
Immediately after he had told me this, he returned to the wretched
house, _wretched_ in the midst of luxury and splendor! I waited in vain
for him to return to dinner, but received a note toward night, telling
me not to be alarmed, if he did not return until morning. Lucy was
rather better, but would not consent to his leaving the house, while her
father lived. He would probably not survive many hours.
Dr. Clapp called in the evening, and told me he had received a hasty
note from the Doctor, requesting him to take the care of his other
patients, with a list of those upon whom it would be necessary to call.
_Friday, August 7th._
Contrary to the Doctor's expectations, Squire Lee is still living; and
there is slight hope that he may be better. Frank pursued the most
vigorous course of treatment; applying cups to the temples, and blisters
to the back of the neck. He left him in a natural sleep.
Lucy has been carried to the room where she sits near the bed. She
wishes to be near him when he recovers his consciousness, hoping before
his death that he may revoke his dreadful curse.
_Tuesday, August 11th._
Mother and Emily returned last Saturday, and as mother feared, a
terrible reaction has taken place. Sister is now as excitable as she was
impassive. She laughs so merrily that the sound rings through the house.
Then with as little reason, she weeps violently. I led Pauline to the
cottage to try and amuse the poor girl; but the little creature was
afraid of her aunt, and clung convulsively to me, if Emily tried to
force her from my arms. There is a dreadful wildness in her eye, which
alarms me.
Squire Lee is so much better, Frank is of opinion that, if he has no
relapse, he will soon be able to leave his bed. Lucy is with him
constantly; indeed he cannot bear her out of his sight a moment.
Sometimes he mistakes her for her mother, and calls her "_wife_," and
"_Mary_!"
The Doctor has insisted that he shall have watchers, so that she may
have regular sleep; and that she shall take exercise in the open air, at
least an hour every day. Joseph returned Saturday, but as the Doctor
would not allow him to go into the sickroom, telling him he would not be
responsible for the consequences, the young man left again for the city
early Monday morning.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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