Perrysburg journal. (Perrysburg, Wood Co., O. [Ohio]) 186?-1965, 1875-06-25

susie WOulu come 10 Iakc lne nOrrlDle
fever.
And in my home there was enacting a
scene | have heard described so often |
can put it here as if had seen and heard
all Susie lay white and weak in her own
room, with our firstb born in her arms, not
two days old, when telegram came to
her. The doctor at Vaughan Station had
found my address in my notebook and
telegraphed my condition.
Ohr' sobbed Susie, che will die there
all alone and will never know, mother,
what you have done for him"
He shall not die alone" Mrs. Gar
diner said, resolutely. He shall have
good nurse and loving one as fast as
steam can carry her. En- IIannah?"
Yes'm," said Hannah. " You make
your mind easy, ma'am. III do my
duty"
"There is no train till night Can we
pack a trunk of invalid comforts, Hannah
wine, iellies, clean linen, bed-clothes
and fruits?"
Yes'm," " said Hannah again.
SO while l tossed and burned these two
raced about the city gathering up com
forts for me, till the trunk stood packed
and ready, when the carriage came to
bring my nurse to me, and Susie cried
over her baby and sent me tender mes
sages.
From some abyss of horror--somc hor-
riblc rock of delirious agony, | have
faint memory of being recalled to dim
consciousness of realities by low, sweet
voice saying:
Drink thisp'
Something cool and pleasantly bitter
was put to my parched lips, and over
every sense crept torpor, gentle sooth-
ing to slumber, till all consciousness died
in deep, profound sleep. do not know
how long l slept, but l awoke with every
sense clear and the fever fancies all gone.
| looked about me. | was perfectly
conscious that l had lost my reason in a
bare, desolate room, where the sun
streamed in through dirty windows, and
! the barest necessities of life around me
were of the poorest description. | looked
at the windows, shaded by dark green pa
per and soft muslin curtains; at the floor,
| scrubbed and sweet-smelling; at the bed
linen, white clean and cool; at a little
table beside me, with snowy cloth, upon
which lay great white grapes, luscious
oranges, tamarinds in goblets of water
Then l feebly turned my head to see,
standing beside me with anxious tender
ness in her soft blue eyes, my-mOther-in
law
"You must not talk" she said, very
gently, her soft, little hand falling upon
my forehead like a snowflake, "but try
to keep very quiet. All is well at home.
1 hear from Susie every day. She is get
ting well fast and your son is in splendid
| health"
My SOM"
"Now l have given you a pleasant
thought to dream upon, try to sleep again.
! u u q l, I
taste of home, for l brought the condensed
beef in cans from your Uncle Israels
store. He sent the grapes and oranges and
a lot Of good things you shall have by and
by
:" But you" I said wondering still,
care you not afraid of the fever?r
81 have taken all prudentprecautions, -
was the reply, and my fear was not so
strong as my love for my son."
THANK you, mother" Whispered, and
saw through my own misty eyes her lips
quiver as | called her by that name for the
! first time.
Can | ever tell how she nursed me back
to health, humoring all my sick fancies,
yet guarding against all hurtful in
dulgences? All the CHEEKY letters Susie
wrote she read to me and answered
| for me till my own weak fingers
could guide a. pencil. In her thoughtful
affection she had packed in the wonderful
trunk light reading to beguile the hours
of cOnvalescence. When | could sit up,
she exerted her ingenuity to keep me from
| feeling lonesome, and would talk unwea-
riedly of that wonderful two-days' baby,
with eyes blue as patch of summer skies
and II mouth like clear rosebud. Su-
sizes letters were great comfort, and an
swering them, giving humorous accounts
of our Wretched accommodations, occupied
many hours.
But the day came at last when the doc
tor said might start for home without
fear of carrying the ContagiOn with me,
Carefully we destroyed every article that
could endanger our dear ones, and started
for Memphis with the pleasing certainty
that, no accident Detailing, we could trav.
el by easy stages and reach home before
my boy completed the second month OF
his little life.
The unwearied tenderness that had
brought me back from the jaws of death
removed all discOmforts from my journey
and arranged for all needful rest.
1t was early morning when we reached
the city and drove across to our country
like home But the carriage, instead OF
stopping before the cottage gate, turned in
the gateway of the opposite house, driving
up the wide, shaded avenue to where
upon the porch, Susie was waiting with
our boy in her arms. | could not ask
questions then. 1t was enough to fold my
treasure in my arms in utter thankfulness
But when Susie led the way to the wide
drawing room, furnished exactly as We
had so often planned, cried out in amaze
ment My mOther-in-law, leading me tC
Il sofa, made me sit down, saying:
You must let me explain. | wanted
to prepare a pleasant surprise for YOU
hOme-c coming, and Susie has arranged ev
erything for me. You will accept this
house from your loving mother, will you
not? | have won my lawsuit. We never
talked much about it, Susie nor l, because
/ scarcely hoped to gam it. My HUSBAND
left me 5000, 900, but his relatives disputed
the will After nearly three years litiga
ton the case has been decided in my
favor, But Susie is my own child and al
have is hers, so you must let me give
you the house you like so much for YOU
home and hers"
l will on one condition"
What is that ~
THAT you come and share it with us
There is no longer the width of Il grea
city between you and your children, fol
YOU Iilu9i hNNNi SHg oSNAhf hANNANAf VIZ"
Susie is your only child"
" But you do not like mother -in-lawT
L have had many foolish likes and dis
likes in my life" replied, but never
one 50 utterly unfounded and idiotic as
that one whose basis existed only in my
imagination. Do not punish me by re
fusing TO come 10 US.
Susie's blue eyes pleaded more elo
quently than my tongue, and the baby
struck in with most coaX'ng GOO" Sc
Mrs. Gardiner consented Whether SHIT
ever repented cannot say, but | know
that from that day to this we have had d
united, happy home do know that my
own mother, had she lived after my baby
hood, could never have given me warmer
affections than my wife's mother bestowi
upon me, l do know that there is NJ
name more loved and reverenced in my
home than that of Mrs. Gardiner, in any