The commonwealth. (Wilmington, Del.) 1858-18??, 1858-08-14

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leaving the door together, servant dress
ed in plain and modest livery, came t,
the cab, and handed note for the doctor
Charles pointed to his friend, to whom
the note was Immediately delivered. Or
opening the note, it proved to be an enve.
lope To fee, with the request for the i'm.
mediate attendance of the doctor upon Q
poor woman who lay in a dangerous stu,
alton.
No name was signed to the request, bu
the neat female chirography was immedi.
ately recognized by the physician.
II was the successor OF several familiar
favors from an anonymous patron, who
had for some time excited the liveiest GU.
riosity of the doctor but of whom, with
all bis anxiety, he could learn nothing
farther than that she was called among the
OH tse christian lady, and that most oil
her iilhe vas devoted to visiting the needy
sick, and administering to the necesstie:
OF the unfortunate and destitute.
The mention Of these circumstances eli
cited simil,r sympathy in the breast o.
the warm-h hearted Charles, and he urged
his friend to hasten to the direction given
in the note, In the hope that they hight
get glimpse at least, of tile being, who
could in such retiring and ostcntatious sin.
cerity, exercise the true aud holy devotion
of Christian charity.
They soon arrived 1T The plaSe designs.
ted, aud found themselves in tho midst OF
the most wretched poverty and destitution
They entered the house, tho totteriug and
irail condition of which seemed scarcely
to possess stability enough to render a mo-
mentary delay beneath its ragged cloistor
secure, and asked of ono Of the inmates
who confronted thcm at the cntranSe, to
point the way to tho sick woman's cham
ber.
The poor woman who seemed to recos-
"a a ssr,ssican, pointed up ma rrow
Iss'nrei3c bdfore them, and shook ner head
a she muttered to them that it was nearly
over, and that it was now too late to do tho
old lady any good.
They immediately hastened 10 the pa
tient, but the great object Of their curiosi.
ty was not there. The good lady, they
were told in al swer to their inquiries; had
just left, to avoid being seen by any stran-
gers that might be comins in. In one
corner Of tho miserable room, upon Il
mockery Of bed, which with a plain
pine table and single chair, constituted
tue whole furniture of the apartment lay
stretched the insensible aud dying patient.
Charles seemed to take particular lutte.
rest in the case, and bis friend permitted
him TO have the eutire direction of their
proceedings. As they had been sdmon.
isIhse at the door, they found the poor wo-
nA9 past all hope. Charles turned to the
Z r. lrssiss,is nd taryJ lhssips v ssar.-.d
astcd th.r II she knew anything of the
character of tho patient.
She replied that she knew but little, an |
had been with her but few days, at the
request and under the pay of the good la
dy, who had been so kind and benevolent
to oil the poor. All that she knew Of this
good Indy was that she lived in - street,
which information was eagerly received by
Charles, and noted down in his memorau.
da. The old lady, continued to nurse, had
evidently seen better days, and while she
seemed to bow with Christian resignation
to the Affections that were upon her, che
yet, at every interval of strength, prayed
to be spared, if possible to hear of her soh
her dear son-whose name was ever on
her lips; after which, she often said, she
thought she could die happy.
" Poor woman p exclaimed CHARLES,
81 Ian has n son who perhaps possesses
\ If f uilordiug her every comfort
and consolation to her in her dying hour
aud he knows not how wretchedly destitute
she is. But pray" continued he in his in
terrogation Of the nurse, "by what name,
difshe call upon her soni"
"Charles," replied the woman "Charle
was the name that never left her lips, while
she had strength 10 utter it."
"Charles,n slowly murmured he-lc
me look upon her face, did Id ai iastan
he FASTENED to the bed, aud raised tn
light covering that had bid her emaciate'
features from him-his eyes seemed t.
start from their sockets. in the wilduess o
their glare, as in the last convulsion of deaf
he recognized her.
"Mother mother !" lie exclaimed, an
: fell lfeless by her side, with his arms lock
ed around the decrepid form.
The dying woman raised her eyelid:
: and looked upon the stranger who had thu
: aroused her. A smile passed .ovef lie
y palid features, hef lips duivered as if sb
would say,
; ~ hsrlcs,u p aud in all instant she ha
0 breathcd her last.
Q A moment passed, while all around stoc
C speechless aud mottonless at this affectiT
7 scene. After every rtiedps Of rescuscit
!, ton had been used upon Charles almo
q without effect, bis friend disengaged b
10 arms, and carried him in his unconsciol
r, state to the cab, which stood at the doc
l. and placed him in it.
DR. A few hasty directions were giveni al
q purse delivered to the nurse to use eve
It, requisite to the deceased, and the doct
~ drove with every speed to Charles's rel
le dence.
Us Early that day the corpse was rem ov
ne to the. residence of the son, and the int
al meut conducted with every attention a
no respect that could be given.
Charles remained in his uncotiscio
w state for several days, ere he was able
Ie- understand what had taken place.
M gradually recovered himself SO far as
Fly reason with his friend upon the cireumsti
his ces that had transpifed,
Of His mother had believed him lost to
,sc kcrevor, after an Intellectual effort to
he cover him, during his absence on his V
ful to the island. She bad believed with tru
ZEN the massacre of her husband and arri
ia a strange place. with her health en'
i'm bled aud destroyed by shipwreek that
lad had experienced in the vessel in which
his had departed from the island, she had
,;to .rod - . 80; o. l.i, a,,d % bnr exiata