The Andrew County Republican. [volume] (Savannah, Mo.) 1871-1876, 1875-09-03

'Sh wi N"Its 1LOOh HUI, NH
ria-whisper. Mamma say | ma,
name it. She told me when | was get.
ting better, so that | might have some.
thing pleasant to think about
''Pleasant,'
"Oh yes, SO very! And we have had
such beautiful talks about how it will
look, and what we will do with it. And
| am going to wheel it out in Charles
old carriage-and-and- See here.
Maria;' and she drew from under the
sofa-pillow an absurd little sock she was
knitting, and contemplated it as if it
were Penelopc's web.
''lou must have been mighty Sicki''
cried Maria. ''And sforyour mamma,
as you call her, you wicked little girl,
it is shameless in her to talk 50 to Il child
like you!"
Mrs. March took her work and left
the room quietly; and then Miss Maria,
feeling the welcome of this little new
conner was the last outrage, broke into
a flood of angry crying, and sobbed her
self into Mysteries, with Julia exclaim-
ing at intervals, "Oh, I'll tell my faith
er of You! You see If | don't, Maria
March."
Miss Maria presently knew just how
sick Julia had been. For it was not a
week before the contagion, from which
she had run when it was ut home, as
sailed her i II some of her outdoor iaunts,
and she went down rs suddenly as the
rest. Her first act was to send for Mrs.
Lee, who returned regrets that duty to
her own family made it impossible for
her To m Her next was to summon
her father and demand Il nurse. He as
'ured herthat the nurse still in the house
should remain.
"a creature Of Mrs. March's," muir
INJURED the sick girl.
"The sickness is so general that there
5 not another to be had. Iourmothcr
md | will be with yoU-"
s'Don't let her! don't let herr"
noaned Maria.
81 am glad to see such consideration
N your part, my dear" said her
'But | am afraid she will in
She did insist. When both the doe
or and her husband urged Mrs. March
o keep away from that last Sick-room,
he replied than it was impossible. at
; the only chance | have to win her
Dve,' she exclaimed with tears.
'~llcavcn sends it-you must not pre-
cnt my using it," And the others,
too much opposition, let her
ave her way.
1t was a hard way, with nothing but
for the trcading. With all Ma
las behavior, Mrs. March had never
eaIizcd till the girls delirium how vio-
mt had been her cXecrati0n of herself
was Il sad strain upon the poor ladv'S |.
crvcS, to bear this torture of rpviling,
ithoUt the suffering that sympathy
18th sickness gives in itself, or the I'M
)nSciouS effort made by her hourly
IT'S OF forgiveness. But though fierce.
ne fever had but Il short run; the ia
que OF %unccaSing attendance was
but the dclirium was Soon t. i
RS. March trusted that the last act of
lat illness was dclirium and not ma |
re- Left alone with the patient, and !
oIlgcd to do something that was resist '
/, she held the aching head on her |
boulder, saying, though hardly know
g that she said it, ''Dear child, why 5
ont You let me love you?" and the
moment received Il slap in the c
cC. q
If it WAS delirium, Maria had after e
ard an uncOmmonly clear recollection Il
her wanderings. 1t was not a strong v
of course; but in the amaZement L
nj recoil Mrs. March staggered back Il
ut fell against the corner of the table Il
at held the lamp; and table, lamp, t
ld bottles had gone over, and a tongue 5
fire was licking up the canopy. Il
Mrs. March never knew how she cot ;
e sick girl out of that bed or upon the i"
lnge, or how she tore the burning '
down and trampled out the T.
e on the empty hearth. She only re-
embered having thought that even if 4
aria died of the exposure, she would n
Their be supposed guilty herself of g
re~leSsneSs than let the girls father a
ow of the vicious act. And Maria, W
stunned or overcome, sank in !;
u lonr Slumbpr from, which Who, +,