The Highland weekly news. [volume] (Hillsborough [Hillsboro], Highland County, Ohio) 1853-1886, 1857-08-06

that both Paula and ], from the first,
had the same dim, breathless terror of
this illness that had suddenly smitten
the child. She had dropped and sick
ened all within few hours, they told
me. At first Dr. Lethby himself was
perplexed by the singular nature of the
attack; but ultimately il resolved itself
into one of those dread fevers, so sub
tile and sometimes so fatal. Sometimes
only sometimesl / said this to my
self day after day, trying to keep up the
glow of hope. But 1 was a hypocrite.
Through the long hours that watched
by the little bed, where our darling
tossed in restless delirium, though 1
watched as eagerly as jealously, as if, by
the keenness Of my vision, could fence
off an i'll that could come near her
still-I knew.
On the ninth day, exhausted / had
been compelled by DR.. Lethby to leave
the sick-room for space. ] fell into
heavy, torpid sleep, from which 1 was
aroused by a voice. "Come," it said,
"at once. The child is sinking. Nerve
yourself, for your wife's sake. She
suffers more than you can do"
And rose and staggered to my feet,
like one in dream, and followed him.
| could not bear it. 1 could not bear
to see the tiny figure, with its lily face
and closed eyes, lying there. All my
manhood forsook me. l flung myself
by the bedside, and burst into a passion
of despair.
A hand took mine and pressed it
Paula had stolen to my side; Paula's
voice spoke to me:
"Hush, husbandr' Only those two
words, but in such tone! Calm, COM
forting, tender. looked up at her; her
face wore the same expression as her
voice.
"Is there hope, then?" said in a
harsh whisper; and they told me there
was none! "Paula, can she live?"
"No. o, be still, for her moments
are very few; and she can hear you"
She was again hanging over the
child, watching every quiver of her
little face, listening to every faint breath
that came and went.
Presently the eyelds trembed and un-
closed. The wide blue eyes sought the
mothers face, and rested there content.
A smile parted the pale lips, and she
seemed to try to speak.
"Mamma!"
She laid her head beside her, SO as
better to hear the feeble uttorance.
"The pains gone"
eyes, my darling. o, my child my
child" The agony would have way
for the minute. The little head turn.
ed restlessly on its pillow.
"Is mamma sorry?'
"No--no-no! Mamma is content"
There was long silence. Then
again the weak, tremulous, tiny voice
"Where are you mamma? papa?"
We each took one small hand.
"Why can't / see you? Why are you
so far off?"
Paula slid her arm under the dear
head, and held her so. The slender
breath grew short and fast. DR.. Lethby
drew near--looked for a minute-thcn
left us softly.
"Mamma-papa!" We detected the
faint whisper, and bent down very
close, that We might lose nothing of
the fragile sound. "Come too. Come
with Wish!"
And that was all. The lips ceased
to be stirred, even by the futtering
breath. A slight spasm convulsed her
face for a moment, and then left it
settled in that pure, peaceful likeness
we were to know it by evermore.
We leaned over her dumbly. l felt
as if in dream. 1 could not real
ize; could not believe in anything
that l saw. Wish lying there, with
that white, soft smile on her face,
was not real, and still less was Paula,
sitting without word or sign, gazing
down on the dead face with steadfast
eyes. 1t was in an instructive effort to
break the circle of illusions which sur
rounded me, that called on her name.
She reused then, and looked up. The
anguish seemed to surge over her face
in gradual wave of consciousness
1t broke, with a fsrlorn wandering of
the eyes, beseeching gesture of the
outstretched arms, and low, long, desc
late wall
"My darling-my treasured o, my
child my child my child"
sat there, mute, and watched her
agony. dared not 60 near it. was
stone-like and helpless. I felt as if all
my world had slipped by me-Aoated
away irretrievably into an unknown
vortex, while stood watching, and
now with my hands bound to my side,
and my utterance choked, even from
lamentations.
My last remembrance was of Paula
coming to me, touching her forehead
with her hands. Then everything was
blotted out from my eyes aud mind.
4 X X 4
l had been strong man, vigorous in
health as | was held to be in intellect.
But in that long illness / seemed to be
drained of life, both mental and physi-
cal, till only the dregs Of both remain
ed. Then there followed long period
of convalescence, during which all
could do was to lie quietly where they
placed me, sometimes with closed lips,
and heavy, listless thoughts vaguely ira
versing my mind; sometimes with my
eyes wandering restlessly about the
room till they lit on Paula's patient
face, whereon they would linger. About
that face my thoughts grew entangled
oHou L .oulI ws..hT.. -