St. Charles Republican intelligencer. (St. Charles [Charles City], Iowa) 1856-1857, 1857-03-05

ts trust me, and l had to go to Doctor
Minor" =.
Mrs. Gray waited to hear no more,
but took the medicine quickly from
her daughters hand, and hurried with
it up to the chamber of her sick hus-
band. As she did 50, Anna heard her
fathers deep sounding, conclusive
cough, that to her car was more than
ever distressing.
After one of the powders had been
given, the sick man seemed to feel
some relief Before half an hour had
passed he was sleeping quietly.
"Now Anna, do you go to bed"
said Mrs. Gray, IL will set up with
your father tonight"
4" No, mother; you were up the
whole of last night, and hav'nt lain
down once to-day. You must go to
bed and let me sit up. | can do it
very well. The doctor said that he
would sleep well after the medicine
Oh, l hope he will be a great deal bet
ter in the morning. am sure he will,
for the medicine acted 50 quickly"
Her mother was by no means so
sanguine for she understood that it
was nothing more than an anodyne
that her husband had taken. But she
did not wish to destroy the lively hope
that had sprung up in her daughters
mind, and therefore said nothing to
the contrary.
Earnestly urged by Anna, she at
length consented to lie down, though
without taking off her clothes. Over
wearied by long watching, and from
want of natural rest and sleep, Mrs.
Gray soon fell into q deep s!umber,
and Anna was left the only conscious
being in that sick chamber. At first,
an indcscribable feeling of loneliness
stole over her. There was pause in
nature. Even her own hearts pulsa-
tons seemed hushed into rest. This
feeling passed away after time, and
her thoughts became more active
These not being pleasant, she took up
a book, and sought forgetfulness of
herself in its pages. For several hours
she read, with only the interruption
occasioned by the utterance ola heavy
groan now and then, that struggled up
from the breast of the sleeping inva-
lid. At last, even these were inter-
mitted, and her father slept more qui-
city.
About one o'clock, she laid aside her
book. 1t had ceased longer to inter
est her. Rising from her chair, she
took the lamp, and going to the bed
upon which her father slept, held it so
that the light would fall clearly upon
his face. Its expression caused her to
start, and sent the blood flowing back
upon her heart. .. ....
But, she recovered herself in mo-
ment He was breathing easily nay;
as gently as sleeping infant. Turn
ing from the bed side, she replaced the
lamp, shading it 50 that it's light would
not fall upon the sick mans face, and
then retired to a chair in the shadow
Of the room. The storm had increas-
ed instead of abating with the prog
ress of the night 1t trushed and roar
ed along the streets, and drove against
the frail tenement which they occu-
pied, with a force that made it shake
to the foundation.
None will wonder that the young
watcher, now that her mind had ceas-
ed to be occupied as it had been dur
ing the formerpart of the night, should
feel a dark, superstitious, and unde-
Unable fear stealing over her. Every
deeper sigh of the storm, every mys-
terious moan of the wind, every
strange sound by night made audible,
fell with chilling sensation upon her
heart. At last she arose, and went to
the bed upon which her mother lay
sleeping soundly, and crouched down
close beside her. Here she reclined
for nearly an hour, until sleep began
to steal over her senses.
A moaning Sound startled her just
as she had become unconscious of eX-
ternal things. Rising to her feet, she
stood bewildered for moment. The
sound came to her ear again. 1t was
from her father. Stepping quickly to
the bed upon which he lay, she bent
over him anxiously. He still slept !;
and still breathed sily-but every
few minutes moaned as if in pain.
Signing heavily, she turned away,
and again shrunk near to her mother.
But she felt no more inclination to
sleep. Superstitious thoughts were
again thrown into her mind. She felt
as if some fearful vision would every
moment rise up, and drive her mad
Images Of more real things, after a
while, impressed her imagination
These We're taking new forms every
moment, when a deeper groan from
her father again startled her. In a
little while strange distinct rattle
thrilled her ear, causing her to spring
to his bed side with quivering heart
Her father; lay motionless. She
bent her ear down, but felt no breath
upon her cheek. Turning to tue light
she removed the object that shaded it
from the bed, and then glided back
One look sufficed. Deaths angel had
set his seal upon the sick mans face.
A long wailing cry filed the chamber,
and the poor girl fell senseless upon
the couch that supported her fathers
corpse.
#sa a5y4 CHAPTER VIII. esa a-.a.
About nine O'Clock. on the next
morning. Doctor Minor left his house,
and walked with "a quicker step than
usual, toward that part Of the town
where resided tho moor family that had