The Manchester journal. [volume] (Manchester, Vt.) 1861-current, 1874-02-26

friend. arounl ber, hoping Go keep Ilsu9
O., home ln that way, but she soou aban-
l3nal that, finding 30 mortilyiug TO pla,
hostess in her pretty home alone.
Whcu she found all her gentle icyieos
useless. .he tried to make the time ps,s
pleasantly by reading, sewing aud prac-
uciug, giving often Der thought to her
old home in another city, aud that cheer
fal family group collected there.
The winter was nearly ovcr when one
evening. after 8 little tall OF snow, Harry
failed to sPpear al dinner time Tie was
unusually peuetHsl then, aud Bella look p.
cd upon dinner as the happiest hour Of
the day. Her husband was cordially APP,
prociaiiye Of her really good housekeep-
ing ready TO praise her culinary triumphs
ond uil Of cheerful conversation Indeed,
Bella oleu thought, tearluhly:
Il fllary wasn't suck good company,
and fond of ne wouldn't mis, him So
much.
But on this bastering February day,
dinner hour was over, the Wand. spelling
the servant grumblng, and Bella nueasi-
ly wondering what could have happened
when s. hack drove rapidly 10 the door
and moment alep the door bell was
rang With violent jerk.
Bella her.clt ran to the door. Two
men were lifting tall figure from the
hack but Harry's voice rcassured her,
calling:
Don't be frightened, Bella. 1t isonb
a sprained aukIc.
But try ing to staud in the hail, the
strong man faiuted with with excruciat-
ing paiu.
Bella was not the womsn to stand help
less or screaming. She led the men who
held Ter husband, to the spare bedroom
opening from the paror, aud sent the
servant fot n doctor, busying herself with
bathing lIarry's face with cologne water
and trying to restore consciousness,
How did it happen? she asked.
A fall, marm, said one of the men,
touching his cap respectfully. There is
Just snow enough TO be slippery, and the
gentleman twisted his ankle. Me and
this man saw him fall, aud took him into
the store just handy, 1t was quite a
spell before we found out where he lived,
aud then we had TO go good ways for a
hack. Can we do any more, marm?
Thank you; don't know Of anything.
But YOU must let me give you this. |
know your time is valuable, said Bella,
pressing a bank note into the hand of
each one. | cannot tell YOU how muck |
thank you, she added, with a look in her
face that caused the men to agree US they
walked of, that She was a plucky little
trump, and wouldn't cry, though she
wanted to bad enough
The doctor pronounced the spraiu q
very severe one, and Harry knew he must
be a prisoner in the pretty spare room for
many long days.
1t was Il bondage very irksome TO tho
active man, but Harry thought more than
a hundred times a day how much more
terrible it would have been but for Bella.
She opened the foIding-doors leading to
the little sittng.room so that it was like
one large apartment, and moved the pi-
ano where he could watch her as she
played aud sang for him. She taught
him to find baby most amusing com
paniou when household duties called her
away. She played chess, dominoes and
checkers by the hour and found all the
interesting, amusing bits in the newspa-
pers for him. She read aloud or worked
while he read
As for nursing, bathing the swollen an-
kle, concoctng wonderful cool drinks,
preparing tempting repasts, language
would fail me if attempted to describe
her success in that line Of duty.
/ While Harry was confined TO his bed ,
Bella seemed never to leave him. Day
aud night she was watchfully attentive,
never firing, never ceasing her efforts 10
! make time pas, iu pleasant amusement.
/ But there was u rapid Improvement soon
. ia the injured limb, aud one March morn
ing tie physicians gave permission to his
/ patient to limp with cane into the Sit
/ ting room.
/ Nou must not Try to rest your weight
on That foot he said. II must have en-
/ tire rest for several days.
/ There j, no pain, Harry said.
/ No, bat the weakness remains. If YOU
use il too .oon, ,ou may suffer for the
imprudenee by tar more serious injury
/ than the spraiu.
So Harry submitted to the imprson-
ment with the best grace he could mus
ter, aud Bella made bin comfortable Ia a
great easy chair By the window, with a
table beside him covered with books,
newspapers, aud choice foreign fruits
and sweetmcats.
But having made him thoroughly com
Portable, Bella nysteriou.iy vanished .--,
Now, aud then, she fitted in with a cup
of coffee, a lunei eau, word Of love, bat
pleading world Of household cares as an
excuse torruuning away To- moment.
Harry found IT rather stupid, but look
cd forward to evening for some music, d
long chat or chapter or two more Of the
book they were reading togetbsr, which
seemed "a have io-t ali interest pursued
In solitude til. autzsment VA. almo.I
Indiarou- when Be,ia, alter clearing awal