James Oppenheim

“ The lamp-lighter snapped back a little door on the f-shaped electric-light pole, turned a switch and a blue glamour daubed the flowing beards; a crowd circulated about them; the night deepened into a starriness of Heaven and Earth, the City flashing back to the sky a luminous Milky Way; the great City, a zone of glow, busy with black human gnats. Peace lay on the Earth soft as light ”

“ God! it's so easy to talk! But I—I—I who have worked so, scraped so, dreamed—dreamed so—putting together penny after penny, working night and day, loving her—and she—loving me, waiting for me each night, smiling on me; we in our little world; just us in it, just we two! My God, Ben Labor," he cried out in his moment of agony, "how many nights have I not sat here, while the city around us was asleep and she hovered near, waiting on me, stealing up land putting an arm about my neck, touching these my lips—" He flung his head on his bands. ”

“ At once Martha shrieked in delirium and began to fight and bite. He had to set down the glass and force her arms to her side. The door opened and the Mother, the Father and William wildly staggered in.
The Doctor flew toward them in a blaze of anger.
"Get out!" he cried. "And don't dare to open this door. You are killing her."
They drew back, moaning and wailing. Then the Doctor spoke sharply:
"Here, give me the tank, Mr. Lefcovitz. Now get me some cracked ice, a sponge, a towel—water—water! Quick!" ”

“ And Samuel Lefcovitz raised his voice:
"And she, our pride, Martha! I, too, loved her! Oh, it's terrible— it's terrible— terrible!—"
Ben Labor spoke with authority:
"Be still! You will all kill her with fear and noise; be still! Did you send for the Doctor?"
Mrs. Khasan spoke shrilly:
"Ya! we did send for Dr. Rast. He comes right away."
And even then the door opened and the big dark form of the Doctor hovered through. There was a hush at once.
"Good evening!" he murmured, searching the room with his kindly glance. "Where is our little patient?" ”

“ His mild rich voice was raised continuously; his big face-encircling beard foamed luminously over his open shirt; his big blue eyes were clear and beaming. His sweet strong masculinity was in his face.
Their talk? Old times, the changes that have been on earth, the "I-remembers" of age, the intimate notes on families, the up-swinging of new generations, glories that were, glories to be, and they, sitting a little to one side to watch the ranks tramp by, they, sitting on their harvests and mildly wailing the close of golden Indian Summer, and Sleep. ”

“ In the melting folds of the twilight one could see Walt Whitman and Ruskin, Adam and Moses, Longfellow and Tolstoi, with big broad faces, fat noses and flowing beards, grandly conferring—a peaceful lot, looking as if life were closing upon them very tenderly—their last round being loo deep for noise. ”

“ Mamma says come quick, Martha's sure dying."
She looked at his face to see the effect, almost laughing with the part she was playing. She was disappointed. The old men, including the old god, shook their heads as if to say: "Such is life: we know: nothing surprises us any more," and old Ben Labor arose:
"So, Hilda-chen (little Hilda dear) ," he murmured. "Come: we will go home to Martha." ”

“ He replaced ice-bag with ice-bag. He sponged the face and limbs with cold water. He administered stimulants. Not for a moment was he idle. His face was white and dripped sweat. His back and arms ached unendurably. He flung himself back to the fight time and again, now recoiling exhausted, dazed, nerve nearly lost, now hurling himself back with every ounce and grain of power in him. After a terrible hour, the wild delirium became constant and he fought only as a modern Doctor can fight. He fought with exactness, with mad energy, with heroic purpose. The body of Martha fought back ”

“ The Doctor, with hand on knob of the closed door, stood for a moment with that sense of paralysis that comes of being helpless and pushed for time. Then he flung his coat on a chair; he rolled up his sleeves; he ripped off his collar and relieved his neck; he opened his satchel. As he stood for another terrible moment, the door gratingly opened and frightened Jennie shambled in with a glass full of whisky. Poor Jennie! she was watery and dim and thin of face, big ugly teeth. bleary eyes, flat hair, and gnarly thin of body. ”

“ He seized the tank and pushed them out, closing the door. He drew the lank to the bed, put the rubber glass-tipped tube to one of the girl's nostrils and applied the oxygen. She gasped, grunted, breathed heavily and began to cry out again. A moment later the Mother brought ice and sponge, towel and water.
Strive as he would, he could not keep the family outside And then the routine of the fight was established. Strive as he would, he could not keep the family outside. ”