The Middlebury register. [volume] (Middlebury, Vt.) 1850-1882, 1859-11-09

and stood with the lamp while he painted
out the t,aces Of tears ON his cheeks in
front Of broken iooking-gass.
The red viii do, Bill; 90 on, or you'll
have him n here. aud She won T. like that. "
Bill went on, aud the doctor arrived Il
few minutes Afterwards. He was short,
stout. good humored looking man, with a
brisk way of speaking that at once secured
obedience.
" Now, them" said he, " what's amiss
| could make nothing of that fellow you
sent after me. All" said he. altering,
his tone as his eyes growing used to the
light took in the woman's face on the bed.
what do they call you" turning to
the youngest Of the assembled women.
Jenny, sir"
"Will you stop ? all the rest 20"
The women grumblingly obeyed, and he
stopped down to examine his patient.
When did this happen, Jenny ?"
Last night. sir"
Why didn't you send before?'
We did send for one here in the
village, but he wouldn't come because she
belonged to the circus. He sent er this,
handing him paper.
Umph The world and its amuse-
ments on the broad way Just like that
sanctimonious Jennings. Sends the woman
a tract and lets her suffer all day long"
Doctor" said the sick woman, " how
long can live ?"
Live, woman why, you're good for
another forty years yet"
No, doctor, I'm not ! feel I'm not
long for this world"
Oh, all nonsense" said he, "you, IL
soon get over this" And with like COM
forting assurances he sought to raise her
depressed condition. In about ten minu.
tes he went to the door and said, "come
in here one of you, while | go to the gig
He soon came back, and the woman re-
manned with him.
In little while the clown came up to
the group of women outside the door, and
leaning in all attitudes against the sides
and steps of the wagon.
Well, has he Gomez"
Yes, he has been sn this quarter of an
hour"
What does he say ?"
'Oh she'll do," he says. didn't he p
said one of them, turning to another for
confirmation.
He soon left. and his voice was heard
shouting some old witticsm of the ring as
though there were no such things as sick
wives and doctors in the world. In a
few minutes more he came again quite
out of breath from the last sumersault, the
appreciation Of which was still heard.
Seeing the door partially open, he entered
and his face looked joyous as the wall Of
a child greeted him.
(Which is it. A boy"
Yes" said Jenny.
The answer was unheard by him, for
there-stretched out in death-was the
mother. Contrary to the doctors expec.
tations, the accident and premature
delivery had caused her DEATH
Yes There she lay; the hollow sunken
eyes made unnaturally bright by the trace:
of rouge upon her cheeks the jaw fallen.
Death was evidently there, and he saw it.
She with whom he had hoped to share all
the cares and joys of life now that the
only difference they ever had was removed
she was dead The man seemed stun.
ned. A strange pair they looked he in
the motley and paint of his calling she
dead.
Bear up, Bill" said Jenny, approach
ing him with the child " it's boy, Bill
and she wanted it to be called after you.'
The man seemed not TO hear, but walk.
ing up to the bed, and taking one of the
dead hands in his, kissed it gently, as
though his loss had just been realized,
muttering. dead dead !" and lay down
his face close to hers, kissing the fast cool.
ing lips with frantic earnestness.
Dead-dead-dead" !" still came be.
tween his choking sobs. To him, the wo-
man, moving to and fro in Offices about
the child, were not to him useless was
the doctors farewell. Dead-dead-
dead !" and the heaving chest and burn.
ing eye.balls found relief in tears.
" There don't take on so hard, Bill" +"
She might as well have spoken to the
box on which he half sat, half leaned, as
he hung over his dead wife They then
tried to get to close the staring eyes, but
a look which appalled, them shook their