The Project Gutenberg eBook, Clara A. Swain, M.D., by Mrs. Robert Hoskins

This eBook is for the use of anyone anywhere at no cost and with
almost no restrictions whatsoever. You may copy it, give it away or
re-use it under the terms of the Project Gutenberg License included
with this eBook or online at www.gutenberg.net

Title: Clara A. Swain, M.D.

Author: Mrs. Robert Hoskins

Release Date: November 11, 2004 [eBook #14017]

Language: English

Character set encoding: ISO-646-US (US-ASCII)

***START OF THE PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK CLARA A. SWAIN, M.D.***

E-text prepared by Charles Aldarondo, Keren Vergon, Andrea Ball, and the
Project Gutenberg Online Distributed Proofreading Team

CLARA A. SWAIN, M.D.

First Medical Missionary to the Women of the Orient

by

MRS. ROBERT HOSKINS

1912

"The frail little mother of a frail little daughter" did not live
long enough to see the fullest answer to her prayer that her
youngest born might "grow up to be a good and useful woman," for
she passed away before her daughter began her medical career, but
the prayer was not forgotten by Him who ever hears the cry of
those who call upon Him in faith.

Clara was the youngest of the ten children of John and Clarissa
Seavey Swain. She was born in Elmira, N.Y., but when she was two
years old her parents returned to their old home in Castile and
here she spent her early life.

EARLY LIFE

She was not a strong child, and being the youngest of a large
family naturally received much attention, which in after years she
concluded was not good for her. She once described herself as a
puny little thing who wanted everything she saw and thought she
ought to have it. "I had a will of my own," she said, "and my
mother found it necessary to be very firm with me at times. Once I
was very rude to her when she did not give me what I wanted, and I
shall never forget how grieved she was, how lovingly she explained
to me the necessity for controlling myself if I would be loved by
those around me." She was six years old when this naughtiness
occurred. "I promised my mother then," she said, "that I would be
a good girl, and that I would ask God not to let me be naughty
again."

She and her sister Hattie, not quite two years her elder, loved
out of doors a great deal. They were very fond of flowers and
animals, and, hand in hand, would wander up and down the street to
stop and admire the flowers in t