The Story of a Doctor's Telephone—Told by His WifeFirebaugh, Ellen M.
General
The Story of a Doctor's Telephone—Told by His Wife
Firebaugh, Ellen M.
Physicians -- Anecdotes; Wit and humor
When he arrived at his destination he was met at the door by a
well-dressed, handsome young man. "Just come into this room for a few
minutes, Doctor. My wife says they are not quite ready for you in
there."
"Who is the patient?" asked the doctor as he walked into the room
indicated.
"The baby boy."
"The baby boy!" exclaimed the doctor. "I didn't know the little rascal
had got here."
"Yes, you were out of town. My wife and I thought that ended the matter
but he got here just the same."
"Mighty glad to hear it. How old is he?"
"Just ten days."
"Pretty fine, isn't he?"
"You bet! I wouldn't take all the farms in these United States for him."
"To be sure. To be sure," laughed the doctor. He picked up a little
volume lying open on the table. "Do you like Omar?" he asked, aimlessly
turning the pages.
"Very much. I don't always get the old Persian's meaning exactly. Take
this verse," he reached for the book and turning back a few pages read:
"The moving finger writes; and having writ,
Moves on; nor all your piety nor wit
Shall lure it back to cancel half a line,
Nor all your tears wash out a word of it.
That sounds pretty but it has something in it that almost scares a
fellow--he doesn't know why."
The nurse appeared in the doorway and announced that the doctor might
come in now. Both men rose and went across the hall into the bedroom.
The doctor shook hands with the baby's mother. "Where did you get this?"
he asked, laying his hand on the downy little head.
"He came out of the everywhere into the here," she quoted, smiling.
"Nurse, turn the baby's face up so the doctor can see his eyes. They're
greatly inflamed, Doctor," she said.
The doctor started. "Bring a light closer," he said sharply.
While the light was being brought he asked, "Did this inflammation begin
when the baby was about three days old?"
"He was exactly three days old."
"And been growing worse ever since?"
"Yes. Dr. Brown was with me when he was born. He came in the next day
and everything was all right. Then he was called to Chicago and I didn't
know enough about babies to know that this might be serious."
"_You_ ought to have known," said the doctor sternly, turning to the
nurse.
"I am not a professional nurse. I have never seen anything like this
before."
The light was brought and the nurse took the baby in her arms. The
doctor, bending over it, lifted the swollen little lids and earnestly
scrutinized the eyes. _The cornea was entirely destroyed!_
"O God!" The words came near escaping him. Sick at heart he turned his
face away that the mother might not see. She must not know the awful
truth until she was stronger. He gave some instructions to the nurse,
then left the room followed by the baby's father.
"Stop for a few minutes, Doctor, if you please. I'd like to ask you
something about this," and both resumed their seats, after Mr. Ardmore
had closed the door.
"Do you think the baby's eyes have been hurt by too much light?"
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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