Raftsman's journal. [volume] (Clearfield, Pa.) 1854-1948, 1870-11-16


camphor bott!e-here's somebody sure e
uough-don tell me again that signs ever
fail. Who is it, Bob ?'
Il dunno his name city fellow, reckon
Said he pay me most any price to get him
to Meriden tonight The mare did well
enough till we got to that ere hill, then a
fash scared her, and she never stopped till
she brought up agin' your fence. If he
hadn' been fool and jumped out he might
a-been as spry as | am; but some folks
don't know no, him"
That's so, that the rest can get livin
out OF 'em, . said my grandmother Mean
time she was vigorously chatting his hands
and feet, while dashed camphor in his face,
and bathcd the broad white forehead. which
certainly promised well for the brain be-
hind it..
He must be dead. said I !; ''he don t
come to at all.
No he amt. Folks cant be killed so
easy. He'll give you trouble enough before
you re done with him. Now, I'll go after the
! doctor; tain noways likely he'll know any
=
/ pretend 10, and if the man dies it 5 his fault
/ and not ourn.'
The doctor found no bones broken, but
/ the head was injured, and he must be put
/ 10 bed and kept as quiet as possible. Now
was my grandmother in her element.
You couldn't work any harder, said I,
| ''if he were your own sol. ="
Hes somebody's own sen, we musn' t
never forget that. you know"
Oar patient fell from his first fainting Fl.
iuto fever; and from morning till night,
till morning again, he 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 fonnd some cards in the
note book of our patient, with the name
John Jacob Deane'' engraved on them
but we had no other clue to his identity Ii
is impossible to watch over a patient, day
and night, striving to be both brain and
hands 10 him. without growing into a very
strong feeling toward him of attachment or
dislike. 1t 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 it would have been blow to me, al
belt | had never hearl him speak CON
scious word.
Il was the tenth day of the fever, and he
had been motionless 70. a long time sud
den movement made me look up. His eyes
we're fastened upon me with new expires
sion. knew that he saw me for the first
time.
Don't leave me, - he said faintly, as l
was about to call my Grandmother. [ gave
him the cordial which had been kept for
this crisis. and he received it at once.
TEL me all about it, - he said; Il was
bound for Merden; what them
You jumped from the wagon when the
horse was running near our house,and were
brought in insensible. -
Last night, suppose must go on to
Meriden to-day"
Il suppose IL was ten days ago. aad you
could go to the moon as easily as to Meri-
den today. ="
Jupiter Tonans! ten days! Whose
house is this ?"
1T belongs to my grandmother, Mrs.
Temperance Hale. l viii call her to see
you.
Thank yon; can wait. Perhaps the
sight of another stranger might fatigue Inc
too much"
Bu, thought he might safely be left
alone for awhile
He viii talk all the time, said to my
grandmother when she went up stairs.
Il don see but he is quiet enough, she
said, coming down again in few minutes.
Il He wants you to write letter for him
[ wrote one thi. wise from his di:tation
DEAR MARY-I came to grief within
five miles OF Meri,ien. and they tell me 1
have been light headed Tor matter OF ten
days. The business that | came on Will
have to be done all over again. Neverthe-
less, | will not abandon hope, till L enter at
the door which. according TO Dante, bears
that inscription. Ever yours.
}. J. DEASE."
"Y gu must not speak another word, |
said lwperativcly.
Il promise, if you will sing again what
you were singing when | found myself in
the body this afternoon.
So sang Allan Percy" and Aud
Robin Gray" and two or three other old
ballads, of which had u store, and my pa
tient soon fell into a healthy sleep. The
next day he found his appetite, aud from
that time came back to health with wonder
full rapidity. He was dociie as lamb to
my grandmother but with me he became
the most exacting and troublesome conval
escent that ever tried woman's patience.
He openly preferred MY grandmother 5
dainty dishes, and if [ LETT him for an hour
his bell would ring, aud went back to find
his pillows on the floor and his head so hot
that nothing but stroking it with cologne
and 81 ngiug all the while would cool it. To
/ keep him still | read aloud for hours, think
ing far more of him than my book
! We grew well acquainted with these long
summer days, till went to Meridcn On a
! eIor,In,r axpaIi,iop 7 f,upI n ,I;oI- l.,