"The Country Doctor" begins with an opening caption of "A story of the temporal deeds that reap spiritual reward." We then see Doctor Harcourt's daughter, Edith (Gladys Egan), has fallen seriously ill. At the same time a little girl (Adele DeGarde) not too far away has also fallen seriously ill. The mother (Kate Bruce) of the neighbor girl rushed to Dr. Harcourt's home to solicit his help. Naturally, he declined as he was dealing with his own crisis. After some pleading he relented and went to help the neighbor girl while his own daughter was dying.
This is where I thought the spiritual reward would come in--and I was right and wrong at the same time. As Dr. Harcourt (Frank Powell) tended to the neighbor girl his daughter passed away. I thought, "Where's his spiritual reward?" And that's just it, his reward will be spiritual, not temporal. So, his daughter dying was a matter he'd have to deal with, but by aiding a neighbor in need he will reap a spiritual reward.
I believe in spiritual rewards as well, but that's one reward I may have had to forgo--assuming that he did the right thing religiously to begin with. I'm not familiar with the Bible, so it could be that there is a greater reward for aiding a stranger even when your own family is in need. I have yet to come across such commandments in my own religion.
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This is where I thought the spiritual reward would come in--and I was right and wrong at the same time. As Dr. Harcourt (Frank Powell) tended to the neighbor girl his daughter passed away. I thought, "Where's his spiritual reward?" And that's just it, his reward will be spiritual, not temporal. So, his daughter dying was a matter he'd have to deal with, but by aiding a neighbor in need he will reap a spiritual reward.
I believe in spiritual rewards as well, but that's one reward I may have had to forgo--assuming that he did the right thing religiously to begin with. I'm not familiar with the Bible, so it could be that there is a greater reward for aiding a stranger even when your own family is in need. I have yet to come across such commandments in my own religion.
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