The Bloomfield times. [volume] (New Bloomfield, Pa.) 1867-187?, 1873-12-30

or unhappy, but rather between. AT twen-
ty, life runs on with very little friction
there is excitement enough in mere youth
to make living pleasure.
The evening drew on with ever-increas-
ing gusts of wind, and the old house shook
to its foundations, but it clung gallantly
to the great central chimney, which, being
nearly as broad as it was high, could afford
to be Indifferent when wind and weather
came together and made fight of it.
"I hope you don't mean to sit up for
that somebody who is coming. All signs
fail in wet weather."
The words were scarcely spoken when
we heard the tread of horse running at
full speed down the steep hill above the
house, then crash of the fence, and all
was still.
We held our breath and listened. Soon
a mans step sounded low and heavy on
the walk and my grandmother rushed to
the door.
"Don't be scarf" said the familiar voice
of one of the neighbors, and he stumbled in
carrying man pale and lifeless in his
arms.
clay him right on the lounge-get the
camphor bottle-here's somebody, sure
enough-don't tell me again that the signs
ever fail. Who is it, Levi?''
"I don't know his name New Haven
chap, Ireckon. Said he'd pay me most any
price to get him to Meriden tonight. The
mare did well enough till she got to that
ERE hill, then fash scared her, and she
never stopped till she brought up agin
your fence. If he hadn't been fool and
jumped out, he might a. been as spry as
am but some folks don't know nothing"
"That's so that the rest can get a livin'
out of 'em," said my grandmother. Mean
time she was vigorously chatting his hands
and feet, while dashed camphor in his
face, and bathed the broad, white fore
head, which certainly promised we'll for the
brain behind it.
"He must be dead,'' said I. He don't
come too at ALL"
"No he amt. Folks can't be killed so
easy. He'll give you trouble enough be-
fore you're done with him. Now, I'll jest
run down after Doctor Catlin; faint no
ways likely he'll know any more what's
the matter than we do ; but hc'll pretend
to and if the man dies, it's his fault and
not ours"
The doctor came and found no bones
broken but the head was injured, and he
said the stranger must be put to bed and
kept as quiet as possible. Now my grand
mother was in her element.
"You couldn't work any harder" said
I, "if he was your own son."
"He's somebody's own son we must not
forget that, you know"
Our patient fell from his first fainting fit
into fever; and from morning till night,
and till morning again, he tossed and turn
ed with one continuous cry to drive faster,
for lie must be in Meriden that night.
My grandmother was nurse-in-chief, but
she often made me her deputy when the
labor began to wear upon her.
The doctor had found some cards in the
notebook of our patient, with the name,
"John Jacob Deane'' engraved ON them
but we had no other clue to his identity.
1t is impossible to watch over patient,
day and night, striving to be both brain
and hands to him, without growing into a
very strong feeling toward him of attach
ment or dislike. 1t was so with me, though
l scarcely dared to whisper to myself to
which order Of feeling my own should be-
long. thought of him all the time and
il he had died 1t would have been blow to
me, albeit had never heard him speak a
conscious word
1t was on the tenth day Of the feyer, and
he had been motionless for long time. A
sudden movement made me look up. His
! eyes were fastened npon me with a new
} expressions Il knew that ho saw me fol
} the first time. .,.. s
; Don't leave me-" he said, family, as
, was about TO call my grandmother. gave
: him the cordial which had been kept fol
, the crisis, and he received it at once.
"Tell me all about II" he said. g Iwsl
! bound for Meriden, what then?"
. You jumped from the carriage, wher
J the horse was running, near our house, ant
! were brought in insensible. a8
Last night suppose must got down
to the Corners to-day" afA
~ suppose il was ten days ago and
: suppose, Furthermore, that you could go vi
, to the moon as easily as you could go dowr