Southern sentinel. [volume] (Plaquemine, Parish of Iberville [La.]) 1848-1858, 1850-12-14


Sumner, your uite rs dying!" The shock was
terrible. Edgar was sober in an instant. In
remorse and terror he sprang to Emily's side
She was insensible-if not dead
"No doctor?' he gasped
Somebody had gone for one, but none had
yet arrived
"She breathes-oh, God--do not let her die!r
prayed the terrified remorseful man.
He sprang from the room--he hurried from
the house-down the street, bare headed, he
flew. He felt not the storm. His own guilt
and his wife's danger, were all his thoughts.
The freezing rain beat upon him pitessly, and
the chilling clamorous tempest howled in his
face. 1t was nothing! Il dim light glmmer-
ing through misty glow, guided his way 1t
was ply ysician's Office; and violently he rang.
1t was many minutes before any one answered
the bell: and all this time Edgar was chilled
by the blast, and drenched by the icy rain.
But the doctor came at last; and Edgar knew
no more until he was once more by the bed
side of his wife. --
"She lives she lives! save her, doctor, save
her! O, my Emily look at me-speak to me
forgive me p
| II was all like dream Edgar awoke in his
own room. Silence was around him-myste-
rious solemn--and his eyes stru ggled with
! darkness. He started-there was sound !.
1t was but the wind. He endeavored to rise
from his couch, but something weighed him
down like leaden chains. A groan escaped
him, and at the hollow, ghostly tones of his
own voice, he shuddered. Then the memory
of frightful dreams filled him with terror.
Still be could not rise. His limbs were like
wood or stone All his strength had left him.
| AT length, his eye-balls cropping in darkness,
>F1 = 1>aa.,
that struggled through the shrouded windows
and curtains that darkened his bed. At that
moment, a stealtiy footstep passed the floor,
and Edgar's acute ear could distinguish sound
of suppressed breathing. The reality of his
situation then rushed upon the young mans
mind He was in--he had been delirous.
| Again he uttered groan, and this time good
angel answered witha sigh. ~ 7a.
1t was Ellen Blake, his wife's sister! She
bent over the sick man, and whispered in his
ear words of hope and kindness. Edgar re-
membeHed that he had once driven her from
his house: and then the awful memory of his
I guilt rushed upon his heart A more vivid
/ flood of reason informed him that the stormy
night-the illness Of his wife--the terror and
despair he felt at the prospect OF her death
! that all this was not a dream, but reality
| A cry Of agony escaped him.
| "Emily--my Emily lis she alive!' lie MUIR
INJURED, but Ellen understood not his feeble, in
| coherent tones.
"IIush--you must not speak" she said "Be
quiet, and you will soon be we'll" -ss'
"But, Emily" @ sas e qsyasl es.
81 am not EMILY am Ellen. You shall
see Emily soon," zas-..t...... s........s ...,,.
! sShe is not dead then?"
| "Oh. no; very feeble, but still alive"
| "God bless you, angel ~ murmured Edgar.
| Il was afraid she died last night" 5@
| "Last night 2 a= 8
| "Yes, when went for the DOCTOR"
! .Dear. Edgar" exclaimed Ellen, bursting in
| to tears, "that was three weeks ago" .s
| The young man was still very low, but the
| assurance that Emily was not dangerously i'll,
! the care Of the doctor, and the kindness of El-
| len, served TO restore his strength Slowly,
but gradually he recovered, and in time he was
able to get up with the assistance of orhers,
and to walk across the room. NJ -+ssf. -4
! He had not yet seen Emily. She was not
able to leave her apartment, and her illness, of
long standing, was ola more dangerous nature
than her husbands. '
| One day Edgar felt unusually strong I'm
patient TO see his wife, he stole from his room
unobseryed, and sought Emily's apartment.
llc UODi WITS Pailly opcHt atiu uC CiitClSO uH-
heard. His suffering wife was alone, reclining
on the couch which she had notsleft for ma
ny days Eagerly Edgar sprang forward, for
getfui Of his feeble state, and fell upon the bed
by her side In moment they were in each
others arms, sobbng like children. Edgar
was praying to be forgiven for his guilty me-
glect, which had well-nigh killed her, and she
was interrupting him with assurances of pardon
and never-dying love. ste
Oh, it was then that the wretched husband,
on his knees by the bed side Of his injured
wife, opened his heart He saw all his err
rors in their true light; and now he confessed
in deep humiliation The hand of heaven had
chastened him, and he bowed submissiyely, for |
punishment was not only just, but necessary to
his good. He had been blind to sin before,
but the scales had been torn away from his
eyes. He felt the pain, but blessed the light.
Oh. he would not complain, but he prayed
Heaven, there in the presence of her he had
wronged, to forgive as she forgave him, and to
restore her to healtll-not for his sake, but her
own, and that of her friends, to whom she was
DEAR
Ellen came. She lifted Edgar from his
knees and in the language of heavenly kind
ness, cheered his broken and repentent spirit. 1
Emily needed no words of hope and consola-
tion; her heart was already overhowing with
joy. H.s
+ oh, the divine power Of hope and happiness
From that day Emily begansto gain strength.
The love which shone in Edgar's eonntenal,ce
was of more avail than the skill Of all physi-
clans. A new fountain of vitality poured its
refreshing and magic waters into berheart.z T-
Fl Reader, this is no mere fancy sketch. I
could point out to you the principal characters