Harp on the Willow

by BJ Hoff

  “Owenduffy?” She stood staring at him. “You’re going to Owenduffy instead of coming for dinner? Mother’s worked practically all afternoon on the meal, and so have I.”

  “I’m so sorry, Serena. But I have to go. Convulsions are dangerous. I’m sure I don’t have to tell you that. And I need to get there as soon as possible.”

  “What’s going on out here?” Louisa Norman came to stand at the door beside her daughter. “Why, Daniel! How nice. You’ve come early. Goodness, Serena, don’t leave him standing at the door.”

  “Daniel isn’t staying, Mother. He has something more important to do.”

  Serena’s words were as sharp as shattered glass.

  “Mrs. Norman,” Daniel started in, “I’m so sorry. I hate this.” He hurried to explain, or tried to, his gaze darting back and forth from Serena to her mother. “I have an emergency in Owenduffy. A toddler who’s convulsing. I feel awful about this, I really do. But I have to go.”

  “Well, of course you do,” said Mrs. Norman. “You shouldn’t even have taken the time to stop here. You just go on now. We’ll do this another time.”

  Finally, Daniel caught a deep breath. “Thank you for understanding.” He hesitated another moment, hoping for something from Serena. What came wasn’t what he might have hoped for.

  “Mother’s right,” she said evenly, her eyes totally without warmth. “You needn’t have stopped. We’ll do this another time.”

  “Serena—”

  She practically shut the door in his face. Daniel felt as if he’d been slapped, but he delayed no longer.

  Murphy gave him a long look as he plopped down on the wagon bench, saying nothing.

  “Seems you might have been better off if I hadn’t come for you,” the miner said.

  Daniel looked at him, delaying his reply. Finally, he turned to stare at the road ahead. “No, you were right to come,” he said woodenly. “This is what I do.”

  Murphy continued to watch him before nodding and turning back to the road. “Aye, it is that.”

  The Corcoran toddler was two years old, a fact that made Daniel grit his teeth. Convulsions were all too common—and could be deadly—in an infant or a toddler.

  “If you need anything, I’ll be in the kitchen,” said Murphy as they entered the house. “I’ll stay to give you a ride home. The child’s in back, first room to your right.”

  Daniel nodded and then made for the stairway. He was relieved to find Addie Rose at the child’s bedside, trying to soothe the tot, while at the same time restraining her as best she could so the little one didn’t hurt herself. He had already seen that the Murphy girl had a decidedly calming effect on children. More to the point, she had proven herself to be quite capable in the sickroom.

  There was no time for introductions, but Daniel knew at once that the woman who stood weeping and wringing her hands on the opposite side of the bed was the mother.

  Addie Rose gave him no more than a quick glance, but for a change she appeared almost glad to see him.

  He found the little red-haired toddler much as he’d expected from Murphy’s description: with a high temperature, eyes rolled back, the small body contorted and caught up in the throes of violent muscle contractions.

  Clearly, he had to work fast. He had Addie Rose coax the mother to the kitchen. When she came back, he snapped instructions. “I need warm water—not hot, mind, just warm—for an enema. And while I give the enema, I want you to fill a washtub or sink with tepid water.” He paused. “We have to do this quickly.”

  As he had feared, the enema helped, but not enough, so he placed the child in the washtub Addie Rose had filled, dipped her and sponged her, over and over again, for more than an hour until the convulsions finally ceased. Then he wrapped her in a warm blanket and proceeded to walk the floor with her, keeping her bundled snugly against him for almost half an hour. She looked up at him once, her blue eyes confused and a little frightened, but alert. After a few minutes more, she dozed off in his arms, and Daniel handed her over to her mother so she could put her to bed.

  He looked in on her once more before leaving the house and saw that she was in good hands, with her mother sitting close on one side of the bed and Addie Rose on the other. He would come back Monday to check on her and get some information on her diet. So often convulsions could be traced back to a poor diet or severe allergic reactions.

  He glanced at his pocket watch. Nearly eight o’clock. So he had been right to stop at Serena’s before leaving Mount Laurel. Now if he could only figure out a way to get back in her good graces.

  Something told him that might take some time—perhaps a great deal of time.

  And, he feared, considerably more charm than he knew himself to possess.

  FOURTEEN

  AN IDEA FROM A FRIEND

  Friends… They cherish one another’s hopes.

  They are kind to one another’s dreams.

  HENRY DAVID THOREAU

  The past few days had been enough to test the endurance of an elephant.

  By Friday morning, Daniel knew he had to do something. But what?

  To make things even more hectic, Audrey had worked only one day this week, pleading a headache. She was prone to “pounders,” as she called them, routinely dismissing Daniel’s suggestion that she might do well to avoid her garden and the field behind her house, at least until after the first frost.

  Daniel was fairly certain that her headaches were related to the time she spent pulling weeds and taking a scythe to the high, coarse weeds at the back of her lot. Audrey, however, wasn’t one to heed unsolicited advice. At least, not that of her employer.

  It was midweek, however, before she’d delivered the real blow that not only caught him totally off-guard, but left him almost dazed, wondering how in the world he would ever manage now.

  She hadn’t even made an effort to visit him in person to deliver the news that she wouldn’t be returning to her position. Instead, she had sent a brief, curt note, delivered by her neighbor, Ruth Reilly, informing him that due to her “increasing physical problems,” she found it necessary to resign sooner than she’d originally planned.

  It was all Daniel could do to not go to her house and plead with her to reconsider, but the cold finality of her words—and his awareness that she had never really been satisfied with her job since his predecessor resigned—stopped him from what he knew would almost certainly be a complete and possibly embarrassing waste of time.

  With no idea how to even begin looking for a replacement for Audrey, he had managed to block the dilemma from his mind—at least temporarily. He would have to deal with it as soon as possible, of course, but for now his patient load and the situation with Serena were demanding all the time and energy he could muster.

  By late morning, he was relieved to find his waiting room empty at last. He wasted no time in removing his lab coat and washing up, hopeful of managing the first real lunch hour he had taken all week. Perhaps once his afternoon calls were completed, he’d be able to drop by Serena’s on the way home and do whatever it was going to take to repair the rift that had developed between them.

  He didn’t want to wait any longer. He’d hoped to talk with her before now, but there had simply been no time to manage even a quick meeting before today. He had the weekend ahead of him, of course, but there was no guarantee he’d have any real free time even then. Especially given the illness that was sweeping both Mount Laurel and Owenduffy. No, he was determined to see Serena today and attempt to make amends for what she no doubt considered his deplorable behavior last Saturday when he’d begged off dinner because of the emergency in Owenduffy.

  He caught himself wondering if she would have been as put out with him if his reason for canceling had involved a patient in Mount Laurel. The thought made him uncomfortable, and he quickly forced it from his mind. Still, there was no way to dismiss the awareness that most anything to do with the mining community seemed to trigger a negative reaction in Serena.

&nbs
p; Lawrence Hill was sitting alone when Daniel walked into Helen’s. The newspaper publisher half stood and motioned that Daniel should join him.

  “Well, this is a surprise,” Hill said, eyeing Daniel as he sat down. “I was beginning to think you’d left town.” Upon closer inspection, he added, “You don’t look so good, my friend. In fact, you look downright exhausted.”

  Daniel waved off the remark. “It’s a busy time.”

  They made small talk for a few minutes before Lawrence shot him another inquisitive look. “So…I expect the scarlet fever is the reason you’ve been so busy?”

  Daniel nodded. “That, plus the usual caseload. I can’t seem to keep up.”

  Lawrence continued to study him as he took a sip of coffee. “You’re still seeing patients on both sides of the river, then?”

  “Well, yes. The miners need medical care as much as anyone else.” Immediately, Daniel regretted the defensive tone even he could hear in his reply.

  “Of course they do,” Lawrence said mildly, leaning back in his chair. “Have you ever considered getting some help?”

  In truth, Daniel had thought about it quite a lot lately, especially given the additional problem of Audrey’s resignation. But he wasn’t in a position to seriously consider taking another doctor into the practice. During normal times, the patient flow wasn’t enough to support two physicians.

  But will normal times ever come again?

  It was highly doubtful any reputable doctor would be interested in a part-time position, and that was all he could offer for now.

  He shrugged and then went on to explain that the situation was complicated.

  “I can understand that,” Lawrence said.

  Daniel continued to push his potatoes around on his plate. “Besides, even if that were a possibility, I don’t know of any other physicians in the area. And I surely don’t have time to go conducting a search for someone.”

  Lawrence remained quiet for a time. Then, “What about someone you could train yourself? An apprentice?”

  “That used to be fairly common practice, but not so much anymore. These days most fellows interested in medicine are going for more formal training in the colleges and hospitals. Apprenticeships are frowned on now. More rules, more restrictions. That’s a good thing, of course, but it won’t help me find a part-time assistant.” He went on then to confide the problem of losing Audrey as well.

  Finally, frustration rendered him completely uninterested in the rest of his food. He put down his fork and pushed his plate away.

  Lawrence began to tap his fingers on the table. A sure sign he was thinking. “All right. What about a nurse? Or someone who could serve as an assistant while being trained as a nurse?”

  “Well, that’s a great idea,” Daniel replied with no real enthusiasm. “But I don’t know of anyone who’d be qualified, or even interested, for that matter—”

  Or did he? Without warning, the face of Addie Rose Murphy rose in his mind. For once his thoughts didn’t linger on the girl’s loveliness but moved to process what he’d observed about her—her capabilities, her quiet competence, and what he had already perceived to be a genuine concern for the well-being of others.

  More than anyone else he could think of, Dominic Murphy’s daughter had the makings of a capable assistant. Indeed, from what he’d seen so far, she most likely possessed real potential for becoming an excellent nurse. All she needed was training. And wasn’t he capable of administering that training?

  In addition, while she was learning what she’d need to know about the medical aspects of the position, couldn’t she also serve at least as a part-time receptionist? That would make her an even more valuable addition to his practice than Audrey had ever been, given the latter’s total lack of willingness to take on any nursing responsibilities.

  Suddenly energized by where his thoughts had taken him, he knew what he needed to do and decided he needed to act now.

  His chair scraped the floor in his haste to stand. “I hate to rush off,” he said, digging down into his pocket for his wallet. “But I just remembered something I need to take care of. Will you be here tomorrow?”

  “No doubt I will,” the other man said, frowning a little. “Because it’s just about the only place in town where you can get a decent meal. What’s your hurry anyway? Didn’t leave a patient on the examining table, did you?”

  “I hope not,” Daniel said with a laugh. “Just so you know, you’ve given me an idea. A good one, I believe. At least one I want to think about.”

  “Well, I hope you’ll find time to let me in on my own brilliance. Maybe you can take time out again tomorrow for lunch.”

  “I’ll try,” Daniel promised, already on his way around the table, his mind racing ahead to such unfamiliar subjects as how to make a part-time job offer attractive to someone like Addie Rose Murphy and what sort of salary would be proper—a salary he could afford, that is—for such a position.

  Once Daniel was finally free to leave the office for the day, he found himself in a quandary over the best way to contact Addie Rose. He supposed it made sense to simply drive to Owenduffy and go to her house. But this late in the day, the girl’s brothers and sisters—and her father—would most likely be at home, perhaps even gathered for supper, although he had no idea what time miners usually had their evening meal. It might be difficult to have a conversation with her in the midst of such a large family.

  There was also the possibility that Dominic Murphy might not take kindly to the idea of employment for his daughter, especially within the confines of an unmarried doctor’s office, much less her traveling about the town unchaperoned. Something about the miner’s usual tough demeanor had given Daniel a sense that Murphy would be even more hard-edged in his capacity as a father—especially where his daughters were concerned.

  Then, too, it was more than possible that Addie Rose might be elsewhere, perhaps helping to tend to someone ill with scarlet fever. In reality, he simply had no idea what might be the best way to approach the young woman and offer her a job.

  He decided to get on his way to Owenduffy, hoping the ride over would clear his mind from the clutter of the day and present a workable way to approach Addie Rose Murphy with a job offer she’d be eager to accept.

  More to the point, an offer her father would allow her to accept.

  So, once more, at least for the time being, he relegated calling on Serena to the back of his mind, telling himself he needed to address one problem at a time.

  FIFTEEN

  A REJECTION—AND SOME ADVICE

  May God be praised for woman

  That gives up all her mind.

  A man may find in no man

  A friendship of her kind.

  W.B. YEATS

  Dominic Murphy flung the door open, his face set in the dark scowl Daniel had come to recognize by now.

  After a second or two, his expression eased just a bit to a raised eyebrow and a lift of his chin in obvious surprise. “Your wagon broke down again, Doc?” he said, removing a pipe from his mouth.

  Daniel chose to ignore the note of sarcasm in the other’s tone. “Not this time. Thanks be,” he added. He knew he was stalling for time, uncertain as to how to proceed.

  “I was wondering if I could talk with you,” he finally managed. “Or am I interrupting your dinner?”

  “Supper’s over,” Murphy said, still studying him. He hesitated only another second or two. “Well, come in, then. Too bitter to stand out there.”

  Daniel expelled a long breath and stepped inside.

  The front room was a bit of a surprise. By now, Daniel had been inside a number of the miners’ homes, and with few exceptions their furnishings were meager and inadequate, with decorating so sparse as to be almost nonexistent. The Murphy place was humble enough, but the furniture, while for the most part homemade, looked sturdy and quietly attractive. The sole window was curtained, the room painted and cheerful. Clearly, this was the family’s attempt at a type of parlor.<
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  The middle room was similar, though it appeared to be more lived in and more often used. This was obviously the dining room. A long wooden table with a glass vase of dried wildflowers graced the center. It was warmer than the front room thanks to a large, cast-iron, coal-burning stove going strong. A rocking chair flanked each side of the stove.

  By the far wall of the room, two small boys and a little girl knelt playing marbles on the floor. An attractive woman doing needlework of some sort sat in the smaller of the two chairs by the stove. She looked up at her husband and Daniel with a shy smile.

  “My wife, Jana,” Murphy said without preamble. “This is the doc from Mount Laurel I was telling you about.”

  Daniel acknowledged the introduction, at the same time wondering exactly what Jana Murphy might have heard about him. But then, given her husband’s dour attitude toward him, he figured he might be better off not knowing.

  He was disappointed to see no sign of Addie Rose, but he hesitated to raise the subject of his visit. In the next moment, Murphy’s wife excused herself and told the children she’d be helping them get ready for bed. Once they left the room, Murphy indicated that Daniel should take the seat she’d vacated beside the stove as he sat down in the other chair.

  As Daniel had already learned, the big miner wasn’t one to beat around the bush. Murphy had no sooner seated himself in the larger of the two rockers than he turned and faced Daniel directly. “So what’s on your mind, Doc?”

  “I’m in need of help.”

  Murphy lifted an eyebrow. “That would seem to be a fairly common problem with you, I’ve noticed.”

  Daniel leaned forward a little. “No. What I mean is that I need help with my practice. My patients.”

  Murphy frowned a little. “From what I hear tell, you’re doing a fine job.”

  “I could do a better job if there were two of me.”

  “Afraid I can’t help you there, Doc.”

  Daniel watched him. “Actually, I think you can. If you will.”