I was on the point of making some jaunty remark about their having wasted a lot of time and labor in finding out what I had told them at the beginning, when he showed me the X-ray pictures, revealing a condition of the kidney which called for an operation. This discovery having been made in my first examination, all the others seemed a mere waste of time and effort. But I was less disturbed about past events than I was over the prospects of the future. The suggestion of an operation, coming unexpectedly, gave me a queer jolt, not easily described. It seemed more like a bad dream than a reality. Without the remotest idea that any such action would be necessary I had made my plans to return East in a few days; and having felt no pain or inconvenience for more than a month it was impossible to adjust myself to the thought of an operation. A man with a violent toothache has a lessened dread of the dentist; and a griping pain in the midriff or in the appendix quarter mitigates the terror of seeing the doctor; but for a fellow in perfectly good health and spirits to go voluntarily and submit himself to being cut open is quite another matter. When I reported the verdict to my family, to my utter amazement they seemed not in the least surprised; indeed they were somewhat jubilant that it was no worse. My suggestion to put off the operation till I could think it over met with a storm of protest; the whole family party were of one voice in declaring that as long as it had to be done sometime it must be done immediately while I was in good health. They would all stay with me, play with me, and keep me constantly amused. With the late scientific discoveries in surgery, all contributing to the safety and comfort of the patient, there was nothing to worry about. In short, after the first shock it would be a regular outing for me. One might have supposed they were trying to inveigle me into going to a circus or a football game. Their arguments were seconded and supported by a man we had met at the hotel, who chimed in with the joyful news that he had just been through a similar operation and although, minus one kidney, he never enjoyed such good health in all his life. Without wishing him the least harm, I almost regretted that he felt so well. We talked with the chief urologist, who joined enthusiastically in their cheerful persuasions; but somehow I couldn’t seem to fall in with their light-hearted view of things. It’s remarkable what a trifling matter an operation is--to the other fellow. They all seemed to regard the act of cutting me open as being no more serious than that of manicuring a broken fingernail.