Refreshing Rain 117 



We have beautiful rains here in this forest coun- 

 try — not long drizzles, but frequent, sunny showers. 

 It was not intended that people should be injured 

 by a wetting in a summer rain. It spoils fine bon- 

 nets and silk hats, and starched frills and collars, 

 and other inventions of the devil, but it does not 

 hurt flannels, and is decidedly good for the human 

 skin. This thing of making a dry-nurse of one's 

 self for one's self is a miserably poor use to make 

 of life. You fine city people are composed of two 

 classes. Part of you get up late, mince over a fine 

 breakfast, and then loll around and watch for your 

 favorite ailments — and dote on your doctor. I am 

 beginning to despise doctors — not the country doc- 

 tor, be he in country or city, who is sent for only in 

 emergencies, and then administers remedies which 

 attend strictly to business, be the remedy emetic, 

 cathartic, astringent, or emollient; but the city 

 fashionable doctor — the doctor who is a luxury, not 

 a necessity. It may be said that the doctor is not 

 to blame — that he only meets a demand. But he 

 encourages and helps to create the demand. He 

 pets and coddles and alarms those whose only ail- 

 ments are rich diet and laziness, combined with a 

 craving for sympathy. I know some doctors who 

 will not have anything to do with such business — 

 who will tell the patients to stop their medicine- 

 swallowing, and give some attention to the laws of 

 health. 



The other class of city people to whom I am by 



