like that or on the names of New York State towns: Ithaca, Syracuse, Rome. And Martin’s thoughts drifted on with his father.
“Pa used to carry a wire-fence cutter with him on winter calls. The roads got snowed over so often, he’d be driving through fields without knowing it. He used to fold a newspaper under his vest to keep warm. Sounds like a hundred years ago, doesn’t it? But it wasn’t so long ago, really. Say, doesn’t that look tempting?”
In Gregory’s Pond, the confluence of three streams, a few small boys were swimming.
“Why don’t we bring our suits sometime?” he proposed.
“Oh, I forgot, you don’t like to swim.”
“That’s not true. I really do like to.”
“But you said—”
“I only said so because I didn’t want you to see me in a bathing suit. Now all of a sudden, I wouldn’t mind. Maybe because you’re a doctor. But I wouldn’t be ashamed anymore.”
“Jessie, there’s nothing to be ashamed of!”
“Well, not ashamed exactly. It’s that I think people will find it—disgusting,” she said, so low that he barely caught her word.
“ ‘Nihil humanum mihi alienum est.’ You said you remembered your Latin, didn’t you?”
“ ‘Nothing human is alien to me,’ ” she said quietly, and after a moment, “Thank you.”
“You ought to put a higher valuation on yourself, you know.”
“I suppose I should. But then, so should you.”
“What do you mean?”
“You ought to be doing what you
want
to do. Something more important than what you’re doing.”
“But what I’m doing
is
important. These sick people are important.”
“Of course they are! But you’re one of the movers, theadvance guard, Martin. Listen! There are people who sing in the chorus, and we need them. Then there’s the tenor lead, and we need him most of all.”
“Maybe you overestimate me.”
“Oh, I despise false modesty! What’s that magazine sticking out of your bag? You’ve had it there since last week.”
“This?” He drew out a copy of
Brain
. In a moment of high hopes he had taken a subscription to it. “Oh. There’s a fascinating article this month about an operation for the removal of the frontal lobe. I’ll lend it to you if you want to read it.”
“I wonder what a person is like after that?”
“From what I’ve read they’re recognizably ‘normal.’ They do lose some—mental energy, I guess you could call it—desire to figure out new undertakings, and so on. But I guess that’s better than the alternative.”
“Incredible! The whole business is, delving inside the brain.”
“Yes. I used to watch Dr. Albeniz operate—It seemed almost magical to me.”
“Isn’t he the one who wanted you to train with him?”
“Yes.”
“It’s been horrible for you to give it up, hasn’t it?”
“Well, not easy.”
He would have to stop thinking about it, learn to accept reality and cultivate patience. He’d never had much patience and that was another flaw in him.
“I’m sorry I brought it up just now,” Jessie said soberly.
“That’s all right.”
“It’s not all right. It’s like taunting you with your impossible dream, and that’s cruel.”
“I’m not the most deprived person in the world, after all.”
“No, but you are depressed more than you should be.”
Was it so evident then? And he was always so careful to be briskly cheerful!
“Oh, you don’t show it. You needn’t worry about that But I’ve told you, I’m queer that way. I can sense hidden things in people.”
Astonishing girl! For it was true. Melancholy, sticky and gray as cobwebs, had been clinging to him.
“There’s something I’ve been wanting to say to you, Martin. I haven’t done it because you’re so reserved and I—”
“Reserved? Is that how you see me?”
“Of course. Don’t you even know that about yourself? What I wanted to say is: I hope you have no thought that I’m running after you.”
He was embarrassed. “Of course not.”
“Most
“Pa used to carry a wire-fence cutter with him on winter calls. The roads got snowed over so often, he’d be driving through fields without knowing it. He used to fold a newspaper under his vest to keep warm. Sounds like a hundred years ago, doesn’t it? But it wasn’t so long ago, really. Say, doesn’t that look tempting?”
In Gregory’s Pond, the confluence of three streams, a few small boys were swimming.
“Why don’t we bring our suits sometime?” he proposed.
“Oh, I forgot, you don’t like to swim.”
“That’s not true. I really do like to.”
“But you said—”
“I only said so because I didn’t want you to see me in a bathing suit. Now all of a sudden, I wouldn’t mind. Maybe because you’re a doctor. But I wouldn’t be ashamed anymore.”
“Jessie, there’s nothing to be ashamed of!”
“Well, not ashamed exactly. It’s that I think people will find it—disgusting,” she said, so low that he barely caught her word.
“ ‘Nihil humanum mihi alienum est.’ You said you remembered your Latin, didn’t you?”
“ ‘Nothing human is alien to me,’ ” she said quietly, and after a moment, “Thank you.”
“You ought to put a higher valuation on yourself, you know.”
“I suppose I should. But then, so should you.”
“What do you mean?”
“You ought to be doing what you
want
to do. Something more important than what you’re doing.”
“But what I’m doing
is
important. These sick people are important.”
“Of course they are! But you’re one of the movers, theadvance guard, Martin. Listen! There are people who sing in the chorus, and we need them. Then there’s the tenor lead, and we need him most of all.”
“Maybe you overestimate me.”
“Oh, I despise false modesty! What’s that magazine sticking out of your bag? You’ve had it there since last week.”
“This?” He drew out a copy of
Brain
. In a moment of high hopes he had taken a subscription to it. “Oh. There’s a fascinating article this month about an operation for the removal of the frontal lobe. I’ll lend it to you if you want to read it.”
“I wonder what a person is like after that?”
“From what I’ve read they’re recognizably ‘normal.’ They do lose some—mental energy, I guess you could call it—desire to figure out new undertakings, and so on. But I guess that’s better than the alternative.”
“Incredible! The whole business is, delving inside the brain.”
“Yes. I used to watch Dr. Albeniz operate—It seemed almost magical to me.”
“Isn’t he the one who wanted you to train with him?”
“Yes.”
“It’s been horrible for you to give it up, hasn’t it?”
“Well, not easy.”
He would have to stop thinking about it, learn to accept reality and cultivate patience. He’d never had much patience and that was another flaw in him.
“I’m sorry I brought it up just now,” Jessie said soberly.
“That’s all right.”
“It’s not all right. It’s like taunting you with your impossible dream, and that’s cruel.”
“I’m not the most deprived person in the world, after all.”
“No, but you are depressed more than you should be.”
Was it so evident then? And he was always so careful to be briskly cheerful!
“Oh, you don’t show it. You needn’t worry about that But I’ve told you, I’m queer that way. I can sense hidden things in people.”
Astonishing girl! For it was true. Melancholy, sticky and gray as cobwebs, had been clinging to him.
“There’s something I’ve been wanting to say to you, Martin. I haven’t done it because you’re so reserved and I—”
“Reserved? Is that how you see me?”
“Of course. Don’t you even know that about yourself? What I wanted to say is: I hope you have no thought that I’m running after you.”
He was embarrassed. “Of course not.”
“Most
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