Gallipolis journal. [volume] (Gallipolis, Ohio) 1837-1919, 1876-05-04

| udndSs
Without waiting for further
monstrance, / hastened to get sol
revlving medicine, of which / 81
she stood much in need, and with
gentle force held it to her lips.
81 cannot, ] cannot" she gasp
half pushing it away.
"You must" l insisted. c"
member that am a physician, Il
this is a prescription, and that y
life may depend upon it.
| 'Life! Oh, God! How long q
sad! Will it give me strength?'
"That certainly is the object have
in urging you to take it. What
else should it be?"
"Give it me-"
And she swallowed it down with.
out murmur, save one of thankful
ness.
wheeled her chair up nearer the
fire, and stirred the Goals to more
brilliant glow, hoping that the potion
would quiet her excitement, awake
the chilled blood to warmer,
swifter glow, and that sleep would
follow.
And for a moment, / was right.
The little hands dropped nervously
into her lap; the softly veiled lids
dropped over the deep-blue eyes; the
head fell forward upon the breast.
But alas! it was momentary delu-
sion. In another instant she sprang
to her feet again, pressed her hands
upon her temples, as if to still their
throbbings, and looked wildly around.
"Oh, God!" she exclaimed, II here.
amid warmth and comfort, and"
Convulsive sobs choked any fur
ther utterance.
"Set down and tell me the reason
of your coming here l almost CON-
manded, as placed her in the chair.
"Ah, / remember all now. Re
member! Is there no such thing as
forgetfulness? Yes, | remember all.
| came here toto"
'Be calm, l understand you are in
need, and came for assistance"
81 came," she replied, and looked
on me with utter despair; and spoke
so calmly that it made my blood run
cold; 81 came here, doctor, to sell you
my body"
Was | talking to a woman or ma
MAC? The latter was certainly my
thought; but l could detect nothing
in the clear, blue eyes of the wander
ings of insanity. "Sell her body"
She spoke of it as an everyday trans
action.
''Great heavenw l exclaimed, lay
ing my fingers upon ner pulse
with the expectation of finding it
bounding with race-horse rapidity;
but on the contrary, finding it more
calm than my own. "Great heaven!
You can not be in earnestr'
81 ain in earnest. God alone
knows how much in earnest. 1t was
my last resort. Will you buy it?'
And she reached out her hand to-
ward me, as a miser would have done,
who heard the dear sound of jingling
gold.
How can l purchase it when you
are still alive?''
"But l will soon be dead, and then
then you can claim it. For the
love of heaven give me little, just a
little money" And the hitherto dry
eyes were flooded with tears.
"Why do you wish to sell? You
cannot but understand that it is an
unheard of proceeding. Our profes-
sion never purchase bodies (how
shuddered as | gazed into her face
while l was forcing myself to calmly
utter the wordsl before death, no
matter what they do after"
Il know it; but must have money,
and there is no other means LETT me
to get it. / must have it now--in-
stantly."
And she would have risen again,
but l resolutel y held her down.
"For what purpose do you want
it?"
aTo purchase food, fire, medicine"
"For yourself?''
"Ah! no. Had that been the case
l never would have come hither. /
would have laid down in the gutter
and died. God knows how willing
ly."
"But tell me- she continued, al
most fiercely, 'will you give me some
money? l must have it--must have
it?'
IF not for yourself, in the name of
heaven for whom do you make such
a fearful sacrifice? Is it for one who
is very near and dear to you?"
at is-is-my little sister,"
The words dropped from her
tongue as they might from those of
an angel, and her face wore as holy a
light as if she had been already star
crowned.
'sThen She is sick?''
"She is dying! dying! and 1 am
sitting idly herer'
"Why did you not tell me this be-
fore?'
because had begged so long in
vain. l had no money to pay the
doctor, and who would go forth on
such a night as this without it2"
My blood boiled so that l could not
answer. Could there be such men?
Alas! reason told me in a moment
that her words were but too true,
and almost cursed my race. With
out delay gathered up such things
as I thought might be of service,
wrapped the delicate form in a heavy
cloak, and, with few whispered
words of comfort, we sailed out to-
gether into the black night, and mer-
ciless storm and cold.
Fortunately the distance we had to
travel was but short one. A few
blocks passed, and she led me up
several flights of dismal, creaking
stairs, into q room.