St. Johnsbury Caledonian. [volume] (St. Johnsbury, Vt.) 1867-1919, 1875-01-15

| 'ntIi us the sometimes necessary uOSe
of physic. Isabel, do give up this habit
of indulging your boy in what is NOR
ally. us we'll as physically. dangerous
for him to take. | am much older than
You, and my longer experience in such
matters bids me warn You. Do he add
vised 10y me: take that cup from the
child at once, and give him water i'll
stead not only to-day, but regularly
in future"
/ Isabel looked half convinced. "Will
my pet give mamma his cup ?" she
asked coaNingly of her boy.
''No!" replied the little fellow, deci-
sively, at the same time grasping his
goblet firmly with both hands.
Isabel did not persevere. "Never
mind for to-day" she sad carelessly :;
''he has almost finished it. and | don't
want to regale Mabers ears with Il
squall. I'll think about it. however.
Gordon. dear" she added winningly.
so don't look so grave = and the con
vcrsation glidrd into another channel.
The res! of the day passed very
pleasantly away. and ut parting. Isabel
made me promise that in fortnight's
time | would return to pay her Il long
visit. Little did either of lis think that
in less than half that time should he
summoned home to stand by the dying
bed of my believed father.
y few Years passed away before |
heard anything again of my early
friend. and then quite in an accidental
way. learned that her husband was
dead. and that she had gone with her
boy to reside near her friends in In
VerlIcSS.
| could not write to her. for | had no
means of aSccItalning her address, and
so the time passed ON.
| heard no more of Isabel WilowhV
till one morning. four months ago. while
| WAS staying with your uncle Harry.
at Salisbury. | WAS startled and sur
priscd to receive short mo.c from her.
come to me at once. if You can" it
said. I'm! boy is dying: | have no
friend near come to me- These were
all its contents. and You will not won
der that as soon as possible set out ON
my journey. | arrived there late in the
evening of the next day. and had no
difficulty in finding the house to which
| had been directed. Isabel herself met
me at tine door and cil>pcd me in her
arms. Poor. po"I Isabel, how sadly
changed since that bright summers day
81 many Years ago. Whcn last | had
seen her. radiant III her witrly Joy and
maternal pride. 50 wan. So wasted she
now Appeared. while look of deeply
seated despair had settled on her face.
But she shed no tcaIs, even when |
asked for her son she replied with ap-
parent calmnrSS. HE is diving. they
tell me there Is no hope. She insisted
on my taking some refreshments before.
proceeding to the sick chamber: She
waited on me in Il mechanical way
scarcely speaking. except I" thank me
for coming To her ;" speedily. in
gained if she had any of her own family
with her. but she shook her head and
answered She had seen nothing of them
since she left Inverness. three or four
Years previously. Attcrward | under
stood ,rhy the intercourse had thus de
climcl.
Ao soon aS WAS Il little rested. Isabel
led the way to her sons room. He WAS
lying ON the bed in Il sort of >tupor. his
eyes closed and his fair hal! tossed back
from his noble brow: hut. q. Oracle
III every line of that wasted bat hand
some face could see the constant dis
>IpatIon.
His right arm lay handagcd outside
the countcrpanc 1t WAS not till some
time after. collected the particulars OF
the accident which had laid him on
what WIS to prove the bed of death.
Gordon StIi;It WAS right when hc said
Years before that his nephew would he
brought up under IL >ct-indulgcmt sy>-
tenn. and to Il boy of CNrir> trmpcra-
ment it proved Il tcartully fatal one.
Amable and yielding to an extreme.
he lacked moral courage: he WAS never
taught to say 40" to any fascinating
temptation that came in his way. As
he grew to manhood. he fell IN easy
prey To bad habits and dcpIavcd aSSo-
cIaJcS. and now for several months past
he had scarcely been known to come
home sober more than one night in Il
week. At last the end. the sad end
came. He had gone ont shouting one
afternoon with Il party of his wild com
pamonS. and after two or three hours
sport they had entered IL waNSidc inn.
where Il couple more hours were spent
in carouSing and sinful merlimrnt. till
all We're more or less intoxicated.
At last it waS proposed to return to
the city and finish the evening at IL
noted gambling house. As they were
leaving, one of the Young men took up
Cyril'S gun in mistake for his own. in
>i>ting that it was his. Angry and en-
cited. Young Willowbv cndeavorcd to
wrc>t it from him: the gun was loaded.
ana went OFT i'll the scuillc. lodging the
contents in Cyrir> right arm. which was
completely shattered.
AT il late hour that night the almost
lifclcsS body of her son WAS brought
home To the distracted mother. The
most Skillful doctors We're sent for. but
raging fever had enSucd and no hope
could he given that the Young mans
life might he saved. And there on that
bed he lay only twenty-five the
lamp of life slowly dying out , The
doctor came in lis we stood there. and
examined the injured limb.
The poor mother spoke not. us he
replaced the bandagcS and came to her
side.
'You must be prepared for the worst.
my dear madam" he said, gently.
''lS there no hope. doctor /" ! wills
pered.
None whatever" he replied '.his
constitution has been so injured by
constant excuses he has no strength or
power to stand against such an accident.
which to Il Young man of steady and
sober habits would have been il com
parativcly light one. involving the loss
of the limb and nothing more. But in
this case it is unhappily different rap
nj modification has set in. and in IA few
hours all will he over. | can do moth
ing more than has been done, but / will
look i'll again LATER
AZ he left the room CNril onencd his