Sunbury American and Shamokin journal. [volume] (Sunbury, Northumberland Co., Pa.) 1840-1848, 1844-06-29
From Grdhams Magaaine.
POOR GENEVIENE.

MANS FISHING, ETC.
Shortly after the conclusion OF the late war,
a gentleman, distinguished as a scholar, a wit,
and politician, who stood high in the walks OF
literature, and had risen to the most dignIiicd Of
fees by his talents and worth, was proceeding
up the Mississippi in one of the first steamboats,
that ever piled on the bosom of that mighty
stream. He was a self.made and self sustai-
ned man, somewhat past the period OF blooming
youth but his person was striking, his coun.
tenance highly Intellectual, his manners polish
ed by intimate intercourse with society, his
voice exceeding melodious, and his eye capa-
bic of discoursing most eloquent music. During
| the course of the voyage, which was not in
| the most favorable season of the year, he be-
came gradually indisposed, and finally SO i'll
that, at his own request, he was put on shore at
one ofthe little old French villages, between
| the mouth OF the Ohio and st. Louis, whose
size bcars no proportion to their age, and whose
growth is SO slow that, like the current of
stagnant stream, it is next to impossible to tell
whether they are advancing backward or for
| ward. The agitation of removal, and the heat
OF a summer day, so aggravated his disease,
which was bilious fever, that he became par
TALLY delirious, and, being without a servant,
might have Jared but ndiltren,ly, stranger
in u strange place, had not an elderly lady, who
happened to be looking out at neighboring
window, been charitable enough to have him
conducted, or rather carrid to her house. Here
he was placed in bed, and mediatey atten-
ded by physician, who administered to him so
successfully that his delrIum had subsidized into
one ofthosc low desperate ievers so harrassing
to the constitution, so difficult TO cure.
His returning conscience disclosed to him
the form of one of those mnistering angels cal
led wonai,, sitting st his bedside, as if awaiting
an opportunity to present his medicine, or per.
form some kind office. The sick traveller at
first took ii for vagary of his brain, but after
rubbing his eyes and gazing awhile, recog.
nized a female with cap such as French
attendants, generally wear, plain gown, and q
black silk apron, with sweet, gentle, and eS
5 pressve face, apparently bearing the impression
. ofdeep solicitudc. Percciving him to be awake
, she inquired, in voice of exquisite melody, i
| he wanted any thing. Instead ofanswering the
5 question, the sick man, whom shall call Hart
/ land, though that was not his rea! name, askeC
! two or three others, in low feeble tone.
s Where am land who are you .
You are in st. -, and | am poor Gene
; We've, your seryant-can | do any thing 10
: you, sir
: o, nurse they have provided for me, sup
r pose, thought liartland, shall therefore stan'
i on no ceremony with her, My good glrl,
= will thank You for glass Of something t
;. lieve."
II Genevieve took his hand, and, after hoGn
Is it a little while, aId il softly down un the be,
e saying, as if to herself, 1T does indeed bur
;, like fire. The touch of her hand was so sol
II that Ilarand could tell that she pi,cd him wit
n all her heart. At this moment the physlcia
D. came, anu our traveller recognized in him a
1t old acquaintance, senator whom he had know
Sc at Washington and very eminent man in h
le profession. lie felt extremely grateful at III
1t wing so gcntlca nurse, and so able physician
IS Yet his recovery was slow that did 10 grej
o credit to either nurse or DOCTOR for it was nea
ly six weeks bcfOre his fever was fairly broker
During that time he rclapSed more than onc
u aud there were periods when all, and hlmse
e among the rest, despaired of his recovery. Da
I'd and night Genevieve was his attendant, "
~ might almost say his gurdian angel If he
IL pened his languid CLASSY eyes in the day, 81
r. was sitting by his bedside and If he asked +
OF any thing at night, he was administered 10
"a her gentle hand, and soothed by her gent
lg voice. At such time he was occasionally pu
e. zed by vague perception that he had som
en where seen her before but ii passed ava
like dream, when, with all his efforts. he col
No neither recall the time nor the occasion. Mo
,o than once he thought he saw her wipmg tea
ID. from her eyes, as he awakened from his mist
,xt able intervals OF partial oblivion but he end
ed in being convinced, that il was mistake, sin
,er what was she 10 him or he TO her. Genevle
all had said she was his nurse. Poor Genevle'
hut she therefore hired for her services, and 1
,is attentions were to be repaid in money 81
Tho his soul could not resist the sacred impulse
gratitude, and he promised before his mai
that, whether he lived or died, he would ma
her ample amends.
At length he became convalescent, and
proportion as he recovered, Genevieye gra