Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1875-02-20
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ONE MORE CHANCE.
TcoycLUpED FROM YESTERDAY

arrived. He only told of his safe arrival.
and that he had found his voyage SO try
ing tina. he must rest little before he
should be fit for much. He should have
plenty Of news by the next mail.
Poor fellow By the next mail he had
to own that he was in the hospital. But he
softened the fact for those who had to hear
it. The hospital was the only place where
one could get good attendance and nurs-
ing in this busy new country, where there
were but few women without stringent
family cares of their own. And he would
be better soon.
Rab's letter gave no hint wherein to
found such supposition. but Flora felt
sure that the hospital must be an institu-
ton where the sick out of the many sex
ira men" of that unsettled land paid fc.
such comfort and kindness as could not be
obtained elsewhere at any reaso able cost.
Flora was enthusiastic about the thought
ful benevolence that must have planned
such an establishment for the benefit of
those deprived of natural aids by the alb
normal circumstances of the case. But
one day, while she was talking fast on this
subject, she looked up and met Christians
eyes, and suddenly she stopped, burst out
crying, and never named the subject
again.
oh, there must have been hot and Bit
ter tears shed unseen on the solitary hos
pital pillow.-Whatever one may be will
ing to pay for indepednce, it may become
too dear for ones power at last. But Rab
said nothing of his pain, or OF his defeat
ed struggle. God knew and that was
enough.
hot, Rrtf ai
and Australia 1t Was hard, hard to wait
in the house on Blachan Market, amid mu-
tual comfort and the stays OF habit and
duty. What must it have been to wait
out there among strange faces, work on
this earth all done and put away? But
God and his angels are as near in Adelaid
as in Clachan. And perhaps the vision OF
''the city not made by hands shines but
more clearly on the blank hospital wall
Rab got two letters which had followed
him on his journey, and had been written
in ignorant and eager hope that the voy-
age would accomplish its work of cure.
Rab never received any more. And he
knew there was sure to be one coming in
answer to his. And it seemed to him as
if he ought to be able to read it. He felt
ready to blame himself as dying in sheer
coWardly lmpatience.
There will be mail in two or three
days." he said to the horse-surgeon, land
there is sure to be letter for me by that
mail. Do the mails often come in before
they are due?''
Every seldom" answered the doctor
IF give you our address at home. will
you write few lines to them ?" Rab
asked. The question was put quietly; but
the tone made the doctor look up, and he
and his patient looked at each other, and
the doctors eyes fell. Rab saw that he
fully understood and freely consented.
"They will be so grateful for hearing of
me up to the very last" said Rab.
Rab thought of the locket he had bought
for Jesse. No; she must never hear OF
that now. And yet, with all the clearness
of that old revelation of the day Of his
doom, he felt that she did know all about
it, but that it was with knowledge that
was best apart from word or token. She
was his. They would walk together on
the eternal hills beyond the valley of the
shadow of DEATH He could wait for the
endless tomorrow; for that eternity of
revealing against which time can keep its
brief secrets and the heart its short silence.
"You needn't send home my box" he
said to the surgeon. "Please to tell my
people that babe you sell my traps for
the benefit of the hospital. 1t is all 1 can
do" Then, seeing that the doctor hest
tated, he comprehended, and said. "It
you will give me piece eff paper, | will
write that down as my will, and then you
can send it home"
HE ought to have died before this, !"
was the surgeons comment to his col
league. II wondered how he lasted so.
But / understand better now see how
anxious he is for the next mail"
What made Rab so anxious tor 1t There
could not be much news from Clachan.
There could be no healing virtue in poor
Christians letter that should suffice him
for whom all else had failed. But Rab
said to himself that to see that mail come
in he would give all-and then he smiled,
and remembered that he had nothing to
give.
He died Just two hours before the Brit
ish mail arrived.
There were two letters for "Mr. Robert
Christison" The doctor. to whom he had
spoken OF his sisters, thought he could see
the sensible Scotch spinsters in the thicker
of the two epistles, with its big seal i'm
pressed with &C" He looked at the
other letter with more curiosity. The
writing was small and neat-a little timid.
The envelope had crest stamped upon
it. The doctor, who was Scotchman,
recognized the sigh of Clan Macfarlane.
The only address he knew was TO the
house on Clachan Market mo, nc"
said the doctor. II won't send the poor
girls letter back to her through anybody's
hand. III send back the sisters letter
when l write to the parents; but I'll
take this back to the office" and let it go
home through the dead-letter post
If Rab Christison. through the clouds
and pains Of the falling flesh, had still felt
the something coming, who can doubt that
when risen to new and finer powers, ex-
ceeding the best powers we know, as
those best human powers exceed the pow
ers of the brute, he still knew what came
and the tender heart, brave as it was pure
which sent it.
The young colonial doctor had been
very good to his patient, and he did his
best also to fulfil his last request. He
spent two whole evenings trying to indite
a letter that should fully satisfy the yearn-
ing hearts at Clachan. Less pains might