River Falls journal. [volume] (River Falls, Pierce County, Wis.) 1872-2019, 1877-08-23


The next morning at o'clock my mother
called US all up, made us dress and 60
into our fathers room. He kissed US
very feryently. Then we were all put in
TO little carriage, and she begged me TO
take good care of the younger ones.
My dear boy" she said, "your uncle
wants you all to come and spend week
with him, and 60 to the great fets which
is about to be held. The change will do
you all good. especially you, dear, for
you have lived shut up the past fortnight
like prisoner. Do not be uneasy about
the health OF your dear father. After to-
day am certain he will get better
Dear mother! 1t was her great pity for
her child which led her to mislead me as
my father before had done. The opera
ton l now felt sure had been decided
upon, as she was anxious to get us all
away till it was over. My uneles aston
ishment when we arrived at his house
made me feel certain there had not been
even time to send him a message.
Z" / am convinced thought, I" the OPP
Grafton will take place to-day. My place
is at home, and | am going back again.
/ set out therefore on foot, not taking
leave of anybody, and in less than three
hours had travelled the twelve miles be-
tween Hochfeld and Saverne.
| shall not tell you all the dreadful
things | thought of as / pressed onward.
Besides repentance for my carelessness, L
was full of anxiety for the future. | had
grown from boy into man in those
two weeks of suffering. | knew we were
not rich; / knew there was mortgage on
the property. NV fathers business
lawyer-was based upon his high reputa-
ton for probity and intelligence, and it
would die with him. If our house were
to be sold, what would become of my
mother and the little onesl had been a
good scholar. But what could boy who
had not finished school do to support a
family l envied my poorer neighbors.
Their sons could learn trade--some of
them even now, no older than myself,
were earning their own living.
Instead of approaching our own place
10y the highway, | went round by the
lanes. / forded the river (Which was
low and | came out unperceived under
those windows of the house which over
looked the garden.
when a sharp cry of anguish struck upon
my ear. No words can describe that cry
or the effect it had upon me.
In those days there was no ether, no
chloroform, to lull the patients to insensi-
bility. The doctors cut right down into
the quivering flesh, and human nature
could not refrain from cries. | do not
know how long the agony of my dear
father lasted, nor how long ii was that
my suspense and suffering endured.
When / recovered myself was lying on
my face in the midst of bed of gerani-
ums, grasping my mothers plants which
had pulled up by the roots-in both my
hands. | heard no noise. The house
was perfectly STILL
J rose. | shook myself. went in by
a side door, more dead than alive. At
the foot of the stairs / met my mother
coming down.
Mamma, mamma, is it all overln
Calm yourself, Frank What had to
be done is all finished. The doctors say
he will get we'll"
Then she began to wonder over my re-
turn, to scold me for leaving my uncle's
house, to lament over my new clothes,
which had not been improved by the dust
of my double journey, or my passage
through the Zorn.
The dear, dear patient slept lie was
not told of my return for several days,
for 1t had been his particular wish that
we should be away at the time of the
operation.
At last my mother had to tell him, for
she never kept anything from him.
He asked TO see me and tried to COM
fort me, and made me remark that he was
getting back his color. 1t was a happy
moment for us both. He wept nearly as
much as my mother and /.
II misled you, my son." he said, ''be-
cause if anything very sad had come OF
it hoped you would never suspect the
truth"
30, papa. even now 1 shall never get
over it,
'Oh, yes you will, Frank. Now you
must stay by me until school begins
You shall be my nurse, my head lacquey
my hospital steward. Ny dear boy, you
have suffered so much from my accident
that it is only fair you should enjoy my
convalescence."
From that hour began a happy intima-
CIV between father and son which was one
of the greatest blessings of life to me
The dreadful accident which had hap
pened through my heedlessness made me
careful and thoughtful; my fathers cour-
age and great kindness made deep i'm
preston upon me.
One day when l was grieving over his
illness, as / stood beside his bed (for he
was we'll long before / could be comfort
ed, he said:
1--WE were both careless, Frank. Your
heedlessness was not a grave fault at
your age, but | ought to have been upon
n guard. As your teacher and your ia
ther was wrong to take my stand. in
order to shoot rabbit myself, within two
hundred yards of you. l ought to have
stood near you and seen after you myself
that day. That is what / shall do the
next time we go out shooting together
NO, father, mo-" l exclaimed vehe-
mently. II shall never go out shooting
again"
you are wrong, my son, | want you
TO be sportsman. The exercise Is In
valuable TO us lawyers; il stretches our
legs Besides, the time may come when
every Frenchman who knows how TO
handle gun may be Of great value to
his country"
Nv dear mother did not at first like
the idea of having two sportsmen in the
family. She had been married sixteen
years, but she always felt anxious when
dear papa went out with his game-bag
and his rifle. However," she said
.what can't be cured must be endured
and if Frank must go out shooting,
will give him talisman which will keep
him from being imprudent.'
have the talisman still, and here it is
The pin, which, no doubt, you have
noticed my cravat. See the little silver
dove bearing the tiny chain, at the end
of which is a leaden bed. 1t is a No. :