Ashtabula telegraph. (Ashtabula, Ohio) 1874-1880, 1876-09-29
ASHTABULA OHIO, FRIDAY, SEPTEMBER %, 1876.

So Gldu. lOu nave pCcll 81 lOllE
so very long away, and l am so sick, and
cold and hungry, and it was so dark, and |
have been so frightened at the strange
noises"
Ny fair guide had been making prepara-
tions to obtain light, but when she heard
these words, she flew to the other side of
the room, and l knew many kisses were
given and returned.
Excuse me, sir, she said as she turned
and lighted the remn ant of a candle.
'Exeuse me, but l have been so long
away from Bessie"
answered not; her voice had a melody
IN it, now attuned by love, that wished to
Gnger unbrOken upon my ear, like the
strains of some songs | have heard, which
haunted me for years.
In a moment, the candle shed a sickly
light around the little room. Little, in
deed, and unfurnished to nothingness! One
scantily covered bed was all! But within
l saw a sweet face that made me forget all
else. approached it and laid nay hands on
the pulse Of the little sufferer.
''Who are you?" she asked, drawing back
in alarm.
''He is a doctor, Bessie, dear; a dear.
good, kind friend, replied her sister, and
from that moment she became perfectly
passive in my hands.
1t did not require one learned in the sci
ence of nlaterid medfcG to see what was re-
quired made the proper prescription,
and saw that it was tenderly administered,
told the eldest sister that | would be back
in a few minutes, and resisting all attempts
to light me down stairs, groped my way IN
to the streets. | had noticed an eating
house at but a little distance, as we came
along, and a statement of the case, cacked
by the all-powerful king of the world, gold,
soon procured the loan of disused stove,
a couple of chairs, fuel, light and proper
food, and in brief half hour the little
room wore something like an air of comfort.
Another hour the ewes of the child were
closed in slumber, and urged her sister to
seek repose, but in vain. .-
.sAt least lie down and let me cover you
with my cloak, | urged.
'.No, DOCTOR was the constant reply,-'I
cannot, l am so happy. 1t must have been
God that directed my wandering footsteps
to you" .
And so we sal, with the night wind roar
ing without, watching the almost angelic
face of the peacefully sleeping child-sat
and talked of what l was most anxious to
hear. But the conversation of those long,
dark hours can be condensed into very
brief space.
She who would have sold her body for
the sake of giving little longer life to her
sister. was the daughter of at least suppos-
ed wealth. But few years previously she
could have held her head as high as the
highest. Both birth and education fitted
her for it. But misfortunes came-a series
of disasters upon land and sea, against
which no human forethought could guard,
combined with treachery and ingratitUde
of the deepest dye, swept away all. In their
footsteps followed the death of their moth
er, leaving an infant but few months old.
The fond father struggled against the tide
for brief time, when his health
gave way, and he followed his wife through
the dark valley, and beyond the shining
river, leaving the elder sister to provide for
the younger.
''For time, continued the poor girl, 81
was able to live comfortably by the sale of
the furniture and articles of value pos
sessed. Then-why should unbosom my
self to a strangerY she asked, stopping
suddenly and looking me full in the face.
Because" l replied, with smile at her
earnestness, s'because you have found
true heart, and one that can feel for you.
''Yes, may heaven be thankedl feel
that it is so. Well, 1 struggled on-no,
fought were the better word" she contin-
ued, with the lines about her mouth sud-
denly becoming hard. Il fought for life,
sometimes teaching, sometimes sewing-in
short, doing anything that my strength
permitted, until sickness came; still Idid
not give way to despair. Truly, l was
bound to the stake-a sweet one-mY dar-
ling sister. Of the insults received while
seeking for work, 1 will never speak. They
must remain forever locked up in my own
breasts" and the pallid face flushed to scar
let even at the thought.
'tAnd found no employment
''None. Piece by piece parted with the
little furniture that I was the possessor of,
until what you see is all that renamed"
''My poor childI" ~
at is true"eI saw she was nerying her
self to tell something that was painful, and I
would have stopped her, but she resolutely
continued: 1T is true that some money
was offered me by more than one man, but
instantly and Indignantly hurled it back
in my insulter's face. Then, great heaven!
upon this bitter night, with all my hope
gone, determined to sell my body to some
]
'.What in the name of heaven could have
put such an idea into your head?" -
81 don't know; cannot tell. Somewhere
| had read it, or heard of something of the
kind" s-
'You must have been very desperate.
''On the verge of destruction. / had but
one dream-one .desire--to, save my dar-
ling even single hour of pain" 1EB
"Have you no relatives? -. @.
''N5t single one that / know of. Both
Of my parents were only children when their
parents came from foreign lands
She paused and turned to smooth the
hair of the slumbering Bessie, and imprint
a kiss on the curl wreathed and snowy
brow; and I thought in order to look calm
" upon giving herself to the knife, and the
ribald Jest Of the dissecting room! and
thought, too, on the sterling truth Of her
young heart that could resist the allure
ments of gold, when. so hedged by want
and pain in their most terrible shapes. 1
thought, teo-but she interrupted me by
saying:
t'My kind-indeed I might say only
God raised up for me in the
hour when all was darkness and misery,
and black death and paupers grave stared
me in. the face. My kind friend-but 1 am
have been keeping you from your rest.
''Me a physicians rest is one that is be-
ing constantly broken in upon, and--wil
you pardon me?-I had never had my heart
so deeply touched, nor my feelings so much
in all my life." IL Z Fl
A faint rose-blush crept up from the ex-
quisitely nodded throat, and mantled the
soft cheek. She took my hand and pressed
it to her lips, leaving a warm, lingering kiss
upon it. Did suddenly build any castles
in Spain?
When the morning light broke again over
the gay city, the storm had ceased and ma
ture smiled-coldly, it is true, but brilliant
ly. There was peaceful breakfast served
in that little room. But the dinner was
served in far other quarters.
As write these lines, with some, at
least, of my dreams Of wealth and position
sit in cozy study, and listen to
the wrathful howlings of the tempest
without. There is beautiful, brown-hair-
ed woman sewing near, and a sprite OF
girl decorating snow-white kitten with
crimson ribbons, on the rug in front of the
glowing CRATE. looked up suddenly from
the book was reading, at the former. Our
eyes met. Are we both thinking Of the
past? 1t may be so. She steals softly be-
hind nv chair and twines her arms around