Raftsman's journal. [volume] (Clearfield, Pa.) 1854-1948, 1855-11-21
Conscience l thought to MYSELF, e.must lie

I SonSSiSASe, tiiouSht 10 ny seii, tluust lax
here.'' .,f a-- rrf.,.e,. -.s-z5 ~
In the course-ef an hour, the sufferer slum
I bered heavily; her breathing was hurried and
1 oppressed; the fever heat had Increased, and
! her meanings were more constant s tt-
/ Day was just breaking as 1 left my young
| patient to return home. The snow was still
! falling. The tracts of wheels, made during
| the night. were nearly eraced. AS l looked
out of the carriage window, L small boy
struggling knee-deep, in the unbroken snow.
1t was the poor beggar-child, thin-clad, as OF
yesterday, with his pale cheek as white as the
snow he t0iled through. / called to the coach
man to stop, as we were passing the child
s'W here are you going" !" / exclaimed, sin this
cold winter morning, my poor boy?''
| He raised his large, dark eyes to my face;
my heart grieyed at their look of utter hope
| lessness, as he simply answered, ssTo beg for
myself and old grandma ae i' tof
| "Arey you notvery cold in those thin clothes?''
/ asked. His little teeth chattered as he an
/ swered, Il am very cold, sir.o -
| The horses, impatient at resting, were plum
ging violently against the traces, and the
coachman asked if he had not better drive on.
L gave the boy a few silver coins that were in
my pocket, and the carriage passed by. l
never saw that boy but once again. His look
haunts me to this day. AS drove on, mem
| ory busy tracing where / had ever seen
features like his. The dark hair that laid in
uncombed curls upon his forehead, and clus-
tered warmly about his neck, as though in
protection against the bitter cold; his large
black eyes, with their long lashes; the chiSel-
led outline Of his nose and mouth; these all
struck me that somewhere | had seen a face
that strkingly 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 i'll at distant town. Before
leaving, wrote q hurried note to Mrs. r,
stating the cause of my sudden departure, de-
string that she would call in, during my alb
sence, another physician. The young girls
fate, and the beggar-boy's sad face, were al
most forgotten, during the journey, in my
own cares.
On the sixth day after, again found my
self at homo. Ny first thought was for my
poor Emily. 1 dreaded to ask-there was
something whispering at my heart that all
was not we'll. ~
My suspense not long a messenger had
just left, stating that the dear girl was fast
falling, and that her physicians had pronoun-
ced her laboring uader typhus fever, My God!
how my heart sank as the words fell on my
ear Ihad dreaded this mistake as / left
disease, and not by the disease itself! When
will medical men learn to cast aside the shack
les. fastened in ignorance, and which have so
long clogged their progress' Thank God,
the time is not far distant when the wretched
nosological works of the superanuatCd will
have ceased TO be read, and the dust of neglect
consign them to merited grave. Read these
tones, ponderous in error, and one would be
led to believe that disease consisted of an ex-
cess CT vitality!
After hurried meal, | drove rapidly to
Mrs. T-'s. The weather had again turned
intensely cold; the icy road cracked beneath
my horses feet. The only green thing show
ing was where here and there the wind bad
blown the snow-caps from the stnntsd cedar
tops. Earth looked arrayed for the grave.
The house-door was quietly opened by a
servant; in another minute stood in Emiy's
chamber. The mautel was crowded with nu-
merous vials; the close atmosphere of the room
sckened me. Daylight just sufficient to DIS
cern objects was admitted through a partly
opened blind. My step was so light that no
one perceived my entrance. By the bedside,
with her head bowed down over one of her
daughters pale hands. which she held in both
her own, sat the wretched mother. 1t seemed
to me as though ten years had passed over heI
faded and care-worn countenance; her hair had
become grayt j could not move-my heart
stood still. On the young girls temples, dark,
round, blue marks with crossed gashes, show
ed that the fatal cups had been at their work;
the left arm, exposed by the withdrawn sleeve
of her night dress, was bandaged at the elbow
blood also had been taken from the arm -
Oh, God how my heart ached. The doom of
the sweet sufferer had been thus surely sealed.
Fatal error! The excitement Of the brain had
been mistaken for information.
| approached the bed for the first time the
desolate mother heard my step, and turning
quickly she sprang from the chair, and placing
her hands my shoulders, she bowed her
head on my chest. She sobbed wildly, as
though her heart would break.
ssLook, look, doctor, would you have known
herr Oh God she is leaving me-save her,
save her!'' vssssez g
She sank fainting on the floor. We gently
raised her, and bore her to her own chamber.
In few minutes returned to my patients s
roop, ha tnrnod har head lannuidlY towards