Oxford Democrat. [volume] (Paris, Me.) 1833-1933, 1870-08-26

If he hadn't beer y iool and jumped out
he might a been rs spry as | am; but
some folks don't know nothin'.'
That's so, that the rest can get n livin'
out of EN- said my grandmother. Mean
time she was vigorously chafing his hands
and feet, while dashed the camphor in
his iace. and bathed tho broad white for.
head. which certainly promised well for
the brain behind it.
lie must be dead said l Tho don't
come to at ALL
No he amt. Folks can't be killed SO
easy. He'll give you trouble enough be.
fore you're done with him. Now III SO
after the doctor; taint noways likely he'll
know any moro what's the matter than
we do; but he'll pretend to, and if the
man dies it's his fault, and not ourn.'
The doctor found no bones broken, but
the head was injured. and he mus, be put
to bed and kept rs quiet as possible. Now
was my grandmother in her clement.
'You couldn't work any harder said I,
'if he were your own SON.
He is somebody's own son, we mustn't
never forget that. you know
Our patient iell from his first fainting fit
into fever; and from morning till nigh,
till morning again, he tossed and turned
with one continuous cry to drive faster,
for he mus, be in Meriden that night. My
graz dmother was nurse. in-chicf, 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 clew to his identity.
1t is impossible to watch over patient,
day and night, striving to be both brain
and hands to him without growing into n
very strong feeling toward him OF attach
ment or dislike. /, was so with me.
though scarcely dared whisper to myself
to which order of feeling my own should
belong. / thought of him all the time,
and if he had died il would have been n
blow to me, albeit had never heard him
speak n conscious word.
II was the tenth day Of the fever. and
he had been motionless for long time "A
sudden movement made me look up. His
eyes were fastened on me with new eX-
preston. Iknow that he saw me for the
first time.
Don't leave me. he said. family, rs
was about to callmy grandmother. Igave
him the cordial which had been kept for
this crisis, and he revived at once.
Tell me all about it, he said. l was
bound for Meriden. what thcn3'
You jumped from the wagon when the
horse was running near our house, and
were brough, in inscnsible.'
Last night. suppose; must so on 10
Meridian to-day
we suppose it was ten days ago, and
you could go to the moon rs easily rs to
Meriden. The doctor says you must be
very quiet.
Jupiter Tonans! ten days! Whose house
is this?'
1t belongs to my grandmother. Mrs.
Temperance Hale. will call her to see
you
Thank you; can't wait. Perhaps the
sight of another stranger might fatigue
me too much
But l thought he might safely be left
alone for q while.
lie ,ciU talk all the time said TO my
grandmother when she went up stairs.
Il don't see but he's quiet enough she
said coming down again in few minutes
He wants you to write letter for him.
wrote on this wise Fl iom his dictation :
DEAR Mary came to grief within
FIVE miles of Meriden, and they tell me |
have been laid up for a matter Of ten days.
The business that brought me on will have
TO be done all over again. Nevertheless
| will not abandon hope till enter the
gate, which, according 10 Dante, bears
the inscription.
Ever yours, j. j. DEASE.'
You must not speak another word" l
said imperatively.
Il propose, if you will sing again
what you were singing when l found my
self in the body this afternoon"
So sang "Allen Percy and 'Auld
Robin Gray and two or three other old
ballads of which had store, and my
patient soon fell into healthy sleep
The next day he found his appetite. and
from that time came back 10 health with
wonderful rapidty. Hc was docilc as
lamb to my grandmother, but with me he
became the most 'exacting and trouble
some convalescent that ever tried wo-
mans patience. He openly preferred my
grandmother's dainty dishes. and If left
him for an hour his bell would ring, and
| went back to find his pillows on the
floor, or his head so hot that nothing but
stroking it with cologne and singing all
the while would cool it. To keep him
still read aloud for hours, thinking far
moro Of him than of my book.
We grew very well acquainted in these
long summer days, till / went to Meri-
den on a shopping expedition. Ifound a
thick letter at the post office for Mr..
Deane which had been lying there weeks.
1t was directed in lady's hand, and l
A. - -; rxLt of - bro,,obt n ch a dow