The daily phoenix. [volume] (Columbia, S.C.) 1865-1878, 1867-03-13
THE WHISPERED MoRC.


at that time married, and the mother
of two lovely children. During my
visit, one of these was taken i'll, and
the family physician was called in.
He visited the little one daily for
about q week, when he began to
amend, and then rapidly to recover.
was in the room when Doctor c.,
patting the little patients head as she
sat propped up ON pillows, with her
hands full of oranges and grapes,
told her this would be his last visit,
as she was now almost well.
The physicians appearance, and
certain peculiarities about him, had
from the first attracted my attention
and interest. He was o tall, noble
looking man, with fine features and
a remarkably intellectual brow. His
eyes, lashes and brows, the latter of
which were thick and heavy, we're
the darkest that I had ever seen;
but his hair was snowy white, and
yet he was not apparently more than
forty or forty-five years OF age His
complexion was perfectly colorless,
and added to these peculiarities was
a voice which would alone have
sutficed to attract attention, begin
ming in full rich tone, and, after
some half-dozen words, either break
ing down into thin and wheezy
whisper, or suddenly failing alto
gether. This, [ thought, was pro-
badly owing to some affection of the
throat, as [ observed that he carried
his head very stiff1y, and wore always,
IN defiance of the then prevailing
fashion, thick black cravat and verv
high standing collar.
AS the doctor left the room, I re-
marked to Mrs. - upon these pc
culiarities. Her mother, a stately
and dignified old lady, who had in
her youth been New York belle
and beauty, smiled slightly and sad
ly as she looked up from the Berlin
woolknitting with which her still
white hands were occupied
eyes % said she, dryly, ''the doc
tors appearance is singular
"And thereby hangs tale" OBJ
served her daughter, ''also singular -
GA tale? Do let US hear it. I felt
sure that there must be some story
of mystery, or something uncommon,
connected with Doctor c."
eyes, my dear, a very sad story:
and as 1t is one we'll known in our
circle, [ suppose there can be no harm
in my relating it to you
| drew my chair a little nearer the
old lady as she commenced.
'When l was a girl of your age,
our circle was very brilliant one.
Among the reigning bellies were the
celebrated Miss Seymour, Miss Ten
Eyck, and the fascinating widow,
Madame Rempler. Of the gentle
men, were many distinguished for
their manly graces, wit and gallantry,
but not one among them could COM
pare in these respects with Doctor
Fourche," las this is true story,
l purposely withhold the real name,
''who was considered the most talent
ed, elegant, brilliant man of the day,
and went by the name of 'the second
Crlchton.' He used to admire your
mother very much, Laura"
eyes," said. ''Iremember having
often heard mamma and others speak
Of the elegant Doctor Fourche. -
''He married friend of mine, and
though they were sufficiently people
Of the world to keep up good ap-
pearance in society, I knew that in
private the match was not happy
one. The wife was always silently
jealous, and the husband courteously
indifferent. We were near neighbors
IN Bond street at that time, then the
fashionable locality, and 1 knew
more about them, perhaps, than most
people did.
"Not many years after his marriage,
there used to come to his office,
nearly opposite my house, a young
and very beautiful woman, with rich
golden hair, simply dressed but
with one of the saddest faces that
ever saw. She was always accom-
panied by a little boy some four Oh
five years old, bright, handsome
little fellow. After few weeks they
disappeared, and I never saw Oh
heard anything more Of the woman.
''But, some five or six years after,
the doctor brought home with him
one evening, boy of apparently
twelve years old, telling a piteous
but rather vague story of its orphan
age. He sent the boy to first class
school at distance, and subsequent
ly to college, where he distinguish
ed himself. After graduating Will
first honors, he returned to New
York, and studied medicine unde
his patroc Tn +bic inlarvo1 NTrc