The Wilmingtonian, and Delaware register., 1824-08-12
The climax of all sco-n should hang on high
Exalted DER thy less abhor'd compecrs--
And fostering in the infamy of years.
From Captain Halls Journal.
THE SECRETARY'S DAUGHTER.

San Bias, the chief Secretary Of the govern
mcnt called, to request that the surgeon OF
the Conway might be allowed to visit his
sick daughter, a little girl of three years OF
age. | sent to the ship for the doctor, and
accompanied him to the house, where VIC
found the child not SO i'll as the fathers fears
had imagined. The doctor thought that
with proper care, she might recover; ana
being obliged to SO OH board himself, scns
midicines on shore which carried to the
child. was in the first instance, prompted
by desire Of being civil to person who had
shown great attention to the officers during
my absence at Topic, and was glad, also, to
have an opportunity ot seeing the Interior OF
a new Calician family. But | soon acqur-
ed "A far deeper interest in the case, by the in
crcasing illness Of cur little patient, one Of
the prettiest and most engaging children |
ever saw. The doctor, ut my request visit
| ed her, as often at he could come OH shore,
but rs he was in close attcndanccnpon sever
al yellow fever patients, net only in the Con-
way, but in the merchants ships i'll the an
choragc, the task of watching the child's
illness fell principally on me. The poor pa
rents would not believe Notwithstanding my
reiterated assurances; that knew nothing
of medicine but it was too late to draw back
at this stage ofthe case since it WAS through
me alone that anv report could be communal
Gated to the medical gentleman OH board
Yet saw, with much regret, that the whole
family were becoming more and more depen-
tant on me they sent for INC at all hours OF
the day and night, whenever there WAS The
least change, and although they must have
seen that could do them no good, they still
wished to be encouraged to hope the best
In SO small town, and where there was
no cioctor within twenty miles, every eye
was turned upon us, whicl made the case Il
still more anxious one. II thc Child rccoycr-
cd indeed, we should have been certain oil
the respect and esteem cs the society; but
on tho otl.cr hand, if She died, as We began
to fear, the effect Of oar Interference was
mucn to ba dreaded on the minds of people
,ha5itudlly distru.tful Of strangers. There was
Il, ,rlv netting for It now, however but to go
tAroGch the matter, although it Was obvious
that, in spite ei all oGr ca'c she was getting
daily wossc. l> Ill tie cd women iii the
ncighborhood had given up tic case Is hope
lcss--and tley were t,lc only pretcndcrs 70
medical knowledge il the ncigh3orhood, oar
cndcat ours We're watched with uncommon
anxiety, and became the universal topic ai
conversation, even as far as Tepc.
Late one night was called out Of bed BY
a brcatnlcss messenger, who came to say
the child was much worse, and that must
came down to chc Sccrctary's house inmedi-
atcly, found the infant in its mothers arms,
with its eyes closed, and the sckly hue OF It's
skin changed to a ilarble whitencss: indeed
it looked more like statue than living be-
ing, and was evidently dying. The poor
father who still fon,lly rested his hopes on
nv opinion, accompanied me to the room,
and watched my looks with the most melan-
choly an%icty. On catching from the cX-
preston Of my countcnance when bchcld
the infant, what WAS the nature Of Ily
thoughts, he took one last miserable look Ut
his child, aud rushed into the streets. saw
no more ofhim, till lang after al was over
and had returned to my house; when oo-
served him at a distance, bare headed and
running in "A distracted manner, away from
that part of the town i'll which his house lay.
Meanwhile the mother, more true to her du-
ties, sat upon the bed, and from time to time,
pressed the infants cheek, and tried to raise
It's eye lids, earnestly supplcatinS ~ to speak
once more. Dolores my little Dolores,
dt ut y1a know your owl mother. Dolores 7
Dolores a-Dolorcata, no Cnnoces Il til mad-
re = ,lrc words which shall never forget
sat down By her, and She made me touch
its cold chtck-nceustomc poor woman, to
derive consolation from the encouragement
had formerly given to her hopes--I did as
he desired, hut the c.,ild was gone.
The funeral, Il, is ust:al in Catholic coun-
tries, when d child nndcr seven wears OF ayc
dies, was a sort Of merry making; it being
considered a s@tlrcc of rejoicing that an inno-
cent soul has been added to the number Of the
angels. Thc effect however, ! must say,
was very distressing the respect fclt ior
the family, alrl the curiosity had to see tic
ceremony, were barely siiicicnt motives To
induce me to accompany the procession,
where fddles, drums and flies, played mcl-
~ tunes round the bier, while thc priests
chaunted HYMNS of rejoicing at the accc ssicn
which had been made to the host Of little
angels.
The effects Of our failure on the minds Of
the people was the very rcrerse Of what we
had anticipated for both the surgeon and
myself were ever afterwards treated by all
classes OF society, with q more marked, res
pccttul, and even cordial attention than be-
fore and whenever the circumstance was
spoken OF, the eXcrtiOns we had made, though
unsuccessful, were every where duly felt anu
acknowledged. The poor father could set 10
limits to his gratitude, and 1T last we were
obliged to be careful, when i'll his presence,
how We expressed wish for any thing: as
he never failed, upon discovering what was
wanted, to send at any cost, and 10 any dis
tancc, to fetch it for US. When was com
ing away some weeks afterwards, he insisted
upon my accepting the most valuable curi0si-