Mrs. H:--"I should think so. Husband says Percy'll die if he don't have

a change; and so I'm going to swap round a little and see what can be

done. I saw a lady from Florida last week, and she recommended Key West.

I told her Percy couldn't abide winds, as he was threatened with a

pulmonary affection, and then she said try St. Augustine. It's an awful

distance--ten or twelve hundred mile, they say but then in a case of this

kind--a body can't stand back for trouble, you know."

Mrs. O.--"No, of course that's off. If Francois don't get better soon

we've got to look out for some other place, or else Europe. We've

thought some of the Hot Springs, but I don't know. It's a great

responsibility and a body wants to go cautious. Is Hildebrand about

again, Mrs. Gashly?"

Mrs. G.--"Yes, but that's about all. It was indigestion, you know, and

it looks as if it was chronic. And you know I do dread dyspepsia. We've

all been worried a good deal about him. The doctor recommended baked

apple and spoiled meat, and I think it done him good. It's about the

only thing that will stay on his stomach now-a-days. We have Dr. Shovel

now. Who's your doctor, Mrs. Higgins?"

Mrs. H.--"Well, we had Dr. Spooner a good while, but he runs so much to

emetics, which I think are weakening, that we changed off and took Dr.

Leathers. We like him very much. He has a fine European reputation,

too. The first thing he suggested for Percy was to have him taken out in

the back yard for an airing, every afternoon, with nothing at all on."

353

The Gilded Age