The Mississippi Creole. [volume] (Canton, Miss.) 1841-1851, 1849-07-21

y ;" q Deu wherein a cholera patient had
died within a few hours,
'Well,' laughed Barton, with his low, pecu-
liar laugh, Sit is easy to talk in this way, but
you would be sorry if we offered 10 put YOU
to the proofs
'lndeed should not be sorry. Put me 10
the proof, and | will set up ali night in the
cholera ward in the hospital. Come, doctor,
are you, going there now; l will uni
you, and will remain there, too. I win act
as nurse to the worst patient. No one shall
say shrunk from the proof
'YOu need not do SO much, Percy answered
Barton, again. sdo only what you yourself
offered to do-sleep in the bed Of a cholera
victim. Quartermaster Smith died four hours
ago, and the bed in which he died is vacant.
Come, can easily procure lodging for you
therein.'
Poor Percy! saw him turn pale, and he
raised a glass Of wine to his lips, draining it at
q draught; but in a moment his courage re-
turned, and he rose with q smile Of gay anima-
ton.
q am ready, Barton, come along. Good
night-goOd night and he waved his hand
hurriedly to the doctor and myself.
Iconfess | was little pleased at this arrange
ment, but look of intelligence which | per-
ceived pass between Barton and the doctor
somewhat reassured me, and / rose to accom-
lPany Percy to his unenviable resting place.
Barton preceded us, and we waited seine mo.
ments at the door of the quarters Of poor Smith
while he parleyed with some one inside. This
concluded, we entered, and Percy took pos
session Of his bedroom,
We remained until he had denuded himself
Of some of his garments, and had actually
retired between the sheets of the formidable
couch; then we left him, repeating a good
night, while Barton sneeringly informed him
that he might consider his penance ended at
any hour after two in the morning, it being
then eleven o'clock.
1T is no penance to me- persisted poor
Percy, speaking from a mass Of bed clothes
but Barton drowned the continuation Of the
sentence in a loud laugh, and closing the door
we finally retreated.
At four in the morning we were awoke by
Percy's servant, who had sat up in the same
building, though not in the same room with
his master. He came to inform US that Percy
was dangerously i'll of cholera.
One by one we rushed from our beds, and
hurried to the apartment Of our comrade. The
doctor was already there, applying all the rem
edies at his command but Percy was evidently
gery ill.
For hours every effort was used. We all
loved Percy-men as we'll as off cers did their
best; but what are human means against the
will of heaven? The pdroxysms of pain be-
came less, but he sunk into that awful state Of
collapse, from which it seems as though scarce
a miracle could recover the sufferer.
Perfectly conscious to the last, he took Bat
toms hand. 1T was foolish Of me- he gasped;
{ dear Barton-I forgive you.'
H rA
'Oh, Percy, Percy sobbed Barton, Il shall
never forgive myself; but believe me when ]
assure you no one has died in this bed. No
one has slept in it lately, excep: Smith, who
is not dead, nor has been i'll. It was all a
hoax!' and Barton wept aloud.
A CLEAN passed across the dying mans face.
IAN a hoax?' lie murmured; ali how weak y
But he could say no more. Already the pulse
was quite gone-already the gallant heart had
ceased to ~bOat-Percy was dead!
Doctor NJ persists that poor Percy died
from fright, and from no other cause--frigIt
producing cholera. Certainly from that mo-
mont we lost not one man--a fact which favors
this supposition.
1t was also a fact that no one had died in
that bed, nor in that quarter Of the barracks.
Even were cholera contagious, no contagion
could possibly have existed in that instance.
Barton. felt the matter deeply. But he is now
at peace. He died a death that might atone
for a thousand errors--a glorious death upon
the noble field of Sabraon.