Worcester daily spy. [volume] (Worcester [Mass.]) 1850-1888, 1853-01-05
[PRICE ONE CENT.
1l)orfester Dailp 5pp.
As l. 4 AEG EAO U SEE.
BY CHARLES DICKENS
400
PART TEN.
CHAPTER XXX.
NURSE AND PATIENT.

NURSE AND PATIENT.
Continued.
We went back into the hall, and explained TO
10 what we proposed to do, which Charley ex-
planned TO him again, and which he received with
the languid unconcern / had already noticed,
YEARLY looking on what was done, as if it were
for somebody else. The servants compassionate
ing his miserable state, and being very anxious
to help, we soon got the lott room ready; and
some of the men about the house carried him
across the wet yard, well wrapped up.
TWAS pleasant to observe how kind they were
TO him, and how there appeared to be a general
impression among them that frequently calling
him Old Chap was likely 10 revive his spirits.
Chafley directed the operations, and went 10 and
fro between the loft-room and the house with such
little sumuants and comforts as we thought it
safe to give him. My guardian himself saw him
before he was left for the night, and reported to
me, when he returned to the Growlery to wrea
letter on the boys behalf, which messenger was
charged TO deliver at daylight in the morning, that
he seemed easier, and inclined to sleep. They
had fastened his door on the outside, he said in
case of his being delirious; but had so arranged
that he could not make any noise without being
heard.
Ada being in room with cold, Mr. Skim
polo was left alone all this time, assd ense.iaiue;
himself by playing snatches of pathetic airs and
sometimes singing to them Gas we heard at dis
tance) with great expression and feeling. When
we rejoined him in the drawing room he said he
would give us a little ballad which had come in
to his head, 'appropos of our young frIend;' and
he sang one about Peasant boy,
"Ehrown he wide world doom'd to wander and
Bereit of his parents, bereft of home"
quite exquisy. 1t was song that always
made him cry, he told US.
He was extremely gay all the rest of the eve
ming; 'for he absolutely chirped,' those were his
delighted words; when he thought by what
happy talent for business he was surrounded >
lie gave US, in his glass Of negus, Better health
to our young friend!' and supposed, and gajv
pursued, the case Of his being reserved like Whit
tIngton TO become Lord Mayor of London In
that event, no doubt, he would establish the Jarn-
dyce Institution and the Summerson Aims houses,
and little annual Corporation Pilgrimage to ST.
Albans. lie had no doubt, he said, that our
Young friend was an excellent boy in his way.
but his way was not the Leonard Skmpole way;
what Leonard Skimpoe was, Leonard Skimpoe
had found himself. to his considerable sunrise.
when he first made his own acquaintance: he
had accepted himself with all his failings, and
had thought it sound philosophy to make The best
oflhe bargain; and he hoped he would do the
same.
Charley's last report was, that the bow was
There could see from my window sJ JFhs
than usual little before day-break, and itai
me- AS was dressing, looked out of my
dow, and asked one of our men who had
among the active sympathisers last night, whel..-
er there was anything wrong about the house.
The lantern was still burning in the loft-window
Its the boy, miss, said he.
SIS he worse ? inquired.
'Gone, miss
sDead'
Dead, mis-? No. Gone clean off,
At what time ofthe night be had gone, or how
or why, it seemed hopeless ever to divine. The
door remaining it had been left, and the Ian
tern standing in the window, it could only be sup
posed that he had got out by trap in the floor
which communicated with an empty cart house
below. But be had shut it down again, if that
were so; and it looked as if it had not been raised
Nothing Of any kind was missing. On this fact
being clearly ascerained, we all yielded 10 the
painful belief that deirium had come upon him in
the night, and that, alIured by some imaginary
object, or pursued by some imaginary horror, he
had strayed away in that worse than helpless
state; all of us, that is to say, but Mr. Skmpole,
who repeatedly suggested, in his usual easy light
style, that 1t had occurred to our young friend that
he was nota safe inmate having bad kind of
fever upon him; aud that he had, with great nat
ural polileness, taken himself off.
Every possible inquiry was made, and every
place searched. The bricslSilas were. M
ined, the cottages were visited, the two women
were particularly questioned, but they knew moth
ing Of him, and nobody could doubt that their
wonder was genuine. The weather had for some
time been loo wet, and the night itself had been
too wet, to admit of any tracing by Footsteps
Hedge and ditch, and wall, and rick and stack,
were examined by our men for long distance
round, lest the boy should be lying in such place
insensble or dead; but nothing was 81 en- to indi-
cate that he had ever been near. From the time
when he left in the loft-room, he vanished.
The search continued for five days. | do not
mean that 1t ceased, even then; but that nv
tention was then diverted into a current very
morable TO mel aU
AS Charley was at her writing agaiess -,
room III the evening, and as | sat opps SSs,
at work, | felt the table tremble. Look
saw my little maid shiyering from head Jte, =
Charley SAID |, ARE you SO cold X,
Il think | am, miss, she replied. E
know what it is. l can't hold myseA y
felt Sc Yesterday; at about the same tlIne, s.
| Don't be uneasy | think Pm ILL.,
heard Ada's voice outside, and hurried to
the door of communication between my room and
our pretty stting-room, and locked II. Just in
time, for she tapped at il while my hand was yet
upon the key.
Ada called TO me TO let her in, but said, Not
now, my dearest Go away. There's nothing
the matter; will come to you presently Ali
it was a long, long time, before my darling girl
and were companions again. 4
Charley fell III. In twelve hours she was very
i'll. moved her to my ROOM and laid her 10 my
bed and sat down quietly to nurse her told
my guardian all about it, and why fell il was
NECESSARY that should secude myself, and my
reason Tor not seeing my darling above ALL AT
first she came very often to the door, and called
to me, and even reproached me with sobs and
tears; but wrote her long letter, saying that
she made me anxious and unhappy, and implor-
ing her, as she loved me, and wished my mind to
be at peace, to come no nearer than the garden.
After that, she came beneath the window even
onener than she had come 10 the door; and if
had learnt 10 love her dear sweet voice before
when we were hardly ever hpart. how did learn
N lave IL then. when stood behind the Window