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Newspaper Page Text
MuimiipmfppppfHUPPPPlUlfli CONFESSIONS OF A WIFE DR. ATWATER POINTS A MORAL (Copyright, 1915, by the Newspaper Enterprise Association.) I was almost hysterical by the time I had finished talking with Dr. At water about Aunt Mary. He took me by the hand aiid led me over to the sofa. "Margie, my child, you must learn that it does us poor, weak mor tals no good to rail against the com mon lot of humanity. "We all must bear and a few far seeing souls have found that it does no good to cry over what we cannot help, and so they have made it a vir tue not to do so. We have dubbed this bravery, and honored it because we know that without some such en couragement in bearing our burdens silently this world would be a pande monium rent with the cries of the sin ner and the sufferer." ""But, my dear doctor, it always seems to me tljiat saints like Aunt Mary should be exempt" "True, my dear child, we can't al ways see the reason why; in fact, that is what the whole world is forever asking, why, and the endless ques tion is never answered. Let me tell you a story of a friend of mine, Mar gie, who was the head of one of the largest universities in this country and under his management it had flourished and spread until thousands of boys and girls each-year went from with high hopes and soaring ambi tions rolled up in their bits of sheep skin. All at once lie was stricken with illness which was pronounced cancer. He was still in the prime of life, but his doom was certain when the malady was found to be inopera ble. He came to me and said, 'Doc tor, I am going to epd it all I can't stand this agony. Why should I suf fer knowing that the end can only mean death. I've done a great deal for the university. I have lived for others all my life and now it seems to me that I can at least give this boon of surcease from pain to my self, and so I have determined not to live much longer.' "I told him I could not blame him and that he must be the judge of. what he should do under the circum-.l stances, and then I asked him howri many boys and girls had been grad uated from his institution since he had been at the head of it " T can't tell many thousands,' he answered. ( " 'And they have all looked up to and venerated you.' " T think so, but what has that to do with it?' " 'Well, we'll say that you do com mit suicide, which you have a per fect right to do, and put yourself out of your misery. Will not any one of these young men or women, if he comes to a hard place in life's road, ber afile to justify himself by saying, 'Prexydidit?' "My friend looked at me for a mo ment, and then said, 'Doctor, I'll stick,' and stick he did through awful suffering until the last" "It's a fine story, doctor," I said, "but still I am not convinced of just how much we owe to others and just how much we owe to ourselves. We have always been taught 'Greater , love hath no man than this, that he lay down his life for another,' and yet I wonder if it is not better for one sometimes to save his own life and let the other perish." "But, Margie, you must remember that we are not able to judge," said the dear old doctor. "It would be perfectly natural for each one of us to think that his life was more valu able to the world than that other he might save." "Well, I don't think it's right that dear Aunt Mary should suffer f or.any one." "Hush, Margie! You must not ques tion the ways of mysterious Providence."