Watertown republican. [volume] (Watertown, Wis.) 1860-1906, 1875-11-03
EDWARD BROWN, STOKER.

We were very quiet, Mary and l, as
we strolled out of the churchyard, down
one of the lanes, and then crossing a
stile, we went through couple of fields
and sat down on another stile, with the
high hedge on either side of us, and She
meadow that they werea beginning to
NOV at the other end, one glorious bed
of flowers and soft, feathery grass.
Polly I says at last, breaking the
silence, saint this heavenly
"And you feel better % she says, lay
ing her hand on mine.
sBetter 70 I says, taking a long
draught of the soft, sweet-scented air,
and filing my chest, "better, old girl
I feel as if I was growing backward into
a boy"
"And you fifty last week." she says.
eyes," I says, smiling, 'sand you
forty-seven next week" And then we
sat thinking for bit.
"Polly," / says at last, as I sat there
drinking in that soft breeze, and feeling
it give me strength, IS it's worth being
I'LL only to feel as I. do now"
For you see I'd been very bad, else I
dare say I'm not the man to go hanging
about churchyards and watching funer-
ais. I'm a stoker, and my work lies in
home from my last voyage bad with
fever, and had been carried home to
die, as my mates thought, and it was
being like this and getting better that
had set me thinking so seriously and
made me SO quiet. Not that I was
ever D noisy sort of man, as any one
who knows ne will say. And now,
after getting better, the doctor had
said I must go to the country to get
strong, so as there was no more voyag-
ing till I was strong, there was nothing
for it but to leave the youngsters under
the care Of the eldest girl and a neigh
Dor, and come and take lodgings out i'll
this quiet Surrey village.
Polly never thought should get
better, and at one time no more did I;
for about month before this time, as
[ lay hollow-eyed and yellow on the
bed, knowing, too, how bad I looked,
for [ used to make young Dick bring
me the looking glass every morning,
the doctor came as usual, and like a
blunt Englishman, [ put it to him fiat.
Doctor" I says, ''you don't think
I shall get better?" and I looked him
straight in the face.
ooh, come, come, my MANI" he says,
smiling eve never look at the black
side like that.
''None of that, DOCTOR" says; ssout
with it like man. I can stand it. I've
been expected to be drowned or blown
up half my life, SO shart be scared at
what you say
"Well, my man., he says, ssyour
symptoms are of very grave nature.
You see the fever had undermined you
came home, and unless sgaE8Es s
Cali right, doctor, says, CT under
stand. You II can that unless you can
get new plate in the boiler, she won't
stand another voyage"
ooh, come, we won't look upon it as
a hopeless case" he says. ssThere's
always hope" After little more talk
he shook hands and went away.
Next day when he came I Lad been
thinking it all over, and was ready for
him. don't believe I was a bit better.
In fact, know ] was drifting fast, and
I saw it in his eyes as WELL
I waited till he had asked me his diff
ferent questions, and then, just as he
was getting up to go, asked him to
sit down again.
"Polly, my DEAR" says, ST just
want few words with the DOCTOR" and
she put her apron up to her eyes and
went out, closing the door after her
very softly, while the doctor looked at
me curious-ike, and waited for me to
speak.
Doctor I says. "you've about
given ME up. There, don't shake your
head, for I know. Now, don't you
think I'm afraid to die, for I don't be-
heve ana. But look here, here's seven
children down stsirs, and if I leave my
wife widow, with the few pounds [
have been able to snve, what's to be-
come of them? Can't you pull me
through2"
My dear fellow" he says honestly,
"I've done everything [ can for your
case"
uphaf,s What Won think Ioo4or ~ r