Beloved Physician (5 page)

Dane embraced her, and Tharyn felt a special security in his arms.

Later that morning, the Logans entered the church building a few minutes before Sunday school was to start. Dane took his wife around to introduce her to his new friends. Tharyn was warmly welcomed by all. When they met up with Pastor Mark Shane and Peggy, the pastor welcomed her with a friendly smile and a handshake, and Peggy welcomed her with a big hug. The Shanes talked for a moment about what a beautiful wedding the Logans’ had been.

Dr. Fraser and Esther arrived with Nadine Wahl, and after greeting the Logans, asked them to sit beside them.

When Sunday school was over, Tharyn turned to Dane. “Honey, I really enjoyed Pastor Shanes lesson. He’s really a good teacher.”

Dane grinned. “Tell you what. You’ll like his preaching even better than his teaching. He really gets wound up when he preaches.”

Dr. Fraser leaned close. “He’s right, Tharyn. You’ll like the preaching even better.”

Tharyn thoroughly enjoyed the congregational singing, and when offering and announcement time came, the pastor walked to the pulpit and told the crowd that Dr. Dane Logan’s new bride was with him. He asked the couple to stand up so Dr. Logan could introduce her.

When the doctor did so, telling the crowd that her name was Tharyn, she was surprised to hear them applaud.

When the pastor saw the stunned look on her face, he looked
down from the pulpit. “Tharyn, these people are welcoming you like this because they all love your husband and are happy that you are now a resident of Central City.”

Tharyn nodded that she understood.

There was another congregational song. When the crowd was seated, three young ladies were introduced by the pastor and sang a heart-touching gospel song.

During the sermon, when Pastor Shane had just finished eloquently picturing Jesus dying on the cross for sinners, Tharyn leaned close to Dane and whispered, “You’re right, honey. His teaching is excellent, but his preaching is really great!”

Nadine Wahl heard her words, smiled, and patted her hand.

When the sermon was over and the invitation was given, Dane and Tharyn walked down the aisle to present themselves for membership in the church, along with two adults and a child who had come to receive the Lord Jesus Christ as Saviour.

When the pastor presented the Logans to the people, the crowd was enthusiastic in accepting them as members.

The three who had come for salvation were baptized, and after the service, Pastor Shane had them—along with the Logans—stand in the vestibule so the people could pass by and greet them.

Pastor and Mrs. Shane were standing at the end of the line next to Dane and Tharyn, shaking hands with people as they were leaving the building.

A diminutive lady paused before Dane and Tharyn and smiled. “Hello. I’m Mabel Downing. Welcome into our church.”

Mabel was immaculately dressed. Every hair was tucked into place under her white straw hat, which was trimmed with daisies and yellow ribbons. Her white straw reticule was clasped tightly in her tiny hands, which were clad with white lace gloves.

Dane and Tharyn both thanked her; then she said, “Dr. Fraser has long been my doctor, and I love him. But I am sure, Dr. Logan, that I will love you every bit as much. Already people in
Central City who have been treated by you have told me what a good doctor you are.”

The young physician smiled from ear to ear. “I’m glad to hear this, ma’am. Thank you for telling me.”

The pastor offered his hand. “Mabel, didn’t your niece feel like coming to church with you today?”

Mabel’s face pinched, and tears filmed her dark brown eyes. She tried to blink them away without success.

The Logans and Peggy looked on as the pastor asked, “Mabel, what’s wrong?”

Mabel sniffed. “Cassandra refused to come to church, Pastor. She said she doesn’t like churches, and doesn’t want anything to do with the Bible because God is just in the imagination of people’s minds.”

Shane looked stunned. “She’s an atheist?”

Mabel nodded and wiped tears from her cheeks. “That’s exactly what she called herself, Pastor. I haven’t seen Cassandra since she was a little girl. I wasn’t aware of this at all. Her parents are not Christians and have never taken her to church, but they are not atheists. I wasn’t aware that Cassandra felt this way until yesterday when I told her we needed to be at church today for Sunday school at ten o’clock. That’s when she came out with this atheist business.”

Peggy Shane said, “Mabel, when Pastor came home after seeing you at the general store on Tuesday, he told me you had informed him that your niece surprised you by knocking on your door that morning, saying she had come to live with you.”

Mabel nodded. “That’s right. I had no idea she was coming.”

Peggy’s brow furrowed. “Did something happen to Cassandra’s parents?”

Mabel shook her head, working hard to keep her self-control. “No. Like I said, I haven’t seen Cassandra since she was small, but I knew from my sister’s letters that she had become somewhat of a problem about the time she turned fourteen.

“Myrtle and I exchanged letters often, and by the time Cassandra was eighteen, Myrtle said the girl made life positively miserable for her and her husband. As she grew into adulthood, matters just escalated. Cassandra has absolutely no ambition and refuses to get a job.

“Myrtles husband is very ill and unable to work. Myrtle told Cassandra she was going to have to get a job and help out with the expenses. Cassandra threw a royal fit, saying she wasn’t going to do it, so Myrtle told her to leave. This fact came to me in a letter just over a week ago. I had no idea Cassandra would show up on my doorstep, and neither did Myrtle.”

Peggy shook her head. “Why do you suppose she came to you?”

“She must have found out from her parents that I received a substantial amount of money from a life insurance policy with a New York insurance company when my husband, Walter, was killed in that work accident four years ago.”

“Oh.”

“It looks to me like Cassandra figures her aunt will take care of her.” Once again, Mabel wiped tears. “More than anything, I want to bring Cassandra out of her atheism, and to see her open her heart to Jesus. I want her to be saved.”

Pastor Shane bit his lower lip and slowly shook his head. “Of course, Mabel. But what a shame that she calls herself an atheist. It is going to make your life miserable, having her in your home. Peggy and I will be praying for her, and for
you
. We’ll ask God to give you grace in it all, and we’ll be praying for her salvation. One day soon, I’ll happen by the house and try to talk to her. As you heard me preach not long ago, there is no such thing as an honest atheist. Romans 1:19 and 20 declares plainly that that which may be known of God by men is manifest in them, for God has shown it unto them. Man’s very conscience and his very nature tells him God exists. It also says that the invisible things of God from the
creation of the world are clearly seen, being understood by the things He has made. His creation even shows His eternal power and His Godhead. So people who call themselves atheists are without excuse before Him.

“When a person says there is no God, they are being dishonest. They know He exists because God has put in them to know it. What they really mean, is they
wish
there was no God. Both Psalm 14 and Psalm 53 call the person who says there is no God a
fool
We’ll be praying earnestly for Cassandra.”

“Yes, we will,” said Peggy.

“And Tharyn and I will too, Mrs. Downing,” said Dr. Dane, “and we’ll ask our Father in heaven to give you strength as well.”

Mabel ran her teary gaze over all four faces, thanked them, and walked away.

When Mabel Downing arrived home and stepped into the house, she saw no sign of her niece on the first floor. She climbed the stairs to the second floor and heard soft sounds coming from the bedroom that she had assigned to Cassandra. The door was open, and when Mabel reached it, she found Cassandra pawing through drawers in the dresser, removing their contents and placing them in a cardboard box.

Cassandra looked up at her aunt. “Back from church, huh?”

“Yes. What are you doing?”

“I’m making room for my own things that you are going to buy me from time to time. I’ll carry this box up to the attic and store these things up there.”

Mabel felt a touch of indignation at her niece’s bold assumption. “I’ll buy you the necessary things you need until you get a job of your own and you can buy them.”

Cassandra gave her a smug look. “What kind of job would I find in this small town, Aunt Mabel?”

“There are stores and shops that employ women as clerks, and there are cafés and restaurants that employ them as waitresses.”

Cassandra’s brow wrinkled and her cheeks tinted with ire. “Clerks? Waitresses?”

Mabel ignored the reaction. “Yes. You should put your application all over town right away, so if there are no openings at present, you’ll be given the first job that comes open.”

Cassandra masked the revulsion she felt at the thought of being a lowly clerk or waitress and decided to change the subject. She lifted a slender wooden instrument out of one of the drawers. It was some eighteen inches in length with a carved handle at the bottom of the pole, and a carved head at its top with four wooden prongs extending outward like curved fingers with narrow tips about half an inch apart.

“What is this, Aunt Mabel?”

“It’s an old Chinese backscratcher, Cassandra. The Chinese invented this implement to make it easy to scratch any itching spot. Your Uncle Walter bought it for me as a keepsake when we were in San Francisco’s Chinatown on our honeymoon many years ago.”

Cassandra looked at the wooden instrument. “It was nice of Uncle Walter to buy it for his bride. I’m sure it means a lot to you.”

“That it does.”

Cassandra placed the instrument back in the drawer, then looked at her aunt and smiled again. “I’ll keep it safe for you.”

“Well, dear, let’s go down to the kitchen and get Sunday dinner cooking.”

Cassandra reluctantly followed her aunt downstairs to the kitchen, but simply sat down at the table and watched Mabel prepare the dinner.

After a few minutes, Mabel stood at the stove and looked
toward her niece. “Cassandra, why don’t you set the table while I’m cooking?”

The pretty brunette raised her eyebrows. “Set the table?”

“Yes. You know. Silverware. Plates. Coffee cups and saucers. You can do that, can’t you?”

Disguising the loathing she felt at being prodded to do her part, Cassandra rose to her feet laboriously. “Mm-hmm. I can do that.”

A
s the days passed, Dr. Dane Logan cared for the patients who came to the office, and also those who were ill at home and needed his attention. House calls in town and in the rural areas were a part of the daily routine.

Between patients in the office who needed Tharyn’s care—sometimes alone, and at other times with the doctor—Nadine Wahl worked at training her in the keeping of the financial books and in knowing how to handle the job as receptionist. Nadine, of course, knew Tharyn’s reputation as a nurse at Denver’s Mile High Hospital, and that she needed no training in that area of responsibility.

Tharyn was delighted with her job, especially working alongside Dane with the patients. To her, it was a dream come true.

The Logans were up and about with the first light of dawn each day and worked many long hours. But Tharyn cheerfully performed each task, taking great pleasure in being a helper to her husband.

She had learned quickly that Dr. Dane Logan was the typical frontier doctor. He took care of people whether they could pay him or not. He often had to accept canned goods, garden
vegetables, eggs, or other edibles from his patients who had little money.

It seemed that some days, Dane was making house calls at closing time, so Tharyn hurried home to prepare supper and make their home a haven for her tired man.

Sometimes after supper, Tharyn went out back to attend to her small vegetable garden. Since it was planted quite late in the season, she knew her crop would be small, but she loved getting her hands in the soil. She pulled weeds joyfully.

On Thursday evening after supper, Dane had been called away to deliver a baby in a mountain cabin some five miles from Central City. Tharyn went to her garden, pulled a few weeds, and stood gazing at the rows where seeds had been planted. Soon she would see the tiny plants peeping up out of the soil.

Standing with her hands clasped behind her back, she turned in a slow circle, taking in the charming house and yard. A cool breeze had sprung up as the last rays of the sun sank behind the mountain peaks to the west and a burst of orange light seemed to glow over the whole world.

She drew a deep breath. “Thank You, my Father, for this magnificent view and for sight with which to behold it.”

By Friday, Nadine had Thaiyn thoroughly trained in the care of the financial books and in the duties as receptionist. When it came time to close the office, Dr. Dane was at the local saw mill, tending to a person who had been injured.