Memories of the 20th Century: Stories by Eleanor Monroe Page: 87
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HOME IN SHERMAN 1 87
The Gift
When Christmas catalogs glut the mail before Halloween and television
ads make their holiday season onslaught, the true spirit of Christmas giv-
ing seems lost in commercialism. It is then that I like to remember the story
my husband, Stanley, told me about Effie Harman and the gift she gave her
husband, Jedidiah.
Stanley first met Effie and Jed when they came to the clinic where he
worked. They walked in out of a raw winter day without an appointment
and persuaded the nurse to let them see the doctor. When she took them
to his office, they stood uncertainly in the doorway, waiting for the doctor
to ask them to come in.
Jed was a lean and wiry man. He wore the battered boots and hat of
a working cowboy, but his shirt and jeans were neat and clean.
"Effie thinks I need to see a doctor about my cough," he began apolo-
getically. "I told her it's just a cold, and I can wear it off." But the flush of
fever showed in his weather-beaten face and dulled his steady grey eyes.
"Come in," Stanley urged them, "and we will see what we can
find out."
Effie sat patiently, letting Jed to the talking, while Stanley began his
examination. He soon determined that Jed had influenza, and he prescribed
an antibiotic and bed rest. In a few days, Jed was riding fence rows again.
From that time on, Stanley was their family doctor. He treated Effie;
their teen-age son, Johnny; and occasionally Jed. It didn't matter which one
was the patient, Jed and Effie always came together.
The passing years brought changes: Johnny grew into a man; Jed gave
up bronco busting; Effie took a job at the steam laundry; and Stanley began
thinking about retiring.
One day Jed came to the office without Effie. It was as if he sensed
that this time was different. He was right: He had primary cancer of the
liver; and a few months later, Jed died. He had no insurance, and his med-
ical bills accumulated during his last illness.
When Stanley closed his office and retired, envelopes containing
from $2.00 to $10.00 began arriving at our house on the first of each month
from Effie. Stanley checked with his bookkeeper and found that Effie was
still paying on Jed's account. "Johnny must be helping her. He is a good
son," he thought.
Then a few days before Christmas, he read in the paper that a hit-
and-run driver had struck down and killed Johnny Harman. Effie was
now alone.
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Memories of the 20th Century: Stories by Eleanor Monroe (Book)
Collection of stand-alone autobiographical anecdotes written by Eleanor Monroe about her family and life in Sherman, Texas.
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Monroe, Eleanor; Lincecum, Jerry Bryan & Redshaw, Peggy A. Memories of the 20th Century: Stories by Eleanor Monroe, book, 2009; Sherman, Texas. (https://texashistory.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metapth113793/m1/101/?q=%222009%22: accessed July 16, 2024), University of North Texas Libraries, The Portal to Texas History, https://texashistory.unt.edu; crediting Austin College.