Two men fresh from their rooms, in sleeping garb, were
supporting a young lady in angel clothes by both arms. They
carried her bodily, as she had collapsed. It was pitiable, but
not laughable, until next morning. Such calls as this: “Is
there a doctor in the house? My wife is dying!” “Oh, can’t
you get a doctor quick? I know my husband is dead or dying.
Do try. Oh, what will become of us?” “Is there any train
leaving right away?” A woman caught hold of a man’s arm,
screaming, “Save me! save me!” He tried in his rush and
fright to shake her off, but she again cried out: “Save, oh, save
me! What shall I do?” Just then he loosened her grasp,
saying, “Go to hell!” and she fell prostrate.
Returning to our rooms, I found my bed in the middle of
the floor and the centre-table very near the wall; both had
moved about four feet. Water was running in the bathroom.
On the floor in the hallway lay a young man. I asked him if
he felt badly or was in pain. He said: “No, I am in no
pain, neither am I frightened. I simply cannot get up. My
legs refuse to carry me.” We helped him to a sofa in the
corridor, and there left him, at his request, with “Thank
you.”
We were to leave for Southern California the following morning.
I noticed that Mr. Crawford had some severe spells of
coughing on the cars at night, and I thought that the earthquake
had affected him more severely than he had cared to tell
me. Before retiring he told me that he was going to take me
into his confidence, as we were partners and friends, and mentioned
the fact that he had been having a good deal of trouble
coughing, and that he had had two hemorrhages since I had
joined him; that his left lung was very sore, and he might be
obliged to return home, but that he intended to finish the tour
no matter what the sacrifice, if it were possible. In San Francisco
he had been in consultation with a physician who had
been recommended to him by his New York physician, and he
had been advised to close the tour then and there and return
home; but he was in hopes that Southern California might
help him. This put a damper on further pleasure for me. I
cared nothing whatever as to the business part of it--that
never entered my mind; but I assured Mr. Crawford that I
would not be the means of his breaking down for a dozen fortunes.
He assured me that it was not my fault at all, and that
he was going through. He had contracted a cold in New Orleans,
and at Pueblo, on a very windy day, he had visited a
smelting-works and had inhaled so much of the gas that it had
nearly killed him. He received the best of care. We visited
Southern California with no serious mishap, went back up to San
Francisco for two more lectures, and then to Portland, Ore. At
Portland he was seriously ill, and I persuaded him to call in a
local physician, who examined him thoroughly, and who told
me afterward that only a man of his perfect physique and iron
constitution could possibly have continued lecturing. But
Mr.
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