Raftsman's journal. [volume] (Clearfield, Pa.) 1854-1948, 1855-11-21

| the wretched apartment, as it flickered in the
| deep socket. An old woman lay asleep in the
| corner, covered with rug and rags. The boy
approached, and touched her face with his cold
| fngers-they we're colder than the blood OF
| starved age. Their chill aroused her. An.
other light was placed in the socket, and few
| dried leaves with shavings, were put beneath
some rotten and water-soaRSd bark, to warm
| the frozen fragments that unwilling charity
had given; and thus wrinkled age and wasted
youth-life broke fast.
The clock had just struck two, as was sum-
| moned to the house of Mrs. T. The same
carriage that in the evening had borne the
beautiful girl, awaited at my door, with its i'm
patient horses snorting against the frosted air.
In few minutes, entered the house. Mrs.
T met me in the hall; her face was deadly
pale and her manner much excited. Her at
times singular nervousness had struck me, at
my former visits, whenever her daughter all
ed. She now informed ME that her darling
Emily was very i'll with high fever.
The young girl lay with her head turned
aside upon the pillow, her golden brown hair
scatter: in wild profusion upon its white COW
er, whilst the nurse was gently moistening the
palm of her out-stretched hand. The pulse
was beating wildly at the wrist and temples
which were scorching hot fever heat glowed
from her lustrous eyes. As kept my finger
on the pulse, and watched the expression of
my young patients countenance, something
seemed to whisper-it was not from any regu-
lar reasoning from the symptoms-that mind
had much TO do In this over-action OF matter.
Whilst the nurse held the candle to her face,
the traces of dried tears shone on her Suffused
cheek. 'sHeart-ache surely is here I said
to myself.
The mother watched my countenance with
painful solicitude. 4 faint harshness of ex-
preston gave a certain rigidity TO her fea-
lures, which were still beautiful. There
something in the whole appearance Of my pa
tient that excited my curiosity in the case
Some eight or ten hours had only passed since
she had thrown the snow-claimed aims to the
beggar-boy, and now fever was running riot
through every artery in her body.
Silently seating myself at the bedside, after
administering a cooling draught, watched for
the changes that might ensue.
The snow continued to fall, and was driven
clinking against the double window easements.
A comfortable fire burned on the hearth, cast
ing long shadows on the floor and walls. The
young girl dozed, but now and then started
from her short fever sleep with eyes wildly
open. Once or twice deep sob escaped her
lips, and few words, uninteligible to the ear,
were uttered. After time, she slumbered
most calmly. placed my finger gently on
her wrist; the pulse had lost much of its in
creased strength and frequency. I was now
satisfied that this sudden incursion of fever
originated from some violent mental cause.
Her mother sat near the fire, its blaze light
ing up every feature of her once beautiful face,
which still remained very pale. In all my in
tercourse with Mrs. T, had never had so
prolonged an opportunity of examining in
detail the expression of her countenance.
The longer / gazed on her the more satisfied
1 became that she had not passed through life
without a history.
A few vague rumors had foatcd around rel
tive to her history that strange desertion Of
her husband had taken place, and that he was
afterwards found drowned in river near his
house, and that by his death Mrs. T. had
become possessed of al immense estate
These tales, however, had soon subsidized, and
a. her means were large and her charities am
pie, the gossips of the town quietly dropped
the past and speculated on the future, as all
respectable gossips should do.
The longer 1 scanned her features, which at
times became almost fierce, and varied with
the thoughts that seemed crowding her mem
ory, the more was satisfied that this woman,
generally so stately and sef-possessed, had
passed stormy life at some period when her
passions were under less restraint than now
The voice of the fevered girl diverted her
thoughts: few words were murmured, and
then the lips pressed tremblingly together,
and tear flowed and ran off her cheek. Sud-
denly starting up in the beds and threading
her curling hair with her slender fingers, she
exclaimed, in a wild, delirious tone -..a
s.It cannot be true. Oh, mother-tell me,
mother!''
Mrs. T fairly leaped to the bedside, and
placing her hand on her daughters mouth,
exclaimed, with affri GIFTED gesture:
ssWhat is it? What do you mean3 My God
doctor, she raves"
The young girl fell back on her pillows.
The mother stood trembling and pale by the
bed, nameless terror depicted on every fea-
ture. Turning to me, in quick, restless
voice, she bade me give herr quieting draught
-s'anything that would keeph her from raylng."
The room was not more than comfortably
warm, yet the pcrspiration stood upon the ex-
cited methsr's forshssd like 4 thick dew