The Vermont transcript. [volume] (St. Albans, Vt.) 1864-1870, 1868-03-13

y .
dear, familiar world.
So, with my whole soul in my endcav-
ors, tried with all my might to hold
him back from death At last Doctor
Mallory came in-gaye a quick. keen
glance at the wounded man, then took
some instruments from the case slip
ped away, and sent an attendant in my
place. could not bear any more just
then.
In an hour / went back. The patient
was lying pale and still, but he lived.
! IT was useless to try to read Doctor Mall
lorN's conference.-the had learnt 10
wear his face like "A nask-so I put a
question abruptly:
" Is he likely to live, doctor?"
More likely to die, Miss Patty" he
said, gravely. lisa pity too; it's Col.
Montcalm, they tell me- he did brave
service. However, Wen see. DO YOU
take care of yourself now. or we shall
have YOU on our hands, And Doctor
Mallory hastened away
/ went back TO my patient. Ghe
dreadful pain he had undergone i'm the
slight examination and attention that
had been thought indispensable. had
heavily taxed his little strength. He
lay in haif-conscious state now, needing
little except close watching 60 see that
the feeble fame of life did not go out
unawares.
But in few days delirium and fever
set in. Then all manner of strange
speculati0ns througcd his bIain ms The
fever advanced, the remembrance of late
events faded from his mind, and new,
sweet images of beauty and peace came
IN their place. Then We saw what a
true, beautiful sole this was-saw il bet
ter than. even his best friends may have
az al 3 1. !
secret things, which a delicate sensitive
ness would have concealed. came inno-
Gently TO the light. Old, sweet poems
trooped to his lips; "reminiscences Of the
+ books he had read, the people he had
known, the scenes of which he had heen
part, were lived over again; in desul-
tory fragments, il II true, but still in
vested with a rare fascination. In the
dead, dark night, and in the gray, lone
some dawn, this curious monOlogue
would COON, until the little room seemed
filled with real, living shapes. And in
all these involuntary revelations the
truth, the purity, and nominees Of the
man himself shOne gloriously. / used
10 sit and listen, my eyes full of tears,
and think how proud his mother would
be of her boy, if she could know how
grandly his noble nature was justifying
itself
One night Doctor Mallory had been
sitting by him a whole hour-sitting
silently, and watching him inteutly At
last he got up TO 90 but there was a
singular tone in his voice, as he said;
Il see now how il is that you've all
taken this poor fellow to your hearts"
is there ans more hope ~ | asked,
softly, coming nearer.
Scarcely! The danger now il not in
fha KNoftrt4A tfA4lf Ifrf in la
that his system VIII sink under the eX-
cessive strain upon il. A day or two
more viii decide it. IT'S a pity he should
die, = repeated the doctor, kindly, r. he
left the room, and [ followed to 90 my
rounds.
Late in the night | came back, and
relieved the watcher who had been i'm
attendance. / was going tOdefy Doctor
Mallory commands and sit up Tonight.
II | could only hold out "a day or two
longer, ] thought ] could not let this
man die now. Yet Tor days | had lived
upon stimulants, and J was feartullN eX-
hausted. / was fortunate that I was
not kept constantly at Nerk, Colon etI
Moutcalm slept quietly. and | could SIT
still and rest for many minutes at time. i
Late in the night the moon came np;
the cold, white light -h0ne over the (
bleak country, fell upon desolated homes (
ahd ruined forests, slept lightly upon /
thousands ofueW made graves. and came /
IN at the windows, and touched with a
soft, pale beauty the wall face that lay 1
among the pillows.
little noise startled me. / turned (
away from the window. and went 10 the I
bedside. His clear, dark eyes looked up /
in my face, all the wildne97 OF delirium /
past away from them.
4 r. A-qrg hotter ~ / said hnpafrgtIt
Even while | spoke, strange shadow I
swept over his face
~ don't know. The surgeon thinks /
shall die, dosen't hc?H
hesitated an instant; the eager, trust /
full eyes searched my face.
Don't deceive metz he said, with "a
momentary flash Of strength. 1T viii (
be no kindness. think | can bear the /
truth. -
No / would not wrong such courage
by cheat.
Il believe Doctor Mollory fears the /
worst ! replied, crowding back the inn
Fortunate rears. "ltall depends on your
constitution
He listened intently, with a perfect I
understanding of what | said.
"That has been too severely taxed in /
the past to be much relied upon now.
Welii-witha faint smile-"death is not
so dreadful il a man Is not afraid to die
not much more dreadful than life.n
"Has your life been so hard that you
say that?n asked.
Not in many senses; and yet some
times | would have given it up willing
ly. But one cannot do that, you know.
This life Of mine must be lived out, and
o grave thoroughly earned. l have
earned my grave, haven't j? l think
Mother Earth viii take me kindly to
her bosom. But the grave is dark
place"
''Don't think of it, !" l said, earnestly.
''Think Of what comes:
And thou shalt walk in soft, white light with
kings and priests abroad,
And thou shalt summer high in bliss upon the
hills Of God. >"
s'Thank you. That is beautiful But /
it is hard to Overleap the dark gulfu
There was a moments silence. Then he
said, Il want to ask one thing of YOU
He paused moment.
"You would like some friend sent
for?''
mo. have no friend that would care
to come so far" he said, something of
pathos in his tone.
"Dr. Mallory" | suggested.
mo, l would rather trust you; you
look as if YOU were one to be trusted, and |
you pity me?" he said, wistfully.
with all my heart
"Then you will kindly pity this weak
ness Of mine, that | am going to confess
to you. Once, when | was child, l fell
into a cataleptic state, and came near be-
ing buried alive. 1t impressed me so
deeply, that l have always had horror, |
morbid it may be- of premature burial |
You know how quickly they thrust the
dead out OF sight in these places. Iwant |
you to promise me that | shall not be
buried alive"
He spoke with desperate energy, and
his face showed how strong hold this
frightful idea had taken upon his mag
nation | shrank little.
"What can l do ?" l asked, doubtful |
ly.
"In my portmanteau there you will
find small vial, A single drop Of the
LIQUID contained in it Will break this |
trance that counterfeirs death. | have |
seen it tried. A famous oriental doctor !
gave it to me- l have confidence in it. |
VIII you promise to test it-you alone, |
unknown to any one, for the surgeons |
would ridicule and scorn it. Then |
am certain not to suffer that extremity |
Of agony-a living grave. Are you
Il . u .Tnl I