The St. Cloud journal. [volume] (St. Cloud, Minn.) 1866-1876, 1872-09-05

or moan, or toss about. She lay open.
eyed, without stirring finger, stariog
into tho darkness So the maid found
her VIXEN, Is the morning sunlight
streamed into the room, she came in
full OF questions about the ball, which
jimmy did not hear nor answer It all.
except when the woman mentioned
Fitzpatrick's name. Then she stirred,
aud made a little sound Of tired impa.
tience, and turned away from the
light.
She could not be persuaded to eat,
nor get up, nor even sit up in bed.
She shook her head when q book was
offered her +; she needed the servants
lndlgnat ion no more than the wind
whistling outside her aunt's message
made no difference to her.
AT last, wilkins, the maid, got fright
ened, and sent for Dr.. Irving. He
came, felt the poor child's pulse, look
ed at her tongue, asked whether she
had "any pain anywhere" ITO which
she shook her head, and then stood
drearily 2 staring at her. "She's low"
be said. "Wants tonics and cheering !;
but there's nothing to lie in bed for.
Will you get up, Miss jimmy p
She shook her head again, With a
look Of aversion.
"Why not-eh Nothing ails you,
you foolish little girl i; does it?"
Then jimmy locked up with a dim,
soornful smile, and spoke At last ~
think my heart is brokeu," said she.
Sand, please, I want nothing"
Irving shrugged his shoulders, and
went out. : There was nothing to be
zone; jimmy could not we'll be dragged
oat Of bed, or have food forced down
her throat. Some soup and vine we're,
however, given her in the course of the
day, but with no rousing effect. She
did not speak, nor cry, nor give trouble;
nothing seemed to pain her except the
sunshine, from which she turned wear.
lily away. Her aunt had been bedrid-
den for years, and besides, could not re-.
alize Jinny's strange state.
So jimmy lay unvisited one ay,-two,
three, five, seven, ten days, Then the
doctor came again, looked very serious
and stayed long while, trying to rouse
her. He talked Of the ball, of Fitz.
rick,-praised, blamed, reviled him;
but even that once dear and powerful
name was powerless now; her lips
never quivered. her fixed eyes never
moved. -
He had her lifted out of bed, and
supported (she was too weak to stand)
to the window. She only shuddered
little, aud seemed impatient 10 be dis.
turbed. And Irving said, if she show
ed no signs of mendiog, another docter
must be called in.
In week she had not msnded, she
was worse; and tho physician sum.
moned to her gave the astounding news
that she never would mend,-news
which chilled awfully those who had
done their duty by her with indiffer.
ence and almost with contempt.
"Miss jimmy" would never get well
to tease and trouble with her many
wants, her awkward performance of the
little tasks that fell to her share, he,
long, foolish dreamings, any moro
she was beyond all that,-beyond i'm
provement and deterioration alike.
Wilkins, the maid, when she had
cried over the sad truth, sobbed out {
confession that she did not think the
poor child eft to Co." Of late, vii
kins said-O, all last year-she hat
seemed to give over saying her prayer
and reading her bible; she had no
seemed to listen or care when she
Wilkins, read it to her. The two doc
tors had not much to do with this
but they were sorry and disturbed
They did not guess what little messen
ger, soulless and dumb, .was doinl
Gods: work with, poor Jiuny's wand
ering soul.
As she lay there, dimly. wandering
through tho past year, ono bite
thought, mdmently more intense, grey
in her mind, that no one could eve
love her,-not aunt, not Wilkins, no
her dear captain, not even He who tool
up and comforted the forsaken ; tha
therefore she was lost forever Will
with this strangely mingled the re
membrance of her lovers last kiss
"No one cares for mo !" she moaned
A slow, soft cry answered her, some
thing tender warm touched Ler cheek
That cry, that touch, went to her YER
soul, though it was only the cat, who's
kitten had died, and who was mourn
ing it in her way. 30 Kitty, Kitty Y
she cried, "do you love me, after all p
And then the tears came forth, and raj
down her cheeks, and she. wept TO
many hours.
Wilkins need not have troubled her
self about her state of mind !; the ca
was the best missionary to poor jimmy
who had been a little heather in al
save the forms Of religion till now !; an,
then she was very near death, and s
saw things with wonderful clearness an
truth, though she had no words to spe,l
Of them. - -,
Her one great fault had brought