Western Reserve chronicle. [volume] (Warren, Ohio) 1855-1921, 1855-10-24

SlOnS were u0UcT. less EtSlTdllt tudu uOh-
The voice of the fevered girl diverted
her thoughts few words were MUIR
INJURED, and then the lips pressed trem-
blingly together, and a tear flowed and
ran off her cheek. Suddenly starting
up in the bed, and threading her long
curling hair with her slender finger, she
exclaimed, in wild, delirious tone:
"It cannot be true. Oh, mother
tell me, mother !''
Mrs + fairly leaped TO the bed
side, and placing her hand over her
daughters mouth, exclaimed, with af
frighted gesture
"What is it-what do you mean ?
NY God, doctor, she raves"
Theyoung girl fell back on her pillows.
The mother stood trembling and pale by
the bed, nameless terror depicted on
every feature. Turning to me, in aquick,
restless voice, she bade me give her a
quieting draught-" anything that would
keep her from raving." The room was
not more than comfortably warm, yet
the perspiration stood upon the excited
mothers forehead like a thick dew.
=" Conscience" l thought to myself,
Z" must lie here"
In the course of an hour, the sufferer
slumbered heavily her breathing was
hurried and oppressed the fever heat
had increased, and her meanings were
more constant.
Day was just breaking as 1 left my
young patient TO return home. The snow
was still falling. The traces of wheels,
made during the night, were nearly eff
faced. As l looked out of the carriage
window, saw small boy struggling
knee-deep, in the unbroken snow. 1t
was the poor beggar-c child, thin clad, as
of yesterday, with his pale cheek as
white as the snow he toiled through. 1
called TO the coachman to stop, as we
were passing the child. "Where are
you going" exclaimed, {" in this cold
winter morning, my poor boy %
He raised his large, dark eyes to my
face my heart grieved at their look of
utter hopelessness. as he simply answer
ed, " To beg for myself and old gran
ma"
care you not very cold in those thin
clothes 90 1 asked. His little teeth
chartered as he answered, "I am very
cold, SIR"
The horses, impatient at resting, were
plunging violently against the traces,
and the coachman asked if he had not
better drive on. gave the boy few
silver coins that were in my pocket, and
the carriage passed by. 1 never saw
that boy but once again. His look
haunts me to this day. As 1 drove on,
memory was busy tracing where l had
seen features like his. The dark hair
that laid in uncombed curls upon his
forehead, and clustered warmly about
his neck, as though in protection against
the bitter cold his large black eyes,
with their long lashes the chiselled out
line of his nose and mouth /; these all
struck me that somewhere l had seen a
face that strikingly resembled his. Poor
boy beauty was his only possession !
At breakfast, letter was handed me
which summoned me Immediately to see
one of my children who lay IL at dis
tant town. Before leaving, wrote a
hurried note to Mrs. T, stating the
cause of my sudden departure, desiring
ths. she would call in, during my alb
sence, another physician. The young
girls fate, and the beggar-boy's sad face,
were almost forgotten, during the the
journey, in my own cares.
On the sixth day after, again found
myself at home. My first thought was
for my poor Emily. 1 dreaded to ask
there was something whispering at my
heart that all was not well.
Ny suspense was not long messen-
ger had Just left, stating that the dear
girl was fast failing, and that her physi-
clans had pronounced her laboring un-
der Iyphus fever. My God how my
heart sank as the words fell on my ear.
l had dreaded this mistake as l left.
! Alas When will medical men learn to
cast aside the shackles, fastened in igno-
lance, and which have so long clogged
their progress Thank God, the time
is not far distant when the wretched nos
illogical works of the superannuated will
have ceased to be read, and the dust Of
neg glect consign them to a merited grave.
Read these tones, ponderous in error,
and one would be led to believe that dis.
ease consisted of an excess of vitality.
After hurried meal, l drove rapidly
TO Mrs. rs. The weather had
again turned intensely cold; the ice
road cracked beneath my horses feet
The only green thing SLOWING was where
here and there the wind had blown the
snow-caps from the stunted cedar tops.
Earth looked arrayed for the grave.
The house-dOor was quietly opened
by servant in another minute stood
in Emily's chamber. The mantle was