Burlington free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1827-1865, 1859-09-02

/ Al cPOAoeiOi u u SbE11NA-
Up ran the youths, eager to secure good
places. In they crowded, full of interest
and talk. whats the case?'' (Which
side is il y
Don't think them heartless; they are nei-
ther better nor worse than you or /: they have
got over their professional horrors and in to
their proper work and in them pity-as an
emotion ending in itself, or at best in tears
and a long drawn breath, lessons, while pity
as mOtiUe, is quickened, and gains power
and purpose. 1t is well for haman nature
that it is so.
The operating theater is crowded much
talk and fun, and all the cordiality and stir
Of youth. The surgeon with his staff of as
sistants is there. In comes Allie one look
at her quiets and abates the eager students.
That beautiful old woman is too much for
them they sit down and are dumb, and
gaze at her. These rough looking boys feel
the power Of her presence. She walks in
quickly. but without haste dressed in her
mutch, her neckerchief her white dimity
short gown, her black bomba zeen petticoat,
showing her white worsted stockings, and
! her carpe. shoes. Behind her was James,
with Rab James sat down in the distance,
and took that huge and and noble
| head between his knees Rab looked
perplexed and dangerous forever cooking
hIs ear and dropping it as fast.
Allie stepped up on seat, and laid her
| self on the table, as her friend the surgeon
| told her arranged herself, gave a rapid look
| at james. shut her eyes, rested herself on
me, and took my hand. The operation was
at once begun: it was necessarily slow and
chloroform-one Of Gods best gifts to his
suffering chldren-was then unknown. The
| surgeon did his work The pale face showed
| its pain, but was still, and silent. Rab's
| soul was working within him; he saw that
something was going on-blood flowing from
| his mistress. and she suffering; his ragged
ear wa up, and importunate he growled
and gave now and then sharp impatient
yep: he would have liked to have done
something to that man Bur James had him,
and gave him a glover from time to time,
and an intimation of possible kick all the
better for James, it kept his eye and his
mind of Allie.
1t is over; she is dressed. steps gently and
decentlv down from the table and looks for
James; then turning to the surgeon and
students she curtesies. and. in a low. clear
voice. hegs their pardon if she has behaved
III. The students-all Of us-wept like
children. the surgeon wrapped her up care
fullv-and, resting on james and me, Allie |
went to her room, Rah following. We put |
her to bed. James took his heavy shoes, |
crammed with Jackets, hecl-capt and toe |
capt. and put them carefully under the table. !
saying, Master John, | IN for none O your |
strange nurse bodies for Allie. I'll be her |
nurse, and Oh my stockin' soles I'll gang |
about as canny as puffy. And so he did. |
and handy and clever, and swift and tender /
as any woman was that horny handed, small, |
peremptory little man. Everything she got |
he gave her; he seldom slept, and often | saw |
his small shrewd eyes out of the darkness |
fixed on her. As before, they spoke little.
Rab behaved well. never moving. showing !
us how meek and gentle he could be, and |
occasionally, in his sleep, letting us know |
that he was demolishing some adversary. |
He took a walk with me every day, gener- |
ally TO the Candemaker Row, but he was
sober and mild declined dong battle, though |
some fit cases offered, and indeed submitted /
TO sundrv ndignities; and was always ready |
t. turn. and came faster back, and trotted |
up the stair With much lightness, and went |
straight 10 that door.
jess. the mare--now white-had been
sent, with her weather-worn cart, to How
gate. and had doubtless her own dim and
placid medItations and contusions on the ah-
sence of her master and Rab. and her unna
tural freedom from the road and her cart.
For some davs Allie did we'll. The wound
healed by the first intention;' as James said,
'Oor Allies skim over clean to bell The
students came in quiet and anxious. and
surrounded her bed. She said she liked 10
see their young, honest faces. - surgeon
dressed her, and spoke to her IN his own
short, kind way, pitying her through his
eyes Rab and James outside the circle
Rab being now recOnciled, and even cordial,
and having made up his mind that as yet
nobody required worrying, but, as you may
suppose, Semper pGratus.
So far well; but, four days after the 0per
alton. my patient had sudden and long
shivering, a 'grOosin, as she called 1t ! saw
her soon after; her eyes were too bright, her
cheek colOred; she wac restless. and ashamed
Of being so; the balance was lost. mischief
had begun. On looking at the wound,
blush of red told the secret; her pulse was
rapid, her breathing anxious and quick. She
wasn't herself, as she said, and was vexed at
her restlessness. We tried what we could.
James did everything, was everywhere-
never in the way, never out of 1t Rab
subsidcd under the table into a dark place,
and was motioniess, all but his eye, which
lDIlONtu cNtIN Oht +Alllt HOb Ntl0O- ~ S5'A'
to wander in her mind, gently: was more
demoustrative in her ways to James, rapid
in her questions and sharp at times. He was
vexed and said, she was never that way
afore; no, never For a time she knew her
head was wrong. and was always asking our
pardon, the dear, kind, gentle old woman;
then delirium set in strong, without pause
Her brain gave way. and that terrible
spectacle,
''The intellectual power through words and things
Went sounding on its dim and perilous way
she sang bits of old songs and Psalms, stop
ping suddenly ,mingling the Psalms of David
and the diviner words Of his Son and Lord,
with homely odds and ends and scraps Of
ballads.
Nothing more touching, or in a sense
more strangely beautiful, did ever witness
Her tremulous, rapid, aifectiOnate, eager
Scotch voice-the swift, aimless, bewildered |
mind, the bafled utterance, the bright and
perilous eve; some wild words, some house
hold cares, something for James. the names
of the dead Rab called loudly and in
'fremyt' voice, and he started up, surprised,
and sinking off as if he were to blame some
how, or had been dreaming lac heard. Many |
eager questions and beseechings which James
and ] could make nothing of, and on
which she seemed to set her all and then
sink back all ununderstood 1t was very
sad but better than many things that are |
not called sad. James hovered about. put |
out and miserable, but active and exact as |
ever; read to her when there was Il lull, short |
bits of Psalms, prose and metre, chanting
the latter in his own rude and serious way, !
showing great knowledge Of the fit words, |
bearing up like man and dotIng over her
as his 'ain Allie. Allie, ma woman !! Ma |
ain bonnie wee dawtie =
The end was drawing on: the golden bowl |
was breaking-the silver cord was fast being |
loosed-that ANINsULA, BLANDULA, vAGULA, |
HosPEs, coMEsoUE, was about to flee. The |
body and the soul, companions for sixty
years, were being sundered and taking leave.
She walking, alone, through the valley of