little miss austin

It's not too hard to speculate.

First, Alice did get sick, still contagious, so both Jane and Henry moved out with the baby;

Second, maybe the illness is not fatal, so she has to be sent to other places to recuperate.

In addition, there is another thing that makes Oliver strange: Oxford University is already on summer vacation, but where is Ivo?

Byron said he didn't know where Ivo was, and he thought Ivo would come to London.

Oliver soon went to Austin's house again, this time alone without Byron.

Mrs. Austen still did not let him see Alice.

"Sorry, she really can only stay in bed and can't come down to see you."

"I know she is very sick, or an infectious disease. Don't worry, I'm not afraid of being infected by her."

Mrs. Austin smiled bitterly, "But I can't let you get infected. Believe me, I don't let you see her because of your health."

"She has tuberculosis?"

He would directly guess tuberculosis, also because tuberculosis is a common infectious disease with high incidence.

Sure enough, Mrs. Austin replied with a gloomy expression: "I didn't deliberately want to hide it from you, but you also know that this disease...Alice may not live long."

Oliver lowered his head, "I know this disease is difficult to cure, but it is more likely to be cured if you have money. What did the doctor say?"

"The doctor said it's best to send her to a warm place in the south to recuperate." Mrs. Austin wiped the tears from the corners of her eyes, "I will accompany her to the Isle of Wight in a few days and stay there for two weeks, waiting for Francis' warship to be transferred. Then send her to the Portuguese island of Madeira to recuperate."

Oliver raised his head, seemingly hesitant, "Where is Alice? Does she want to go to recuperate?"

"She—" Mrs. Austen finally burst into tears, "my Alice! She doesn't think it's a serious illness, and she comforts me all day long, saying that it will be better after going out in the sun for a few months. God!"

Oliver was very embarrassed, "Mrs. Austin, she will be fine, I mean, she will definitely recover." He expected that Alice would have a good attitude, she has always been a lively and cheerful girl, even if If you are sick, you will definitely treat it optimistically and treat it actively.

Cathy quickly came in, "Mother, don't be sad. Tuberculosis is not ... It is not necessarily incurable, many people have been cured, and our little Alice will definitely be cured. Don't worry about it because it hasn't happened yet." sad things."

Oliver thought, the Austin family had just buried the male master not long ago, and then they had to face the situation that the youngest child might die soon, Mrs. Austin would definitely not be able to bear this double blow, if Alice died, Mrs. Austin It didn't take long to live well.

No, you can't think like that!Alice would not die so young!

"I want to see her," he turned to Cathy. "Miss Austin, would you please ask Alice if she would like to see me?"

Alice is reluctant to see him, but writes him a note for Kate to drop off.

"I'm going out to recuperate, don't worry, I won't die too early."

Oliver also wrote a note, asking Kate to take it to her.

"How do you feel? Are you in good spirits?"

"I'm fine, but I can't risk infecting you, so I can't see you."

"Since neither Mrs. Austen nor Miss Austen are afraid of being infected, neither am I. I want to see you, very much."

"They're my family, you're not. Where's George? Why didn't he come with you?"

"I didn't tell him to come to your house. He went out to play. If you can't come down, can I go upstairs?"

"I've become so thin! I look like a patient. I don't think you will recognize me."

"It doesn't matter, I will recognize you no matter what you become."

"I'm going to the Isle of Wight for a few weeks first. There's a nice sanitarium there. Maybe I'll get better on the Isle of Wight and you won't see me until then."

"I will also go to the Isle of Wight. I will visit you every day, chat with you, and read to you."

Alice didn't ask about Ivo, and Oliver didn't mention Ivo.

On this day, he still failed to see Alice.But after figuring out what her illness is, these few days have not been in vain.

He soon began preparing for his journey to the Isle of Wight.

The Bundfield family has a villa on the Isle of Wight, so they don't have to worry about housing, they can stay as long as they want.He had also heard of the nursing home that Alice mentioned. The Isle of Wight is not big, and it is not too far from any point to another point. It must take 10 minutes to ride a horse, and I can go there to accompany her every day.

As for the possibility of infection, since Mrs. Austen was not afraid, he had nothing to be afraid of.

Seeing him packing his luggage, Byron asked him, "Where are you going?"

"Isle of Wight."

Byron wondered, "Alice is so ill, you don't try to find a way to see her, but go to the Isle of Wight—oh! I see, Alice is going to the Isle of Wight to recuperate, isn't it?" Oliver called male The servant secretly observed the affairs of Austin's house and did not hide it from him. The servant came back to report, and he knew most of the situation.

"Then what about Ivo?" One was a cousin and the other was a childhood friend. If Byron didn't know that both of them fell in love with Alice, it would be that he was blind.

"Do you know where Ivo is?"

Byron shook his head, "I asked Hugh to write to Winchester and Faraday Manor to ask. The servants don't know where Ivo has gone. Anyway, he is neither in Winchester nor Faraday Manor." Ren's valet.

As we all know, servants like to hang out together the most. If you want to know any privacy in this family, as long as you have a good relationship with the servants, they will know everything.

Oliver also felt strange, why did Ivo suddenly disappear?

However, this was not within his consideration, and he even secretly thought that it would be best if Ivo never appeared again.

On the day Mrs. Austen set off with Alice, Oliver arrived at her door before dawn.

Alice saw a carriage parked on the carriageway in front of the door from the window, and was quite surprised: "Who's here? Is it Ivo?" and sent Kate down to have a look.

Kate came up after a while, "It's Master Oliver."

"Why not Ivo?" Alice frowned.She didn’t expect Oliver to arrive so early.So, mom agrees to go with him?However, this does not require mother's consent. His family has a villa on the Isle of Wight, and he can go whenever he wants, and his mother can't dissuade him.

"Master Ivo has never been here since he left last time. Miss, is Master Ivo—" Kate was very worried about the little master.

"He won't." Alice hesitated: Will Ivo despise her because she has an infectious disease?It's hard to say, after all, no one wants to continue dating someone who is likely to die, but at least, if he wants to break up, he should also write a letter to tell her, right?If he really broke up for this, she wouldn't blame him.

She was upset, "Don't mention him. Kate, I'm worried that you will be infected by me. This disease has an incubation period. You follow me. If you really get sick, you can recuperate together."

"Miss, I won't get sick, look, I'm strong!" 15-year-old Kate raised her arms, saying "I'm strong".She was a plump girl, not very tall, almost two heads shorter than Jacob, and Sidney was much taller, and Jacob always said that Kate was the "little bean" in the family.

Alice was going to be made to laugh by her.The Jacob brothers and sisters are the closest to her. If it is contagious, the three of them are the most likely to get the disease, so she thinks about taking them all away.When the doctor came to examine her, he also examined Mrs. Austen, Cathy, and all the servants in the house.The niece Anna lives in Mrs. Becker's house, and she is not allowed to come here now. Mrs. Austin even wrote to Mrs. Becker, asking her to find a doctor to examine Anna.

Fortunately, so far, no one else has developed the disease except Alice.But doctors at that time did not know that there would be an incubation period after tuberculosis was infected.

Alice suddenly thought, could Ivo have been infected by her, so he couldn't come to see her?

She hurriedly wrote a note to Oliver and asked Kate to send it over.

After a while, Oliver replied to the note, "George didn't say that Ivo was also sick. After Ivo came to London in May, he went back to Oxford directly. The servants haven't seen him since April."

Alice couldn't think of what else could happen to Ivo.

The servants were busy, carrying the suitcase downstairs and putting it on the top of the carriage.In addition to the three Jacob brothers and sisters, they also brought a maid, three servants, two carriages, and two coachmen.

Oliver felt that the Austin family was too frugal—he had to bring 4 servants and 2 maids with him when he went out alone.

Its daybreak.

Jacob carried Alice down the stairs and sent her directly to the carriage.The carriage compartment has been modified and is a little wider than ordinary compartments, with a seat on one side and a simple bed on the other.

It is said to be a simple bed, that is, it is not long enough, and it is comfortably furnished with extremely thick cushions. The walls of the carriages are also filled with cotton, covered with velvet, and throw pillows of various sizes.

Oliver had visited the new carriage just now, thinking that this should make the journey as comfortable as possible.

When Alice went downstairs, he didn't say that he must see her now, but just stood beside his carriage and took a look at her from a distance.

She is indeed much thinner, with thin arms.I didn't see her face, but I guess she was very thin.

He was terrified, afraid that once she left, she would never come back.

Suddenly, I felt discouraged, thinking that even if she was going to die, he still wanted to be with her during this period of time.

The carriage set off quickly.

First the Austins' two carriages, and then Oliver's.After driving out of the side road to the main road, Oliver's servant's carriage followed, and then Byron rode over and got into Oliver's carriage.

Oliver was surprised, "Didn't you say no?"

"You are not here, and it doesn't make sense for me to stay in London alone."

Oliver wondered, "Is someone chasing the debt? How much do you owe?"

"How could someone be chasing debts? Someone wants to lend me a large sum of money. I think this is too strange!"

Oliver shook his head, "You know that no one will lose money in business."

Byron nodded with a grin. "How is Alice? Did you see her today?"

"I haven't seen it. She has lost a lot of weight, and she probably won't get out of the carriage for breakfast later. If you have anything to say to her, just write a note and ask her maid to bring it to her."

Byron frowned, "Tuberculosis is really troublesome, she might..."

"Don't say that about her. She'll be all right, she won't be so early—" Oliver couldn't say the word "dead."

Byron looked out the car window and suddenly changed the subject, "It's too boring, you should open the car."

Oliver tapped the roof of the carriage with his cane, the carriage stopped, and it took a while to open half of the carriage.

Still sailing to Southampton, Mrs. Austen did not go to visit the daughter of the Francis family, but only sent a letter to Mary Gibson, saying that for the sake of the child and her health, she would not visit their mother and daughter.Ask her if there are enough servants and money in her family.Mary wrote back, saying don't worry, the money is enough, little Mary Jane is fine, and she is fine, and I will see my little niece when Alice recovers and recovers.

After staying in Southampton for a few days, they quickly rented a boat to the Isle of Wight. The Austin family booked a suite in the nursing home, and Alice took Sidney and Kate directly to the nursing home.Mrs. Austin lived in a nearby hotel.

Oliver wanted to ask Mrs. Austin to live in his villa, but Mrs. Austin firmly refused.

In the first few days, he still couldn't see Alice, but saw her sitting in a wooden wheelchair from a distance, and Jacob pushed her out to bask in the sun.He specifically asked the doctor in London how to treat tuberculosis.The doctor said that there is no good treatment, just eat well, sleep well, and get more exposure to the sun. If the patient in the first stage does not turn into the second stage within half a year, then it is possible to recover. If it reaches the third stage, then I’m sorry and wait to die. .

Oliver panicked: Alice has become so thin, maybe she has reached the third paragraph.

He tactfully asked Mrs. Austin what paragraph Alice was in. Mrs. Austin said it was the first paragraph, because she was discovered early. The doctor said that she might have contracted influenza in February and was weak. She was overwhelmed with grief when she passed away, and she ate very little during that time, and then fell ill.She herself was very alert, with a low-grade fever that persisted for several nights, and she immediately asked Jacob to call for a doctor.

Oliver breathed a sigh of relief.

The food in the nursing home is very good. If you have money, you can eat whatever you want. There are fresh fruits and all kinds of seafood, which can be said to be richer than the ingredients in the London vegetable market.

The doctors in the nursing home checked Alice once a week, mainly listening for lung murmurs and looking at the color of sputum.Lung disease must lead to bad breath, and Alice did not want to see Oliver for this reason, and wrote him a note saying that if I die, you don't want me to be remembered only as a smelly sick man.

Byron accompanied Oliver to see Alice every day, but he could only watch her from a distance for a while.

Gradually, she seemed to be getting better, gained a little weight, and was able to walk independently for more than ten minutes.In the third week Oliver went to fetch Alice in the family buggy.

This time Alice came downstairs by herself.

"The doctor said I'm better." She said to him with a smile.

"I knew you'd be fine." He smiled back.He felt that Alice might have exaggerated a bit, she didn't smell bad at all, and had a fresh smell of mint.

Sure enough, she said: "I ordered mint-flavored candies at the candy store." She took out a not too big transparent glass bottle from the cloth satchel on her cross-body, and there were some light green candies in it, "You have to try Do you want to taste it?"

He nodded.

She said to Kate, "Go get Master Oliver an unopened bottle of candy."

Mints have a sugary sweetness and a cooling mint flavor.

Very sweet.

A buggy consists of a row of unroofed seats, with a coachman sitting in the driver's seat and drawn by only one horse.

Oliver told the coachman to go to the seaside.

There is no beach suitable for walking on the beach, but there are many cliffs.The buggy stopped by a rock, and Oliver climbed up the rock, holding a silk scarf with one hand, and brought Alice up.

"Be careful, watch where I'm standing, step on it firmly, and come up again." He looked back at her and warned her carefully.

"I'm not inferior to you in climbing rocks." She said unconvinced.

"I know, but you still have to be careful."

The rock was not high, and she climbed up it in a short while, but Alice still felt very tired, her forehead was sweating, and she was panting a little bit.

"Sit down here." Oliver took off his coat and spread it on the rocks.

She sat down.

He then sat down next to her, almost touching her.

"Aren't you afraid of being infected by me?"

"I'm not afraid." He shook his head, "I'm in great health!" He ate well, slept well, and didn't have any bad habits, so he was in great health!

"Have you checked?"

"Checked."

Alice sighed: "It sucks to be sick! I don't want to be sick again."

This is very childish, he smiled, "No one wants to be sick. Now that you are getting better, don't think too much about it and take care of yourself."

He hesitated for a moment, then touched her palm carefully.She wore fingerless lace gloves, her fingers were slender, and her skin was paler than white lace.

She didn't shake her hand away.

He pressed on the back of her hand, and then interlaced his fingers between her fingers, holding her hand.

She sighed, but said nothing.

"I will accompany you, accompany you to Madeira Island, or wherever else you want to go, I will accompany you."

She smiled and nodded.

He was full of joy and felt extremely light all over his body, as if he was about to float into the air.

He opened the candy bottle, squeezed out a candy and stuffed it into her mouth.Then, I ate one myself.

Very sweet mints.

None of them mentioned Ivo.

Oliver still didn't know what happened to Ivo. Byron wrote to Ivo about Alice's illness and her going to the Isle of Wight to recuperate. If he read the letter, he would have two weeks to hurry come over.The Isle of Wight is not far away, if he can come, so can Ivo.Byron asked the servants of the Bondfield family to go to the Gordon family's villa every other day to see if anyone came. No, the Gordon family did not come to the Isle of Wight for summer this year, and neither did Ivo.

Alice remained on the Isle of Wight for another week and a half.

Every morning, Oliver goes to accompany her for a walk on the lawn of the nursing home, and sometimes takes her out for a walk in a buggy; Horse for a while.

Mrs. Austin repeatedly told Oliver not to let Alice ride too fast, not to make her tired, and not to let her fall off the horse.

After riding a horse to send her back to the nursing home, he said goodbye to her reluctantly, made an appointment to come back tomorrow morning, and then happily returned to the villa.

Byron laughed at him for falling in love, and he asked, if you had the chance to be with the girl you love every day, what would you do?Byron was speechless: when he was mad about love, he would not return to Harrow.When he was young, he thought that love was everything, but he didn't expect the girl he loved to say that she was really tired of a "crying cripple".

Probably every teenager will have such a love that is doomed to fail.

Byron also wondered why Ivo hadn't come here yet.He wrote letters to both Winchester and Faraday Manor, and London also left letters. As long as he saw the letters, there was no reason why he should not come here immediately.So, what happened to him?

Mrs. Austen was also wondering about this question.

Alice is reluctant to mention Ivo.As soon as my mother mentioned Ivo, she pretended "I'm so tired, don't tell me this annoying question".

Mom was very angry, "He must have disliked you for having this disease!"

"You can't blame him. If he is really scared, no one can say anything about him. Forget it, mom, don't mention him. Tomorrow I want to eat something other than fish. Fish is delicious, but I can't Eat it every day."

"Then what's for? Turkey? Roast? Bacon?"

"Eat some fresh vegetables."

"Let Sidney go see what vegetables are in the kitchen tomorrow. As long as you want to eat them, as long as they are available in this world, I will let you eat them." Good medical treatment, the most comfortable room, and the freshest ingredients.

Alice is on the mend, which gives Mom money's worth!But of course, it will take a long time to recover, but as long as there is hope, no matter how long or how much money it takes, it is not hesitating.

Oliver thought so too.He was worried that Mrs. Austin did not bring much money. The Austin family’s company belonged to Henry, not Pastor George. Mrs. Austin and Alice may not have much money. Alice’s own money is about 3000 pounds, which is said to be in White It is enough to live on the island for a year, but if he goes to Madeira Island, he thinks it is better to bring more money.

He calculated how much money he had in London, and he had saved more than 5 pounds for living expenses in the past five years. Plus the annuity his father gave him after he turned 2000, he had 16 pounds in cash.This is a huge sum of money for a young man under the age of 2.

The author has something to say:

* In 1865, French military doctor Jean-Antoine Villemin first confirmed the contagiousness of tuberculosis.

* In 1882, German scientist Robert Koch announced the discovery of Mycobacterium tuberculosis, and divided it into four types: human, bovine, avian and mouse, among which human tuberculosis is the main pathogen of human tuberculosis. Tuberculosis is mainly caused by human Mycobacterium tuberculosis is a highly contagious chronic wasting disease caused by invading the lungs. The common clinical manifestations are cough, expectoration, hemoptysis, chest pain, fever, fatigue, loss of appetite and other local and systemic symptoms. More than 4% of tuberculosis is Infected through the respiratory tract, patients cough, sneeze, make loud noises, etc. to make the liquid with bacteria spray out of the body, and healthy people will be infected after inhalation.

*In 1921, Bacillus Calmette–Guérin (BCG) was successfully developed.But BCG is only protective in infants and adolescents.

* In 1952, isoniazid, a specific drug for tuberculosis, was developed, which is very cheap. Since then, tuberculosis has ceased to be an infectious disease that the poor suffer from and basically wait to die.

* Tuberculosis is also self-healing.My younger brother had tuberculosis in high school, and the symptoms were so subtle that the whole family didn't know about it, and he healed on his own.Before the college entrance examination, he took an X-ray and found 3 calcifications on his lungs.

*As for dandelion, I read it, and the decoction is not effective against tuberculosis bacteria.The author does not understand medicine, so I will not mention these.

*Pulmonary tuberculosis is a chronic infectious disease with a relatively long incubation period. The onset is related to physical fitness. Traditionally, long-term malnutrition is prone to disease. Before the liberation of my country, the mortality rate of tuberculosis was very high, so it is also called "pulmonary tuberculosis".The rich eat well, and the incidence rate is definitely lower than that of the poor. They can be treated in time when they get sick, and they can go abroad for recuperation. In "La Traviata", Margaret suffered from tuberculosis.

* Lu Xun, Yu Dafu, Xiao Hong, Lin Huiyin, Chekhov, Kafka, Keats, Shelley, Schiller, Edgar Allan Poe, and Chopin all suffered from tuberculosis.

*MT is probably the pathogenic microorganism that causes the largest number of human deaths.This ancient pathogenic microbe still claimed more than 2017 million lives in 130.One-third of the world's population is latently infected with MT. At this time, the infected person will not show symptoms and is not contagious.About 1-3% of latent infections will become active tuberculosis. At this time, the patient is contagious, and the bacteria in the patient's sputum will spread through the air and infect other people.