Staunton vindicator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1860-1896, 1874-06-12

tsSeNeASANN-NS~ Z
: mumbled little, and showed some slgns
of returning consciousness, and shortly
after, to my great relief, | did succeed II
waking her. After talking for few min
utes quite like herself, she fell into nat
ural and healthy sleep, and next morning
was lust as usual / became, IN conse
quenee of what had witnessed, extreme
Z ly uneasy about dear Martha's state OF
health. g
began to watch her more closely
and [ found. to my CONSERVATION that
these alarming seizures were of frequent
occurrence, and always at the same time.
She would go to bed perfectly we'll; we
would both fall asleep would then, per-
haps an hour OF two later, be aWakenedby
her persistent snoring, and find her in the
state have described. @ - s
1t was horrifying: for could not tell
how it7might end Il represented to dear
Martha that she ought to consult physl-
cian.@ She would not hear of it. i then
advised her to live a little less abstemious-
lily. I iInplored Of her to take some lstinu-
I lantNf it were only a glass OF sherry at
dinner and luncheon. But Oh this point
she was memorable also; and when press
ed it, She became quite impatient.
/ write with my diary beside me, and IN
it 1 find the following entry: Z Dear Maj
tina makes me ashamed of myself. How
Quixotically abstinent she is while [
sip my tumbler Of brandy and water, and
| drink my pint of half-and-half daily. My
apothecary, to whom have described her
formidable seizures, persists in his opinion
that the nervous system is PROSTATE, and
cannot recover its tone without the use of
a moderate stimulant. Howis it that wo-
men are 50 prone to enthusiasm, and so
ready ina good cause TO rush into fran
tieal extreme !? She has laid down a rule
of Life for herself, and the menace Of death
itself is powerless to induce her to relax
its self-imposed austerity. +"
| fell into habit Of waking at about
one O'Clock every morning, and found
! that this state Of coma had actually become
of nightly recurrence.
became too anxious to allow an affec-
ton of SO formidable a kind to become i'll
eurably established without taking active
measures for the restoration Of my excel
lent wife.
t Without a hint Of my intention to her,
made up my mind to consult DR.. Pei
ham, in whom I had implicit confidence,
upon her case.
was lucky, a chance would bring him
by my house, on his way back to town, at
about one O'Clock the very next morning.
He would then make me quiet visit, and
lie would see the patient, and consider the
case carefully.
We were early people, and usually retir-
ed to bed at precisely ten O'Clock. This
night, however, | was obliged to take my
place at the annual dinner of the Mutual
Sustentation and Benefit Brotherhood, q
sort of mutual insurance union Of w hich
| was a member, and sat on the commit
tee.
did not re@ch home till twelve O'Clock.
NV wife the Servant TOW me- iI 7. srr
bed at her usual hour, and WAS quietly
/ ''s1ver~ She knew nothing of my arrange
ment with Doctor Pelham. y ~
%-.s~e
during our annual dinner. Icould not say !
what mortal arrangement Of brain OF heart
the diagnosis of the doctor might disclose.
I was now looking from the front sitting
room window across our little garden, now
lighted brightly by The moon, to the road,
eagerly watching for the arrival of the
physicials carriage.
I grew more nervous as the moment ap
preached. The clock struck one, and not
very long after Dr. Pelham's brougham
glided up to the little garden gate, and,
leaving the hall-door open, l ran out to
meet him at his carriage door, and to con-
duct him into the house.
Quietly we came in, he asking me few
questions as we did so. The hall door was
softly shut, at his request, I led him at
once up to the patients room.
There she lay, just as usual, in the same
profound coma.
He felt her pulse. He stood by the side
Of the bed, candle in hand, and examined
her face He made me turn her in the
bed, first on one side, and then on the
other; then he made me shake her gently,
then more briskly. Then he made me call
her gently then loudly, and finally salts
| fed him that she was in q state of coma
He raised her eye-id, and looked at her
eye,' and stopped, as he did so, very close to
| her face. Then he stood again at the side
of the bed, looking down on her, with his
| lips compressed and drawn down at the
corners, and hard frown, and he nodded
once OF twice as he was thinking.
sSThat will do" said he. "Let us go
down."
I was very much alarmed ; his face
frightened me. [ led him again to the
front room.
els it anything very serious, doctor p |
asked, very much afraid of the answer that
was coming.
"Serious enough" said he.
ssBut can't you do something for it % |
said
| Nothing" he answered.
ssGood heaven sir, what is it ?' [ ex-
claimed.
ssYou and your vicar may do her more
good than could" said Doctor Pelham.
sBut what is it ?'' l exclaimed, in some
thing bordering on distraction.
II had occurred to me that he thought
it attributable to some malign spiritual
agency, and he looked quite mysterious
enough to mean anything.
He smiled family, and nodded, and look
ed out through the window for moment
and then, turning to me with little shrug,
he said:
II see there are more things in heaven
and earth than are dreamed of in your
philosophy. Have youread your Arabian
NIGHTS 20