Frostburg mining journal. [volume] (Frostburg, Md.) 1871-1913, 1873-10-25

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HAS she any friends in this country
-Kathleen, I mean 2"
"Not that know Of.
"Seems to me 1 wouldn't discharge
her, then. 1t would be rather hard, I'M
less she has actually been guilty of some
fault"
Mrs. Arnott bit her lip.
"Gentlemen understand nothing of
the management of a household" said
she, tartly. "These girls haven't our
sensitive natures either; they are quite
used to knocking around the world.
Are you going down town now?"
eyes"
8" 1 wish you'd stop and ask DR.. Hart
to stop here this morning Little Clar-
ence is feverish."
Anything serious p
"I hope not" the mother answered,
"but always like to take these things
in time"
DR.. Hart looked over Clarence's little
crib; he involuntarily uttered the name
of a malignant type of fever just then
raging in the,city.
81 wish you had sent for me before?"
said he; "but fear it is too late to Sc
cure the exemption of your two other
little one. But with constant care l
think we may save the little fellow. You
have good nurse p
can excellent one I can trust Natalie
as would myself"
you are fortunate" said the DOCTOR
He had scarcely closed the hall-door
behind him, when Natalie came to her
mistress.
My month expires tomorrow, madam
will you pay me my wages, and let me
take my departure at once ?"
"But, Natalie, the baby is sick"
cones first duty is to ones self,
madam. would not risk the infection
for twice what You pay me-"
And Natalie packed her trunk and de-
parted without even coming into the
nursery to bid little Clarence good-by.
The cook was the next to give warn
ing. Matilda the laundress took her
self off without any such preliminary
ceremony.
"I know what the fever is" said she
"And missus can't expect we're going to
lose our lives for bit of money"
"I'm going, too, said the seamstress.
Mrs, Arnott wouldn't have lifted her
finger if we'd all been dying, and be-
leve in doing to others as they do to
me-"
And almost before she knew it, the
stricken mother was left alone by the
bedside of her suffering babe. Neigh
bors crossed on the other side of the
street, like priests and Levites of old
friends contented themselves by sending
to inquire even hired nurses avoided
the malignent fever.
els there no one to help me ?" she
moaned, wringing her white ieweled
hands together. Have all pity and
charity and womanly sympathy died out
of the world? ?"
She turned at some fancied sound
Kathleen O'Neil was at her side, busted
in arranging the table.
"I thought you, too, had gone, Kath-
leen," she cried out.
"Sure, ma am, what should be 60
ing for" asked Kathleen, simply, "and
the bits of childher sick, and you in the
sore trouble? Inursed the little broth
| ers and sisters through the faver at
home, and I know just what needs to be
done"
And she took little Clarence in her
arms, with a soft tenderness that went
to the mothers heart.
care you not afraid, Kathleen ?"
"What would be afraid of ma am :?
Isn't the good Gods sky over us all,
whether it's the green banks of Ireland
or the church steeples in this great con-
fusin' city? Oh, ma'am, don't fear.
He'll not take the bonny baby from us. :"
All Mrs. Arnott's children had the fe-
ver-last OF all she was prostrated by
it-and Kathleen watched over overy
one, faithful, true and tender.
l Kathleen" Ms. Arnctt said inco-
herently, the first day that she sat up,
with the Irish girl carefully arraL ging
pillows about her wasted form, "oh,
Kathleen, l don't deserve this"
"Sure, ma am, if we all had our des-
erts in this world, it's a sorry place it
would be, I'm thinkin'," laughed Kath-
leen. a..-. ~.
"But, Kathleen, I was cruel to you
so hoartless |" -..a.-
"We won't talk of it, ma am, dear, "
said Kathleen, evasively. OK
but say just once that you forgive
me ?" pleaded the lady, once SO naughty.