"But do you realize that this is
the continuation of an old story. This woman was in St. John's last week,
with the child, and I suppose they may have brought the disease from
there. Then the child became ill, the night before last, and she waits
until this morning to bring it over to me. When she reaches here she
finds me away, but of course every woman in the place strolls in, with
children in arms, to look on and give advice. We may be in for a fine
epidemic. I shall have to send to St. John's at once for a new supply of
antitoxine. I have only a little, and it is not very fresh. Atkins is
away with his schooner but he is expected to-morrow. I hope he turns up.
Thank you ever so much, Miss Jelliffe. Now please run away and follow my
directions."
So I left him and returned to the house and obeyed his orders. We soon
had supper, but when I told Daddy all about it, it was his turn to be
angry.
"That's all very well," he said, "but after all he could have found some
one else to help him and you had no business to disobey. When the time
comes for you to have babies of your own you can risk your life for them
as much as you please, but you have no right to run into danger now. You
are my only child, and I have no one else to love since your poor mother
died. Please don't do such things again. Grant was perfectly right in
trying to chase you away. He should have taken a stick to you."
Daddy's ruffled tempers are never proof against my method of smoothing
the raging seas.
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