Mrs. O. and Mrs. G.--"What!"

Mrs. H.--"As true as I'm sitting here. And it actually helped him for

two or three days; it did indeed. But after that the doctor said it

seemed to be too severe and so he has fell back on hot foot-baths at

night and cold showers in the morning. But I don't think there, can be

any good sound help for him in such a climate as this. I believe we are

going to lose him if we don't make a change."

Mrs. O. "I suppose you heard of the fright we had two weeks ago last

Saturday? No? Why that is strange--but come to remember, you've all

been away to Richmond. Francois tumbled from the sky light--in the

second-story hall clean down to the first floor--"

Everybody--"Mercy!"

Mrs. O.--"Yes indeed--and broke two of his ribs--"

Everybody--"What!"

Mrs. O. "Just as true as you live. First we thought he must be injured

internally. It was fifteen minutes past 8 in the evening. Of course we

were all distracted in a moment--everybody was flying everywhere, and

nobody doing anything worth anything. By and by I flung out next door

and dragged in Dr. Sprague; President of the Medical University no time

354

The Gilded Age