Light Sketches of Village Life In Britain

Poverty Bay Herald, Volume LXIII, Issue 18975, 27 March 1936, Page 12

Light Sketches of Village Life In Britain

"pIiACE p' .Life" is a jbook of light sketches by Margaret Holden. Most of the essays deal with village life, and one "of the best concerns .village doctors. Om -was a rare character, and of him Miss Holden writes:— "I ,onre said ,to -him .that he did not seem' able to' suffer fo.ols gkidly. Jle replied/'I can'tsuffer 'theffi at. all.' "One of his stories concerned a certain nouveau riche patient who rea'tcd one .of'fhe "lyrgeAr, elates in .the neigh.bourho.od." lie had not .been long in' residence when he is-cni /.or f.he dower. 'aVhe ' .was leaving' jthe patient called ' the .doctor j'n% the billiard room ,t.o hand Ms fee, and asked:— " 'Did -you come to fcho from door, Doctor?' " 'Of course.' " 'Well . . . oh . . . in future . . . er . . . be so good as jto come to the side door.' " 'ln future, sir, I will not come to any door of yours, and I would not touch' your money with a fifty-foot pole. Good morning.* "The doctor said he threw the two sovereigns (wc used sovereign>, _in those days), and the.two sihiitlings■ ojl to the billiard table, along which they rolled, and that >vas his'first and last visit to Blank Hall. . . . Patients Compared Notes "Two patients jipxp door to ,cach other;' 6,ue, a lady, wa,s a nerve case —and' sucjh" even then in,ter.cste'd the doctor very greatly; t)w psychological side of his work .always appealed more than jh ( e physiological, and so lie: was willing to spend much time in the treatment of the neurasthenic patients —and probably lie likc<;l the person more. Anyhow, when the bills went in the neighbours compared notes,, and it was found tJiai''the lady, who, was poor* was charged }'es t s sisn tluV man, who was well .off, and who, as the do.ctor said, 'was given to overeating and just needed a pill.' "The man complained that he got! less attention and time and yet wa& charged more.; He suggested that' it; would be fairer to oharge hi.m. ,on n ; 'time basis."' ;

" 'Very well,' said the .doctor, 'two guineas an hour w o.uld "pp my fee oh a' J 'trine "Wis.' Xnd tjhe patient agreed. "Not long a£tor this man had typhoid, and Dr. Blake Aur.se ; d as well as doctored him, nursed' him all nigjht for several nights. "How maiiy times have I -known him do that! Patiently and" ungrudgingly giving up his nights flf&jfy Xime's" for' patients'' who ''w£l , e ,<jiuito unable ifi pay! Bill on. "Ti»Kp Bagis."

"As the typhoid patient xecoyered he and the doctor became good I fiends, and when the time- .came tire iili .was 111 ado out on the .agreed 'iiine £a.sis.-'; I can imagine the doctor carefully 1 reckoning up th.e ho.urs and .chuckling. as he 4i'd so, enjoying i.t tire more ;iuw that they understood each other, and making out .the bill down, to the last penny. "The cheque was made out and handed over. Both men' burst out laughing. " 'You old rascal! Well, I don't know whether there are many who would consider my life worth alj the trouble you took over it. . . .

It is worth something to mo, and I cheerfully pay your bill. Qne can pay money cte.bts; there arc that money can't, touch.' The diqetor folded the checpie and "mt it in Ms pocket,beside so many ' others—forgotten ,ones, he said. "'Yon ask.ed for it. Anyway, we want a ne.w operating 'tb t eat?e and this will come in* very you like .to go back to tjj.i_e old t<jrmsj?' " 'I think so; but look her.e, there is more \vh.ere that came fr.om'if you need it for the now .theatre.'

"The friendship lasted until the patient died not long after, and /ijie left such a sum for small hospitals that a good number of people'have reason to bless'his name.''