The Lancaster ledger. [volume] (Lancaster, S.C.) 1852-1905, 1859-11-23

! uoctor " you md him IN, that he must
come Immediately. Don't let him nut
| you off with promise to come soon
Bring him back with YOU
Mr.. Lewis hurried away, aud Mrs. Lew
IS, after undressing Anna and laying her
IN bed, went over to the sitting.room from
whence there now came the frettinp cry
OF baby, who had awakened from a brief
slumber.
My precious oner exclaimed the mo.
ther, rs she hugged her child, almost wild.
ly, TO her heart. my precious oner
Then she felt Of her baby's hand, and
touched its soft cheek, for signs of fever,
but they were cool and moist An emo
ton of thankfulness throbbed in her heart.
And now her eyes rested on the garment
upon which she had been at work for
more than two days. An accusing spirit
was a, her ear hintiug Of neglect. The
suggestion disturbed her profoundly.-
! Gradually the truth dawned upon her
mind, growing more and more distinct
every moment. For the sake Of gratify.
ing her motherly pride in the adornment
Of her chiId's oody, she had not only
turned away from that child, and hurt
her gentle spirit 10y unkindness, but she
had SO neglected her as not to mark the
signs of approaching disease until the
hard of fever was upon her.
God forgive me! she said, solemnly.
while shudder passed along her nerves .
My weak heart was overtaken bv folly.
but visit me not SO fearfully. Oh, spare.
spare my child =
The physician came, and Mrs. Lswis
watched every changing expression Of his
lace, and hung anyiousy on his Words
Ills replies to the mothers questions were
brief, and evidently guarded, while in her
eyes his countenance wore an unusually
serious aspect.
4 will call again tonight said he, on
going away.
How the words smote upon her heart.
Again tonight! Then there was in.
deed danger =
By this time Anna's fever had greatly
increased in violence, and she moaned
and tossed about restlessly. The medi
cine left 10y the doctor did not seem to
make any impression. There WAS rather
an cxacerbarion than an abatement Of
the worst symptoms.
Towards Zen o'clock the doctor called
again. lie came in with n serious, pro.
'essioma air, and sat by the bedside with
out speaking. After feeling the childs
pulse, he bent over and examined her
skin.
Is 1t scarlet fever. Doctor =
The voice Of Mrs. Lewis was husky
and tremulous. She held her breath.
waiting for an answer to her question.
1t may be only = mild case Of scarlet
rash,' replied the doctor. But there was
evasion in the tones Of his voice, and the
anxious mother was not deceived.
Continue the medicine as before.
will see her early in the morning.
And with nothing more to encourage
their fears,ricken hearts, the father and
mother were left for the night with their
sick child. Neither slep, for there was
no abatement Of fever, and the little suf
terer cried or moaned, or threw herself
restIessly about through all the weary
hours, until day dawn. When the doc
tor next came, he made no attempt at
concealment Al! the signs were clear. 1t
was a case OF scarletina, and by no means
light one.
Unhappy mother! All her soul was
filled with terror. Naturally Of a tender
and loving nature, her heart had become
bound up in her children, and the thought
OF losing this one, her tirst-born, pierced
her with sharpest anguish.
Alas if this had been all. But never
a 81, 81,
memory Of her unkindness and neglect
OF the sharp, angry repulsion with which
she had driven her child away, when, suf.
terlng from the encroachments Of disease,
and IN a state Of consequent irritation Of
mind and body, she had sought her care
and attention. How many times, during
the next FIVE or six days Of anguish and
suspense, did she steal away to some SO
cluded place, and, bending tearfuIly in
PRAYER, ask that her child might not be
/ taken from her
'Oh J.! spare her, Heavenly Father
/ spare her this time Do not take my
child and leave my heart borne down with
double weight Of sorrow and self repro
val"
t hio bbO DuIucb VI ncT OH repeated
prayer. The richly embroidered garment
in which her mind had become so much
interested as to cause her to forget, for
! the time, the real wants of her children,
was hidden away The sight OF il rebu
ked her rs with stern words.
Rapidly the disease ran its course. and
little Anna was brought to the brink of
the river Of death, her white feet bareG
to 60 down into the darkly flowing WA
.ers. AUd still, from the mothers heart.
went up the almost wildly uttered prayer,
oh, spare me my child Spare me
my child =
AT last the long suspense was over, the
struggle with dsssss ended, and the un.
conscious one lay white aud still before
the hushed weepers; not still in death,
but in the calm Of exhausted nature, for
life yet fingered about the heart, and
erept along the veins in feeble currents.
- Al =.