Prescott journal. [volume] (Prescott, Wis.) 1861-1871, 1870-08-04
From Hearth and Home.l
JethrO TROOPS Night Thoughts
BIZ JOHN THOMAS.

Thine and scene as before.l
Poor George Ross! Sick in board
ing house in a great city-dead yester-
day--buried to day-forgotten to NOR
row. They make short work Of il here.
George had been ailing for ten days
before he gave up and took to his bed.
1t was in the middle of the busy season,
and he kept on his feet ten days longer
than he ought TO have done. for fear of
losing his situation. Day by day he
grew paIer; hour by hour bis strength
left him, until, tive weeks ago, the fever
overpowered him, aud he fell on the floor
too weak to rise.
We picked the poor boy up aud car
ried him out. Puffer growled at the in
terruption; Mr.. Dmity was standing on
tho stairs as we carried him down, talk
with customer. and he never noticed
him; and Mr.. Crash remarked, with a
tolerabIy emphatic oath, that it seemed
rs though the house was cursed with
more young men in i'll health than on
the street. Tim Dooley, who is next be-
low George, and desires promotion,
asked eagerly if there was any chance Of
his getting well! The two dollars ad-
vance OF salary he'd get in case of
Georges death prompted the inquiry.
We took him to the clearinghouse
and laid him on the bed in his room, the
next but one to mine, ana hurried back
to our work. He got no attendance
that afternoon. When arrived in the
evening, Mrs. Moss, our landlady, asked
me whether he had means to pay for
medical attendance, whether bis pay
would 90 on during his sickness, or
whether she should be compelled to look
to his personal effects for his board and
care. Mrs. Moss spoke very deliberate
". She WAS looking directly at the
poor fever .racked boy, who was alone and
sick in a great city; but saw no CLEAN
of pity in her eye--no indication there
which betokened good for the wretch be.
fore her; nor did [ detect anything in
the tone of her voice that led me TO hope
that he would get any more care and at
tention than he, or some one else, could
pay for meansl He had two suits of
clothes, few books, and silver watch.
Paw! While we were carrying him
down the stairs Mr.. Crash notified the
time-keeper that young Ross was off,
The sickness or death Of one person
makes but little difference in the great
house of Dimity, Crash d. Co. The
great wheels turn--young Ross. young
Throop, or young any body else, may
be crushed and ground in the cogs, but
he wheels move on just the same.
1 couldn't bear to see poor George go
through sickness uncared for, and so |
told Mrs. Moss thatlI would see his board
paid while he was sick. tried to get
some Of the boys to join in defraying
the expense. but they laughed at me for
what l had done. They had enough to
do to take care themselves, they said.-
Let him go to the hospital.
George lay.in bis bed just two weeks.
A doctor came once day and prescribed
for him-a slatternly girl went to his
room three times day, to give him
medicine and the food permitted him.
He lay alone all day, and nearly all
night, for all the day was employed,
and with the work l had to do, 1 was
too tired to give him much time at night.
But for what little ! did give him be
was thankful-he knew / could do no
more.
/ know Georges mother very WE'LL
She is widow, and lives on little
farm three miles from Millburg. How
the poor fellow did long for his home
during those terrible days! His room
was in the fourth story of tho house, in
the rear, bis one window opening upon
an alley, and we were compelled to keep
it open or smother with heat. AS the
death-laden air crept in through the
easement, tainted with the stencil of the
putrid cutters, be would turn his head
YEARLY and sigh for his little room al
bome-the sweet grass outside, the river
beyond, the cool breeze from its surface,
perfumed by the roses that curtained the
window. One breath of the air would
have given him a month of life. And
as the frowzy girl would enter his room
knew that the thought of the mother
he left in the North, whose hand labor.
hardened "a it was, was always soft
when laid upon his forehead. He called
her name in bis delirious moments, and
begged piteously for her.
Yesterday be died. ] knew that hi
end was at hand, and asked for a day OIL
two, which was assented to reluctantly
and. notwithstanding the fset that they