The democrat. [volume] (Weston, W. Va.) 1868-1874, 1873-09-01

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leaf, and her eyes was sunk; and when
/ come to look ut her close, / was stag
gered to see how she'd altered in them
few days.
Is II tAustered me more than / should n
thought; so 1 gives her kiss, and tells
her TO lie down quiet, and off i goes to
q doctor. He comes and feels her pulse,
and such like; then he calls me out on
the landing, and says she's in q high
state OF fever, and must be kept very
quiet, or lie wouldn't be answerable for
1t. Then he began a.asking me about
myself, and my profession and cetera.
(" Not very rich, Isuppose?" says he.
"Ah, well !" he says, 1--WE shan't quar-!
rel about the money! M,
And s'welp me goodness as I'm
standing here, he never charged me q
blessed ha'penny for physic or nothing
not q ha'penny-and found the bot
ties besides tgIs e ,,s5.
When Charley sees mo by myself, he
didn't know what To make on it. He
tldgets about mo for ever so long, and
ut last he comes up and asks me where
Rose was. was very short with him,
atreating her as he wis, though he didn't
know the damage he'd done SO l says,
stiff
"My daughters athome, sir-not so
we'll as she might be-"
Ihope she isn't i'll says he, quick
at don't much matter to you," ]
says, "whether she's III or not" and ]
turns away, choking like, a.thinking Of
my little deserted beauty a'laying SO
quiet ut home.
| 1 hurried back as soon as i could, and
goes up to her room; and, God help
me she was in that state she didn't
know me, and wanted to know II I'd
brought a message from Heaven from
Charley, ms she was certain he was dead,
because he hadn't been to SEQ her. !
tried to soothe her, but II was no good ;
there she kept rambling on about one
thing and another, s.pretending to be
talking to lin, and a.telling him not to
be sorry, rs she'd soon Join him. It
made mo feel queer.like, and moist
about the eyes, and I remembered ! was
an old man, and began to think how I
should feel when was alone. ill
She lay in this state for D week, a.
living chiefly on sop victuals, us 1 was
obliged to force it down her throat. 1t
was hard time-not because the money
was short, I didn't mind that but !
couldn't abide TO see my darling in
pain. I never went near the public
then, but hurried home every night as
soon as the performance was over, a.
hoping always us she'd be better, and
would know me again; but she never
did till about IN hour before II come.
II was n Sunday night, at church
time. I used to liket think afterwards
tIlat my little darling was carried up to
Heaven on the sound Of the bells, as ii
died awayon the breeze. was a.sitting
quiet ut the window, melancholy.like,
d:keeping my eyo on Rose to SEQ us she
didn't want nothing, md, somehow, the
night my poor wife died came into my
mild, and I couldn't get rid Of the
thought nohow. Tile more / tried, the
more it would come. / remembered as
well as il it was yesterday, when 1 had
her in my arms in the green.room, her
a-loolsing up into my face as though she
wanted to say something, SO says
"Is it Rose, Mary?' and she mods
and Smiles, and I promised as I'd be a
kind father to her.
She smiles again attliat, and lays her
head on my shoulder. Then I see her
eyelids a-closing, and that told me that
the Great Prompter lAd rung down her
curtain. ,.ulI
/ was a-looking ont OF the window,
and I sees somebody turn the corner,
and stop in front Of the house but 1t
was a-getting dark, and I couldn't make
out wllo 1t was-I Thought knew the
figure, too. Just as was a-puzzling
myself a.thinking who it could be, /
heard my little darling call I" Father. 7"
runs to her quick, for 1t was the first
time she'd knowed me since the fever
took her. 1 had such glad feeling ht
my heart Us can't tell herelit come SO
fresh to me after waiting SO long, al
though it seemed to choke me, too, and
I couldn't speak at the moment I sits
down by her head, and takes her hand
in mine, and there We was, for q matter
Of a minute or two, before either Of us
said word, a-looking into each others
faces, joyfuller than we'd been for some
time. Then, says She eai a9..
Father" she says, "I want to see
Charley"
says
"You shall tomorrow, my darling"
aLet me sec him tonight, father, /"
she says, beseecllingly-"let me see
him tonight, because-
And there she stopped.
! gets rp-not having it in me to see
her want for anything as / could give
her, though I couldn't make out why
she was in such q hurry-leastways, ]
could not then; do now. 1 puts on
my hat, and Just outside who should /
sec a.coming across the road from the
other side but Charley hisself.
When lie knew le was wanted, he
runs faster than could, and by the
time I got in the room, there she was,
with her arms round his neck, a.smiling
up into his face, and he a.kissing Of
her, as happy as birds. So Isays moth
ing but goes and sits on the stairs
outside, awaiting till they had made u
up.
1 felt almost jealous Of Charley and
1 thought-God help me Las how he
would take her away from me as soon
rs she was well. She ,Oas took away
from me; but not by him-not by him.
/ sat there for o matter Of half IN
hour in the dark, when, all OF sudden,
Charley gives q cry. rushes In, and
there was my darling, with her head
a.laid quiet on bis bosom, and her eyes
shut; aud I could sec by, the scared