Gallipolis journal. [volume] (Gallipolis, Ohio) 1837-1919, 1870-10-13
Polls, OHIO, OCTOBER 13, 1870.


matter, than we do; but pretend to,
and if the man dies it's his fault and
not ourn."
He came and found no bones broken,
but the head was injured. and said he
must be put to bed and kept as quiet as
possible. Now my grandmother was
in her element.
"You couldn't work any harder"
said I, elf he were your own son."
"He is somebody's own son; we
mustn't never forget that, you know. :"
Our patient fell from his first faint
ing fit into a fever; and from morning
till night. and till morning again, be
tossed and turned with one continuous
cry to drive faster, for he must be in
Meriden that night.
My grandmother was nurse in-chief,
but she often made me her deputy when
the labor began to wear upon her.
The doctor had found some cards in
the notebook of our patient, with the
name "John Jacob Deane" engraved
on them; but we had no other clue to
his identity. 1t is impossible to watch
over a patient, day and night, striving
to be both brain and hands to him,
without growing into very strong
feeling toward him of attachment or
dislike. 1t was so with me, though l
scarcely dared whisper to myself to
which order of feeling my own should
belong. l thought of him all the time,
and if he had died it would have been
blow to me, albeit l had never heard
him speak conscious word.
1t was the tenth day of the fever,
and he had been motionless for long
time; a sudden movement made nae
look up. His eyes were fastened upon
rne with new expression. knew that
he saw me for the first time.
Don't leave me-" he said, family, as
l was about to call my grandmother. l
gave him the cordial which had been
kept for this crisis, and he received it at
once.
"Tell me all about it," he said,
81 was bound for Meriden, what then?''
"You jumped from the wagon when
the horse was running near our house
and were brought in insensible."
"Last night, 1 suppose; must go OF
to Meriden to day"
"We suppose it was ten days ago
and you could go to the moon as easily
as to Msriden. The doctor says you
must be very quiet"
Jupiter TonaDsi ten days! Whose
house is this?"
sit belongs to my grandmother
Mrs. Temperance Hale. l will call hel
to see you"
"Thank you; l can wait. Perhap:
the sight of another stranger might ia
tigue me too much"
But 1 thought he might safely b'
left alone for while.
"He will talk all the time" said | tC
my grandmother when she went W
stairs.
81 don't see but he is quiet enough, .
she said, coming down again in a few
minutes.
"He says he wants you to write a let
ter for him."
l wrote one on this wise, from his
dictation:
Dear Mary,-I came to grief with
in FIVE miles of Meriden, as they tel
me have been light headed for mat
ter of ten days. The business that
came on, will have to be done all oveI
again. Nevertheless, l will rot 'aban
don hope till 1 entc- at the dool
which, acc ording to Dante, bears tina
inscription.
Ever yours,
81. ]. Deane."
"You must not speak another word,
I said imperatively.
"I promise, if you will sing agair
what you were singing when l founC
myself in the body this afternoon"
So 1 sang "Allen Percy" and "Ault
Robin Gray" and tsso or three othel
old ballads, of which ] had a store
and my patient soon fell into healthy
sleep. The next day he found his ap
petite, and from that time came bacl
to health with wonderful rapidity. HI
was docile as a lamb to my grand
mother, but with me he became tn
most exacting and troublesome conva
lescent that ever tried a woman's pa
tience. He openly preferred my grand
mothers dainty dishes, and if l LET
him for an hour his bell would ring
and went back to find his pillows ol
the floor and his head so hot that moth
ing but striking it with cologne ant
singing all the while would cool it. II
keep him still l read aloud sor hours
thinking far more of him than my book
We grew very well acquainted will
these long summer days, till / went tc
Meriden on a shopping expedition.
found a thick letter at the post Office
for Mr.. Deane, which had been lyins
there nearly three weeks. Il was di
rected in a lady's hand, and ] though
the sight of it brought shadow to hi
face.
He looked so glad to see me after n,
two hours absence that l went v
stairs in quite futter of spirits =
Could it be possible that was to tast
at last the Joy of which 1 had hesr(
and read with unsatisfed longing?-
But would not stop to think abOu
it.
"Here's a letter for you that Joe
brought in while you were gone' saic
my grandmother.
T took it and glanced at Mr.. Deane
He sat by the open window reading on
sheet of his letter with knit brows
while the other lay beside him.
Suddenly light breeze whirled it ou
into the flower-plat, and 1 ran to ge
It. 1t had not occurred to me to b,
curious about the letter and nothing
-as f,rtbar from NV Thoughts than {,