Vermont watchman and State journal. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1836-1883, 1875-04-07


The doctor had said IL was ten to one
against any one who was sick in that little |
damp house ia the hollow; and he wanted /
Jamie brought up the hill TO their own home. /
lie watched the faces of his father and I
mother as he spoke; and 1t seemed TO him
that a refusal was lowering upon their lips, /
and he said, earnestly
don't speak, Just yet Remember that .
he is his mothers only son, as ! am yours.
If lay sick where there was no hope for
me- aud some one else might perhaps, save
me by taking me in, would YOU think they
ought to try it, or let me dieY'
Mr. SALISBURY looked into his wifes eyes.
"Robcrt is right" she said, with the sud
dem sweet smile which always seemed to .
make the day brighter when il came to her .
lips .lf the poor boy can be helped by be- I
ing brought here. we must bring him
II will 20 and see.' Mr.. salisbury an
swered at once.
And 1, too, papa" said my little gem
tleman.
9" Not you, think fear contagion for
YOU"
81 think there is no danger for me, living /
ON this bright hilltop, in these great, airy .
ro6ms-hut even if there We're, ! ann sure .
You would let me 60 II you knew how much .
Jamie loves me-"
"Come. then" his father said, quietly.
He had been, all his sons life, preaching to
bin of herosn, and self-sacrifce and deyo-
ton lie dared not interfere with almost
his first opportunity for any real exercise
of them. So the two went down the hill to-
gether
1t chnced that they met DR.. simonds
coming away from the house, and proposed
to him the question of the removal II
would not do, the doctor declared at once
the disease had made too much progress.
70 remove him now would be more danger
Gus than to leave him where he was
Then | must 20 and see him. Robert
said, resolutely "You know he has only his
mother. and must spend all the time | can
spare from school with him"
Is But will send an excellent nurse, my
SON DO You not see that cannot have You
expose yourself p
Send the nurse too, please, papa; but do
not keep me from going. He will not care
for the nurse, and he does care very much
for me. do not believe in the danger and
/ know how glad he will be to see me"
Mr. Salisbury hesitated. This boy was
as the apple of his eye. Must he indeed be-
gin so soon to look danger in the face for
the sake of others But dare he withhold
him. when the boy felt that honor and duty
called It ended by his walking in with
him quietly.
1t was something to see how Jamie's face
frightened lie had been very duh and stu
pid all day his mother said and some of the
time his mind had been wandering. But
now a glad, eager light came into his eyes
and a smile curved his parched lips. lie
put out his hot hands.
8" Oh is it you, my little gentleman 3" he
said. III had rather see you than anything
else in the world"
"Well, then will come every day as soon
as | am through school, Robert Shafts
bury answered.
Do you know what you have done p his
father asked, when at last they stood out
side the house together
Yes, papa. have promised that poor
sick, helpless little fellow all the comfort
can give him. | have promised TO do by
him as should want him to do by me if
were Jamie Strong, and he were Robert
SALISBURY"
Mr. SALISBURY was ,ilenced This, in
/ deed, was rule of living he had taught
/ Should he venture to interfere with its OBJ
| servance?
So my little gentleman had his way. He
/ took every precaution which his mothers
anxiety suggested, such as going home to
lunch before he went TO the little cottage
where the sick boy lay and longed for him
But he went regularly. And no matter how
wild Jamie might be, his presence would al
WAYS bring calmuess. The dim eyes would
kindle the poor, parched lips would smile; ;
and Mrs. Strong said the visit did Jamie
more good than his medicines.
At school the boys looked upon my little
gentleman with a sort OF wondering rever-
ence They all knew OF his daily visits to
the fever.haunted place. which they them
selves summed, and they marvelled at his
courage. This was the hoy they had fancied
to be lacking in manliness, because he was
slight and fair-bccause he was carefully
dressed and tenderly nurtured They said
nothing but in hundred subtle ways they
showed their changed estimate.
The days went ON, and with them Jamie
Strongs life went towards its end. The doom
of his house had come upon him; and love
and PRAYERS and watching were all, it seemed,
Of no avail. One night the fever reached its
crisis, and the doctor, who had watched him
through it, knew that the end was near
Jamie knew it also. When the morning
dawned, he whispered family to his mother
" shall never see another morning, but
oh, if | can only live till night, and see my
little gentleman
She proposed to send for him; but that
was not what the boy wished,
No." he said feebly, ." ! want to see him
coming in, at the old Time with some flowers
in his hand ana make q sunshine in a shady
place Somebody said that, mother for
get who; forget everything, now; but that's
what he does; he makes sunshine in this
shady place.
A dozen times that day it seemed as if the
breath coming so family must be his last
but he chung TO life with strange, silent
tenacity, At last, just a. few moments be
fore it was time for the accustomed visit, he
said.
kiss me good-by mother. | want to
save the rest Of my strength for him."
She kissed him. with her bitter tears fall
ing fast. lie put up hand so thin that you
could almost see through it, and brushed the
tears away.
don't cry" he said sit hurts me, Life
here was hard, and up above, Christ says, il
will be all made easy"
Then he was silent, and presently Robert
came with great bunch of white lilies in
his hand
! "1he lilies of heayen" murmured ia
: mic, in a low, strange tone. Then into his
eyes broke once more the light which never
failed to respond TO Roberts coming, and a
wan smile huttered over his lips, as a SOU
; might flutter before it flies away.
~ am going now, he said. " | waited t.
say goodbye my little gentleman. DO yol
, think they are all gentlemen up there "
With this question his life went out, ant
: voices we could not hear made answer
This was the beginning of Robert Shafts
bury's career. No harm came to him through
his patience in the fever-taiuted house-bu
,, he had learned lesson there. The on,
thing for which he has striyen in life is Il
be a gentleman and his Interpretation Of
that much-abused phrase, he finds in tn,
Book which tells us to do unto others as ",
would that they should do unto MS.