The Milan exchange. (Milan, Gibson County, Tenn.) 1874-1978, 1874-07-30

! DnI. As he Iliu lllAictli. ut 8dllltI
the victory. After many a night of weary
watching, when he feared with every in
slant to have to tell the girl beside him
! that she was fatherless at last, when new
! life began to stir in the dry bOughs OF
April, new life began, too, to flutter feebly
i'm the wasted frame that had so long been
insensible TO all the anxious care Iavished
on it, and the old man was saved.
IL was proud moment to the doctor
when he could say as much to the one
who had shared his watches amOment OF
pride and delight such as his whole life
had never known, when he could look into
the beseeching eyes daily raised TO his and
say, " Y our father is out of danger; time
and care will make him as well as he was
before"
He was only a shabby old village doctor,
but 10 the girl who heard these words he
seemed transformed into an angel of light.
In the overwhelming relief she raised both
hands with one of those quick, graceful,
impulsive movements of hers, such as the
doctor had never seen elsewhere in Holm
by, and laid them on the two shabby coat
sleeves. "Oh, you good man." she cried.
- You dear good doctor How can
ever thank you enough for what you have
dOne?''
llt hOCNOI Dub Oilt vi Ills pNH IdilNlS
over one of the little ones on his arm, and,
looking down at her, opened his lips and
then closed them again. Who knows
what he was going to say? What he did
say, abruptly enough, after minute was
this:
"PoOh, pooh, child; you go get nap,
and don't stand sillying there !"
She laughed; her heart was so full it
must run over in one way or another.
"Whose dictionary do you use, doctor ?''
she said, saucily, as she turned away.
Then, instead of going to take the nap
he had ordered, and which, indeed, she
needed badly enough, she went back to
her fathers bedside, and. with her face
bowed in her hands, shed great silent tears
of JOY and thanksgiving over the feeble old
creature lying there, whose life or death
to the world at large mattered about as
much as that of an aged drOne in a busy
hive.
Old Mr.. Deodet-or Dody, as Holmbv
called him-was and had always been one
of those helpless people who, by a wise
provision of nature, invariably find some
one devoted to them in exact proportion
10 their helplessness. To say that
he had never had a will or purpose of
his own is but imperfectly to represent his
mental condition. Chance had played the
master part in his life. He had never done
anything but drift with the tide. Drifting
i'm the first place from his native country
to America. he had there dritted i'm and out
of one pursuit after another, without do
ing much at any had then drifted into
marriage with a woman possessing just
money enough to Obviate the necessity of
anV further eXertion on his part: and
f,,o hn Iol lriffa1 tn ITn1pn1nxr II, hiah
peaceful haven ne was likely enough to re-
main at anchor simply because there was
no current to take him out of it. Such
character, badly sketched. does not look
very attractive; nevertheless AdOlph De
Odet had had no lack of love in his life.
His wife had wOrShiped while she lived,
and had died in the faith that he was the
most perfect and adorable of men-a faith
which she had bequeathed to her daugh
ter Adele, who would almost have cut off
her hand to save her father finger ache.
So it may be imagined what grateful bless
ings she called down on the head of the
doctor for having preserved this treasure
to her.
As for the doctor, he rode home in an
odd state OF mind. Once again the rough
pony was astOnished by sundry meaning
less shakes of the reins, purpOseless tlicks
of the whip; and he might perhaps have
been more astOnished still had he turned
his head and seen the smile with which
his master accompanied these perform
ances.
1.-The willows are in bud already" said
the doctor to himself, as he drove by the
green-grOwing fields, so brown and bleak
when he had passed them at break-neck
speed a month before. 1--WE shall have
an early spring this year. Is that whip
pOOrwill in the swamp? Hetty would say
that was a sign somebody was going to
die. Well somebody is dying every min
ute to make room for those that are born.
suppose, but it won't be my patient will
have to go this time, Heaven be praised :"
This was, to tell the truth, a more piOus
ejaculation than was common to the doc
tors lips; but, whether from the spring
influences. or the satisfaction of having
saved the life he seemed to have set his
heart On. or whatever other cause, he was
in softened and unusual mood tonight.
That was more than could be said Of his
hOusekeeper. Hetty Briggs. She received
the fact of " old man DOdv'S" GONZALES
cence in anything but spirit suited to the
occasion.
"Out of danger, is he?' she repeated
shortly. "Well, I'm sure I'm glad enough
to hear it; it's to be hoped now you'll find
time to eat meal of vittles to home, and
sleep in your bed like a Christian. I'll 90
see if there's anything for your supper to-
night; don't hardly b'lieve there is; it's
so long sence you've give up. comm to it,
I've Almost left off pervidin." Which
was bit of temper and nothing more on
Miss Hetty's part, she being one of those
wonderful managers whom no possible
could catch unprOvided. 1t
was perhaps the proud consciousness
that such was the case that had
down her manner in few min
uteS before she came back with an ample
supper.
Il do know" she began, preparing to
take advantage of the doctors unusually
mood, "but, to my mind,
them furriners- What was YOU a-lOok-
in for, doctor?' breaking off abruptly. as
she caught sight of the doctors eyes 90
ing round the room with dissatisfied sort
of expression. "Well. now, if YOU hain't
found that out already! That striped ta-
ble-cover was so frightful dirty | took it
away, for thinks said he won't miss it for
a day or two, certain. But it amt no use
tryin' to cheat you ~ she concluded-in des-
pairing admiration.
The doctor accepted the compliment in
silence; nevertheless, it was nOtthe striped
he had missed.
$50 the old mans goin' to get well,
resumed Miss Hetty, rs she poured out his
second cup of strong black tea. Well, now,
shouldn't wonder bit if twas the girls
turn next"
"The girl ~ repeated the doctor with a
start, for he had not been much attending
to her remarks. "What girl?'
"Why, that Addle as they call her;
be Bit surprised if she was took
next"
why should she be took ?" said the
doctor, with more heat than the occasion
seemed to warrant. THE old II ans sick
ness was nothing catching"
MAYBE not" answered Miss Hetty,
shaking her head sagely. But she looks
Just one O. them peaky things as amt long
for this world whether or no; she amt
got any staminy." wound up the house
keeper, as she had way of doing, with a
word picked up from her master.
"Staminy.' echoed the doctor in testy
contempt. What do you know about
stamina, pray? You Just stick to your
pots and pans, will you. and leave nv pa
tients TO me? The girls as likely to live
as either of us. Lilies outlast holivbocks.
sometimes"
Miss Hetty shook her head over the doc