Lewistown gazette. [volume] (Lewistown, Pa.) 1843-1944, 1864-01-06


ward in silence-the man, who still had
hold OF my arm, as if be were afraid |
might otherwise give him the slip, taking
long, rapid strides, and causing me no lit
tie exertlon to keep step with him.
At length he turned into dark court,
where L could see nothing but few dingy
buildings on either hand; and | thought, if
his object was to rob me, | was completely
10 his power. At the far end of this
court he stopped, opened door, and led
me up flight of creaking stairs, where I
could see nothing at all At the top of
these stairs we CROPPED our way forward
few feet, ard then he opened door into
the room of the patient
The apartment was small and plainly fur
nished, with lamp standing on little ia
BILE not far from the bed An old woman
who was leaning over the sufferer, looked
quickly aud eagerly around at our entrance,
and seeing me, exclaimed:
is he doctor?'
Yes, yes, Pve got doctor ct last, God
be praised, if it amt too late = replied the
man, hurriedly; adding, almost in the same
breath, How is she, May? how is she?'
The old woman shook her head, and
sighed out:
She's had three on 'em since you left,
and she's in the fourth now, poor dear!'
~, my God " groaned the man, sinking
down upon the nearest seat. Doctor, you
hear! 0, save her. save herr
| hurried to the bed and found the pa
tient in convulsions. The spasms ceased
almost Immediately, considerable quantity
OF Vlscid matter was elected, and heavy.
snoring respiration followed. The face was
flushed, the head hot, and the pulse rapid
| decided that she must be bled, and lost
no time in opening q vein | then sent
for ice, and applied it in moderation to her
head. | remained with her through the
night, aud left her at daylight in a tran
qull sleep, with directions to be followed
IN case of return of the spasms
The man, who gave his name as Ralph
Wagner, came down to the door with me
and thrust half eagle into my hand
How is she?' he asked, in trembling
voice. is she better, can you save her?'
'She is better, think, and | hope she
can be saved replied.
%, doctor, will you come again to-day p
yes, this afternoon, toward night, after
L shall have got some sleep and visited
some few patients that cannot be neglect
ed
Don't desert US, doctor for Gods sake,
don'tp fairly pleaded the man, with tears
in his eyes.
| assured him would not, gave him my
address, and bade him send for me at any
time, if change should take place for the
worse.
From that night the patient gradually
mended, and in the course of week was
out of danger and had her reason. [ had
seen her every day during this time, and
had become not little interested in her
She was not an ordinary woman. Her age
| judged to be about twenty five or six, and
her features though marked by suffering,
wee intellectual and still beautiful Her
hair light brown, soft almost to sickness,
and she had the sweetest blue eyes and
prettiest mouth [ ever beheld Her voice.
too, had that rich mellowness which so
captivates the ear, and her language demo
ted education, and her manners refinement.
Great was the contrast between this pret.
ty, delicate flower and the big, coarse fea-
tured, awkward, uneducated and | must
add, totally unprepossessing Ralph Wag-
ner; and though fancied [ could compre-
hend how such man might love her to
the whole extent Of his rough, course ma
ture, | confess [ was at loss to account
for true reciprocity, if indeed there was
such thing. That his ardent attachment
to her might excite some kind of sympathy
some emotion akin to pity, and perhaps
gratltude-I thought possible; but that
there should exist anything like true, mu-
tual love, seemed as contrary to the laws
of nature as for the doe to love the tiger
And yet how many such incongruities we
see paired, if not mated-married by law,
if not in spirit.
The day that | made what I intended
should be my last VISIT found my fair
patient sitting up in chair and crying as
if her heart would break. She was alone.
This is very bad for you to be exciting
your nervous system in this mannerp
said in a kindly reproving tone. Has
anything happened too serious for little
philosophy to master?'
Oh, DOCTOR she exclaimed, Il am a
poor, miserable, heart-broken woman, alone
and friendless ?
'Oh, not quite so bad as that, I think p
| answered lightly. where is your hus-
band p
This was the first time I had ever spo-
ken the word husband to her, and | looked
to see if she received it as a familiar, un-
questioned fact. She shuddered and COW
cred her face with her hands.
Did you see in the papers this morn
ing she sobbed, the arrest of notorious
burglar, called Patent Hammersmith p