Pride and Sensibility

A nineteenth-century take on our friends at Princeton-Plainsboro hospital. A considerable nod to Jane Austen (and a not inconsiderable nod to George Eliot's Middlemarch.)

Miss Lisa Cuddy was the luckiest of all creatures. A lively, middle-aged woman, with a large fortune and no husband. Many women would have married, either to shore up their social position, or to strengthen their fortunes. Lisa had occasion to observe that in most cases men did neither of these things, both frequently being uncouth in public and spendthrift in habit. And so she entered her forties with a comfortable home, a considerable allowance and a disposition to be generous.

In addition to being excessively rich, Lisa was also quite pretty. A curvaceous figure that was barely constrained by her corset, bright blue eyes shining in a creamy completion, set off by her nearly black hair arranged in ringlets around her head. She enjoyed being fashionably dressed and imported silks, laces and ribbons from Europe for her dressmakers.

It was a cool, fall morning the day that she rode out in her carriage to inspect the new hospital that she endowed. The red brick building was to be the place in which healing would be both researched and practiced. She was especially proud of her clinic, in which the less fortunate of her neighbors could come in for medical attention. She had hired four doctors to minister at the hospital. Gregory House was the most tenured. He had been the first that she had secured for employment there.

Lisa had known Dr. House back when she was a student at school. At the time he was apprenticed to a physician and in order to make a little extra money gave piano lessons to the young ladies in the evenings. In her school-girl days she had been taken with his very dashing figure. He was tall, with dark hair and inquisitive blue eyes. Even as a youth, he had been mysterious. Quiet and deliberate he did not suffer his students with good humor. He was incredibly selective about those whom he chose to teach, and charged a considerable sum to do so. Many were the young ladies who cried into their pillows after being dismissed by the impetuous Mr. House.

It was after many years, when she had advertised for a doctor for her new hospital that she became reacquainted with Dr. House. He arrived in her front parlor twenty years after their initial acquaintance and while he had lost the use of his right leg owing to a hunting accident, he was as haughty and proud as he had ever been.

In addition to Dr. House, his good friend and colleague Dr. Wilson specialized in Consumption and ran a separate sanitarium for his patients. There were two young apprentices, Mr. Chase, an immigrant from England, and Mr. Foreman, a free-man who showed great promise in healing.

Every day Lisa rode to the hospital to oversee its running. While liberal with funding for the foundation, she felt that her money would not be well-used unless she was there daily. When she arrived, Dr. House was waiting for her. "Miss Cuddy, I must speak to you."

"Dr. House, must you greet me this way every morning? Is there not some other method that you can employ? I've hardly had time to remove my bonnet and to sit. Please. Come be civilized. Take a seat and drink tea with me." She arranged herself prettily on the settee and nodded at the attendant to bring in her tea.

House sat impatiently and huffed, grunting as the tea was placed before him.

She took a sip and smiled at him. "Now what has you in such high dudgeon this morning?"

He took the opportunity to get up and pace, his walking stick punctuating his annoyance as it tapped across the wooden floor. "It's that insufferable clergyman Mr. Warner. He's going around quoting Timothy Dwight. He's actually telling his parishioners that 'If God had decreed from all eternity that a certain person should die of smallpox it would be a frightful sin to avoid and annul that decree by the trick of vaccination.' It's outrageous!" He tapped across to the bookcase and tapped back again.

Lisa put her china cup on the table and regarded him. "Certainly Mr. Warner's belief in this matter goes against our interest in the health of our community. It also flies in the face of the mandate of our federal government. Perhaps I can invite him to dinner.
Do you think that Dr. Wilson might be available to speak with him on the subject?"

"Wilson? Why drag Wilson into this?" House had repositioned himself on the chair, resting his chin on his stick.

"Because, as learned as you are, I believe that Dr. Wilson's temprement is more suited to a productive conversation." Her voice was soothing, but there was no mistaking her tone. There would be no argument.

"Very well, it saves me the trouble of having to personally wring his neck." He stood to leave and stopped briefly at the door, "Oh, I meant to ask, will we be getting a new microscope for our laboratory?"

Lisa became thoughtful, "It was ordered for you, I believe that it's coming from Philadelphia."

"Very good, then." He bowed slightly and took his leave.

Nessie, Lisa's assistant came forward with correspondance, "Here Miss, these came in the post this morning." She presented the letters on a tray.

"Thank you Nessie. I'll let you know if I need anything else." She nodded and Nessie departed, closing the doors behind her.

Lisa spent a considerable amount of time with her correspondance. She was delighted to learn that Miss Dix had accepted her invitation to visit her hospital and to offer suggestions for making it an even more useful institution.

It was nearly one when Nessie returned. "Miss, will you be wanting to take your luncheon with the doctors or will you be dining here?"

Lisa thought for a moment, "I'll dine with them, if they don't mind."

Nessie returned momentarily, "Dr. Wilson sends his compliments and says that he would be delighted to have you dine with them."

Lisa rose and made her way to their private quarters. The table had been laid with cold meat, salads and ale.

"Miss Cuddy, it's a rare privilage." Wilson said, standing to offer her a chair.

"Thank you doctor, I lost track of the time, else I should have gone home to dine."

"We're glad you're here," Wilson took up her plate and filled it for her, "it makes for a more refined atmosphere."

House was uncharacteristically quiet. Wilson tried to animate his friend, "So House, I understand that you've been studying the progress of disease."

House nodded, "do you really think Miss Cuddy is interested in that?" The implication was that the topic might be above her head.

Lisa sipped her water and turned to him, "Prey continue Doctor, I'm fascinated."

"Very well. If you insist. It seems that disease moves from patient to patient. We don't exactly know how this happens, however we know that it does. It seems that over half a century ago a gentleman published some very interesting work on tracking how disease moves through a population. I believe that I can build upon this work, that's why I need a microscope, so that I can better understand the nature of contageon."

Wilson nodded, "anything to keep from having to minister to actual patients."

House winced, "Yes, patients are rougues and liars. But disease, that is always truthful. Speaking of which, I believe that I am due to examine the unwashed masses this afternoon in the clinic." He rose, "if you'll excuse me Miss Cuddy." He exited.

Wilson turned to Lisa, "you know he doesn't mean it."

Lisa laughed, "He most certainly does. But no matter, the masses, unwashed or otherwise are in good hands. On another subject Doctor, I need your help. Dr. House has informed me that Mr. Warner is impeding our vaccination program and he believes that perhaps we might be able to help him understand the importance of protecting the inhabitants of the villiage. I had in mind a dinner party, with you and the apprentices, and perhaps a more…liberal-minded cleric. Perhaps we might exert some gentle pressure?"

Wilson smiled, "A capital idea Miss Cuddy. I never tire of an opportunity to enjoy your hospitality. And a sprightly debate in the bargain? Why that's even better."

"Excellent, I'll make the arrangements, Tuesday next, then?" She rose, as did he. "I'll include some young ladies as well, House seems out of sorts, I think the attentions of a pretty girl might do him good." She left him chuckling to himself.

All the way home, she thought about the party. By the time they drew up to the house she had a respectible guest list, "if we can manage the seating arrangments, we just might succeed after all. Well, that and muzzling House."