Eastern times. [volume] (Bath, Me.) 1846-1857, 1851-11-06


daily some friendly society, so that she should
be as little alone as possible, paid her my
self long and frequent visits. All my spare
moments employed in searching books for
anecdotes and arguments, which l trusted
might prove more convincing than my own
OF in the night | congratulated myself on hav-
ing found some rev light wherein 10 place it.
that must at once satisfy her. SILL in vain:
all my efforts failed in changing into hesitation
the firm, fixed belief, so clearly 10 be read in
her calm, mourntnl eyes. My prescription
failed equally in improving her bodily health
| saw her waste almost as watched her: |
felt her pulse grow slower and weaker under
my fingers, and the fatal night was fearinIly
near at hand. My anxiety rose almost to ago
ny-indeed, am persuaded that fortnight of
such suffering would have finished the doctor
as well as the patient. All imaginable expe-
dien,s | thought of and rejected-among 9TH
ers that of bribing two men TO come forward
and confess they had entered her apartment,
and acted the warning scene for lark or
wager; but as she told me their features were
indelibly impressed upon her mind, aban-
doned that. The scheme on which | paused
the longest, was that of giving her a dose of
laudanum, that she should sleep over the
dreaded hour; bnt her rapidly increasing weak
ness obliged me 10 relinquish that. as too dan
gerous; and the nearer the day approached,
the more obvious it became that her constitu-
tion would not staGd opium. | asked the opn-
ion of several of The most eminent medical men
of the day but, (as could not introduce any
of them to her without at once proving 10 her
how i'll thought her, and which would have
had the most disastrous effect,) without seeing
her, and understanding her temperament, they
she would get over it with a fright. Thrown
thus on my own resources, with the life of
this young creature, wife and mother, de-
pending on the wisdom of my treatment, Ineg-
lecied most of my other patients 10 devote my
self TO her, and spend all my evenings with
her and her husband. Her mauners were al
ways most winning, but became daily more so;
she spoke 10 US all with such an atfectionaie
expression. Ii appeared almos, as though she
sought 10 secure our love for her memory,
when she herself should be summoned away.
On the evening Of the sih of April, the even
ing but one before the dread night, she was
suddenly seized with violent fit of Mysteries,
succeeded by fainting fits. Colonel Delaware,
who for some time past had, with the usual
blindness of affection, imagined that his wife
was recovering, now, for the first time, as he
knelt by the side Of the bed 10 which he had
carried her. perceived partly the immnence Of
her Danger. l cheered him, poor fellow, as
much as possible, and on seeing Mrs. Della
ware comparatively restored, returned 10 my
home: and after night of most anxious con-
sideraiion as 10 the means of getting my pa
iient over the dreaded midnight hour, the re-
membrance Of play had seen when a boy,
| flashed upon my mind, and | instantly deter
mined to adopt the old stage trick Of changing
the clocks. My plan though il presented some
difficulties, was soon arranged in my mind,
and began for the first time for several davs
TO entertain hope. The next evening confid-
ed 10 the Colonel that his wife had fixed idea
that on the following night she would have an
attack similar 10 the one she had just recovered
from, which would be the crisis of her malady
that | myself thought ii not improbable the ex-
cited state of her nerves might actually pro-
duce what she dreaded, and therefore wished
10 save her constitution BY that shock, by put
ting all the clocks and watches one hour be-
hind the real time, on the following day. He
pledged himself 10 follow my directions most
faithfully, and promised the most inviolabe Sc
crecy. The servants were made acquainted
with just sufficient to ensure their co-opera-
ton; and as they were sincerely attached TO
their young mistress, full reliance could be
entrusted to them.
The morning Of the eveniful 10th was, for
iunately, as brilliant day as can well be con-
ceived even smoky London became almost
bright, and all things seemed TO exult in the
coming spring. visited my patient in the
morning, and found her as expected, weaker
and lower than the preceding evening. l peS-
emptorily ordered carriage exercise, and, as
she always yielded TO my suggestions, it was
settled that al three o'clock her husband should
accompany her in short country drive
While she was aitiring for this purpose, her
maid was awkward enough 10 break the chain
10 which her mistress's watch was attached,
| (being provided by me with the means to do
| it.) and the watch was obliged 10 be left at
home. During her absence, every clock and
watch in the honse was put back one hour !;
and succeeded in getting the church clock in
their immediate vicinity retarded that time
will not recount the difficulties met with in
accomplishing that part of my plan, nor the
! pompous refusals with which my entreaiies
were first met !; nor how the dignity Of the pa
rochial powers gradually softened into human
| ity when told that Member of Parliament
would not only feel deeply indebted 10 them,
| but make liberal donation to their parochial
funds On re-entering her apartment, poor
Clara eagerly resumed her watch, the damage
having been repaired during her absence, and
anxiously compared it with the clock on the
chimney -piece-the hour both indicated was
| five. She also found on her table two notes
| from her two most interesting friends, inviting
themselves to dine with her that day at six