Christian fiction; City and town life -- Fiction; Clergy -- Fiction; Ozark Mountains -- Fiction
And the black woman's deep voice rolled out--"Yo' go on now--yo' two,
'tain't so--'cause Adam he sho po'r white trash. Ain't no decent colored
body goin' to have no truck wid sech as him."
With the doctor's shoes in his hand the old servant stood up, "Anythin'
else, sah? No? Good night, sah! Good night, Mars Harry!" They slipped
noiselessly from the room.
Is there, after all, anything more beautiful in life than the ministry
of such humble ones, whose service is the only expression of their love?
Many of the Master's truths have been shamefully neglected by those into
whose hands they were committed. Many of His grandest lessons are ignored
by His disciples, who ambitious for place and power--quarrel among
themselves. Many of His noblest laws have been twisted out of all
resemblance to His spirit by those who interpret them to meet the demands
of their own particular sects and systems. But of all the truths the
Master has given to men, none, perhaps, has been more neglected, or
abused than the simple truth He illustrated so vividly when He washed
His disciples' feet.
Left alone Dr. Harry picked up one magazine after another, only to turn
the leaves impatiently and--after a moment--toss them aside. He glanced
at his medical journal and found it dull. He took up his book only to lay
it down again. Decidedly he could not read. The house with its empty
rooms was so big and still. He seated himself at his piano but had
scarcely touched the keys, when he rose again to go to the window.
"After all," he thought, "it would have been better to have gone to
prayer meeting. I am not fit to be alone tonight. If I could only go to
bed and sleep, but I feel as if I had forgotten how. Those Masons
certainly got on my nerves." Indeed, the strain was plainly visible, for
his face was worn and haggard. In his ears poor Jo's prayer was ringing,
"Do somethin' Doc! My God Almighty, you jest got to do somethin'!"
Turning from the window the doctor's eyes fell on his medicine case,
which Uncle George had brought in from the buggy and placed near the
hall door.
"Why not?" he thought.
Picking up the case he went to the table, where he opened it
hesitatingly.
"After all, why not?" he repeated half-aloud. "I would give it to a
patient in my condition."
"But the patient wouldn't know what it was," a voice within himself
answered.
"I need something. I--" his hand went out toward the case--"I have never
done it before."
"You have seen others who have," said the voice again.
"This is an exceptionally trying time," he argued.
"There will be many more such times in your practice."
"But I must get some rest!" he cried, "I must!" He reached again for the
open case but paused--startled by the ringing of the door-bell.
Obeying the impulse of the moment he dropped into his chair and caught up
a paper.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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