Spirit of the age. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1849-1865, 1861-11-20
gaettions.
From the Richmond Dispatch
One Night in a Hospital.
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
BY JAMIE TYLER.

BY JAMIE TYLER.
You viii come again, ladyY
Would you really like for me TO comep
| said as bent over the low bed.
Il will die If you leave me now.
Then shall come; but now it is time to
retire-a nights rest viii do you @world Of
good
Il wish you would not 60
The tones were so full of entreatry, so
full of an unknown wanting that paused.
You are very much better, sir-surely
you do not fear?
She will come to- night, he answered, lay
ing his hand on mine, and gazing upon me
with his dark, sunken, but burning eyes,
and cannot meet her here alone.
felt his pulse-there was no fever, no
delirium in its quiet beat. rose to go, but
an unknown power restrained me. Throw
ing aside my wrappings, sat down at the
foot of the bed.
An hour, more than an hour? he mur-
INJURED Have changed much ?
VERY much | answered sadly.
But she will know me-know me any
where
l.
ing the white pillow in few days you Will
be able to return home
When Madeleine comes he murmured,
she will take me with her.
Il shaded the light from the sufferers face;
still his hand clasped mine, and his search
ing glance rested upon the closed door.
A night in hospital To sit surrounded
by the diving and the suffering; to feel the
clasp of fevered hand, as if it was sending
its moulten lava through your being-llfe
and death, earth and ;tnmortality ] was
startled from my revery by the sudden move
ment of my patient and the glad cry that
rung from his lips, She has come The
door swung noiselessly back on its hinges; 3
tall magnifcently formed woman, whose
black garments Swayed lightly to and fro,
and over whose shoulders hung wreath of
raven hair, stood within the open portals
The large, passionate eyes roam from bed to
bed; then she glided forward, nearer and
nearor, until itseemed to nae an unseen shad-
ow clung around her. I looked upon my pa
tient, his AIMS were extended, a smile lighted
up his whole tace; the woman knelt by the
low bed, her arms wound around that dying
man, and her lips pressed passionately to his
A glory not of earth fell over the white face
the limbs relaxed bent eagerly for ward
suppressing the cry that rose to my lips
In the dim, faint light my patient was alone
l gazed eagerly around. Surely, did no
dream | brought the light to bear upon my
patient's features. He was dead Throwing
the sheets over the stilled form, hastenee
to the watchers department. They bore
him quietly into another chamber. Hi'
hands were clasped tightly over his chest
within them lay closed case containing twt
miniatures unfastened it. The one sid
contained picture Of the unknown dead
the other, and there burst upon my view tn
mlrrored self of that beautiful woman-thl
Madeleine. 1t was handed me to be retaine
until called for.
There were no mourners; but gathere
white roses and flung them over the ne'
grave, and went back to life's duties a ssddel
and, trust, better woman. 1t is slngu
lar said the attending surgeon to me, as
stood one day glancing over the sick lis
that the wife of the gentleman you nurse
that night should have died at the same hou,
emily ten minutes before him. | ana told sh
was suddenly indiSposed as she rose from tn
supper-table, and about tw elve, scarcely wit
struggle, she died, calling passionately up
on her husband
He passed on to attend to his duties, NJ
noticing the deathy palor that gathered ov;
my face. / went home with terrible fe'
rackngmy whole system. Drawing the S:
cred relic from its hiding place, | wept as
some part of my life had been drawn into
vast void-wept as if the fate of these ty
were blended with my own.
Never without shudder do recall th
one night in hospital.