Burlington hawk-eye. [volume] (Burlington, Iowa) 1845-185?, 1851-03-13


three. His wife was stretched upon a
couch, and their domestic and a kind neigh
Dor were bending over her. In maudlin
tone, he demanded what it all meant, and
solemn whisper replied-".Mr Sumner,
your ,oife is dying!" The shock wa. ter
rible. Edgar was sober in an instant. In
remorse and terror he sprang to Emily's
side. She was insensible-if not dead.
mo doctor2" he gasped.
Somebody had gone for one, but none
had yet arrived.
"She breathes-oh, God-do not let her
die!" prayed the terrified ,remorse man.
He sp-ang 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. danger, were
all his thoughts. The freezing rain beat
upon him pitilessly, and the chilling, clam
orous tempest howIed in his face. 1t
nothing! A dim light, glimmering thro'
mistyglow guided his way. 1t was ply
sician's Office; and violently he rang. 1t
was many minutes before any one answer
ed 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 doc
tor, save her! O, my Emily! look at me
speak to me-forgive me?''
II was all like a dream! Edgar awoke
in his own room. Silence was around
him-mysterisus--s solemn-and his eyes
struggled with darkness. He started
there was sound! II was butthe 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 toms of his own voice, he
,shuddered. Then the memory of fright
full dreams filled him with terror. Still he
could not rise. His limbs were like wood
or stone. All his strength had left him.
AT length, his eyeballs cropping in dark
ness, sought out ray of light. 1t was a
gray beam that struggled through the
shrouded windows, and the curtains that
darkened his bed. At that moment, steal
thy foot.step pressed the floor, and Ed
gar's acute ear could distinguish a sound
Of suppressed breathing. The reality Of
his situation then rushed upon the young
mans mind. He was ill-he had been de-
lirious. Again he uttered'a groan, and
this time good angel answered with a
J sigh.
Il was Ellen Blake, his wife's sister
; She bent over the sick man, and whisper.
ed in his ear words of hope and kindness
. Edgar remembered that he had once driv.
en- her from his house, and then the awfu
memory Of all his guilt rushed upon hi.
heart. A more vivid flood Of reason in.
formed him that the stormy night-the ILL.,
! ness Of his wifs-the terror and despair h.
, felt at the prospect Of her dea,h-that al
this was not dream, but reality! A cry
Of agony escaped him.
!. "Emily-my Enily-is she aliveS" h
I murmured, but Ellen understood not hi
. feeble, incoherent tones. -..
"Hush-you must not speak, she said
"Be quiet, and you will soon be WELL"
"But Emily"
: II am not Emily-I am Ellen. Yo,
: shall see Emily soon."
: "She il not dead then?"
!, "Oh, no; very feeble, but still alive"
) "God bless you, angel!" murmured Ed
. gar. 81 was afraid she died last night"
, "Last nightr' .......
!. "Yes, when l went for the doctor.''
I "Dear Edgar !" exclaimed Ellen, burst
!, ing into tears, ,'sthat was three weeks ago.
5 The young man was still very low, bu
{ the assurance that Emily was not danger
d ously i'll, the care Of the doctor, and TIT
/ kindness of Ellen, served to restore hi
: strength. Slowly, but gradually, he re
covered, and in time he was able to get N
with the assistance Of others, and to wall
d across the room.
He had not yet seen Emily. She wa
d not able 10 leave her apartment, and hel
illness, of long standing, was Of mor'
l dangerous nature than her husbands.
d One day Edgar felt unusually strong
Il Impatient to see his wife, he stole from
his room unobserved, and sought Emily
o apartment The door was partly open
e and he entered unheard. His suiferin!
o wife was alone, reclining on the concl
which she had not left for many days. Ea
y gerly Edgar sprang forward, forgetful o
e his feeble state, and fell upon the bed by
e her side. In moment they were in eacf
: others arms. sobbing like children. Ed
: gar was praying to be forgiven for hi
: guilty neglect, which had well nigh killet
her, and she was interrupting him will
e assurances Of pardon and never dying love
e Oh, it was then that the wretched hus
# band, on his knees by the bedside of hi
d injured wife: opened to her his heart
y During his convalescence he had reflect
e ed. He saw all his errors in their tru'
: light; and now he confessed in deep hu
initiation. The hand of heaven had chas
r tened him, and he bowed submissively, fo1
: his punishment was not only just, but ne
; cessary to his good. He had been blin'
: to sin before, but the scales had been tori
: away from his eyes. He felt the pain bu
blessed the light. 0! he would not com
e plain, but prayed heaven, there in the pre-
$ sence of her he had wronged, to forgive
= him, and to restore her TO health-not to
: his sake, but her own, and that OF he1
friends to whom she was dear.
e Ellen came. She lifted Edgar from hi
: knees, and in language Of heavenly kind
d ness, cheered his broken and repentan
: spirit. Emily needed no words of hop
i bo. naarf alro,Iy n