Two Letters

He also "allowed" that, if I wanted him to take out the stitches, he
could do it, but I "reckoned" that I could attend to that a little
better than he. Was that _lèse majesté_?

I did my best to be very humble, and said, "Yes, doctor" constantly, and
he tried to appear very professional; but I think he stood a little in
awe of me. You don't know how I enjoyed the feeling.

But, to return to our report. Lou is gaining strength rapidly; I let her
get up and play about longer each day, and have reduced the bandages to
the minimum. It was most affecting when they were removed from her eyes.
I forgot that I was a nurse, and cried with Smiles until the child
cried, too, without having the slightest idea why. She is such a sweet,
merry little imp that I do not wonder that you felt more than mere
professional interest in her case. Every one here loves her.

Indeed, I am enchanted with the place and people, and have made up my
mind to stay on a week or ten days after I call myself off the case, and
take a vacation which I really owe to myself.

Poor Big Jerry is wonderful--so pathetically patient under his
suffering, which is now acute. I am afraid that he cannot last many
weeks longer, and, more than once, I have had to give him a hypodermic
to deaden his pain. Somehow he reminds me of a huge forest tree that has
been struck and shattered by a lightning bolt.