Oxford Democrat. [volume] (Paris, Me.) 1833-1933, 1871-11-28

ed TO examine his patient.
81 am dying, you see, sir; / haven't Il
moment TO live. Let me alone, you can't
save me besides it will be better for the
child and her mother. I'm poor drunk
ard, and not worth saving; already |
feel the pangs of death-you can't save
me-" he lcebly muttcred
And ii could" D." asked the doctor, fix
ing him with his steady, gray eyes.
"If" il was like the cry Of the lost;
"ifi oh doctor, keep me out of IIellm
For moment there was utter silence,
save as The broken clock ticked spasmod-
ically The one feeble light made the
dim light awful.
Il 'riU save YOU" and how terribly
distinct were the low, rich tones-"I will
try my best to save you, il you will give
me your promise, rs dying man, that
YOU will never, SO help you God, touch
one drop of that other poison that has
been killing your soul by inches for ten
long years Mr.. Bcldep, knew you
when you was n man, and though | was
only STRIPPING OF lourteen,l thought you
came nearer TO the God hood in man than
any other person had ever seen. | de-
termined then TO take you Tor my model "
The sick man grcaned.
Doctor" he gasped, you torture
me. Ncyc, did the abyss into which |
had fallen look so terrible to me. Only
save this shattered life, and promise
YOU, solemniy, that ! will never again
touch that liquid that has so transformed
my nature. These words call God and
thc angel, to witness
For one dreary hour mother aud daugh-
ter 81. together, hand in hand, weeping
silently, hoping against hope, every
moment expecting to be called to witness
the dying agony.
At last there was a rap at the door; the
doctor entered.
al think have saved him. he said,
quietly. ale may be very i'll Tor days,
and requires the utmost tenderness OF
treatment. Yes, think he is saved" he
added, rs Florence caught his hand, and
tears and kisses rained upon it--"soul
and body"
Never can describe the rest that en-
tered into those two lives as they how
cred about the sick bed of the h@sbanI
and father. Nor was their care in vain.
Beauty, as OF old. came back to the pal
Id lace; genllencss, rs Of yore, mingled
with accents. The good doctor made
daily visits and his patient hailed him as
an angel Was it for the sake of dark
eyed Florence that luxuries found their
way to the once miserable tenement
One day the doctor asked Florence 10
riie with him. His beautiful carriage
stood at the door.
Doctor, have nothing nice to wear,
she said, frankly, her checks growing
rosy.lcd. at don't, somcway, make me
ashamed to say so to you, but | am not
tit to 90 out riding in my old clothes"
Mrs. Belden, will you tell her she
DutSt 90, p ease; :" said the doctor, turning
to her mother.
Mrs. Beldcn smiled.
Put on my shawl, dear" she said
"and your veil--you had better go; the
doctor is very kind"
1t was during that ride that Florence
neard the whole story.
1t seems that when her father went in
10 the apothecary's shop for poison, the
doctor himself, was behind the screen,
mixing some powders that required more
than ordinary care. He it was, who,
making It secret sign to the pharmaceutist,
put up powerful drug that was yet not
destructive TO life, and then in that hours
conference with the sick man, he had
deepened the lesson so harshly given.
"And now, my dear little Florence,
YOU know what you promised me il
saved lis life. don't want slave, but
do want vile. think | must have
fallen in love with you, that day in the
dram-shop, when YOU so bravely bearded
the lion in his den. At all events, have
thought of you ever since"
Guess ont The sequel, dear reader; you
can do so better than can tell you. This
much | may say. that looking at Mr..
Bclden to-day, no one would imagine
that he had been that helpless, hopeless
thing, drunkard Would that every
such an one could be saved by being
"driven to the WALL EVoOgS Household
Magazine.