The Toledo chronicle. [volume] (Toledo, Tama County, Iowa) 1873-1924, 1877-06-28

We can cover him Win dust
Shut wild rose In his hand;
Set 4 Wild rose at his head:
This Old Nan. you understand
Cannot take from us the dead.
-Afs. .. n. B. Plat, In Harper's Bazaar.
IN HIS OWN TOLLS.
Tom and were only brothers. Our
parents having died when we were quite
young, left us little beside their blessing.
and, alone and almost friendless, we had
struggled on together through misfortune
and adversely, looking forward hopefully
to happy and successful future. Our
lonely place in the world had siren thened
an early affection, and, at the time of
which write, the feeling had become q
closer and warmer sentiment than that
commonly existing between brothers.
Indeed, we loved each other very dearly.
tell you this to show how great were
my sorrow and anxiety when, ono day in
tie latter part of June, 1870, Tom was
brought to bed with serious attack of
typhoid fever. Being medical student,
/ was constantly noticing little symptoms
that would have escaped layman's eye.
and hourly vacillating between hope and
fear. II fact, made myself very miser-
able for two days at a time, when there
was really no necessity for it,
For three long weeks, day and night
watched at his bedside, and when, at the
end Of that time, the physicians pro.
nounced him out Of danger, they strongly
advised me to go into the country for
few weeks rest Indeed, / was thor.
oughly worn out, mentally and physically,
and when Tom Joined the doctors in the
request tina. should go out of town to
recuperese my ois oit@, reluctantly con-
senteG to leave him.
sought the country, and one fine
afternoon in the latter part OF July found
myself at Lake Mahopac, having arrived
J the day before. A short twenty.four
hours had made me feel almost myself
again, although my nervous system had
by no means regained its cquipoise.
Tempted by the CLASSY surface of the lake
and the rich masses of verdure overhang-
ing the shores of the two islands. ven.
tured forth in a little row-boat, taking a
fishing pole and some bait with me. HAY
ing pulled slowly on. and passed behind
Round Island, / headed In again. and
anchored at little distance from Grand
Island. Casting my line, / Lit nv pipe,
and patiently waited for bite. The day
was warm, and the wind fast asleep, miles
away. A half hour droned itself along,
and not bite-not even a nibble. Won.
derfully lazy, and somewhat disguised
with my luck, stretched myself out on
Trthe cushioned seat, and began to muse on
ythe subject of fish and fishermen.
~. Suddenly there came q crashing sound
from the shore of Grand Island, loud
cry, and then thud, as if some heavy
body had fallen. I looked in the direc.
ton whence the sound had come, and
saw large object, apparently the body of
man, lying on the shingly beach, where
1t seemed to have fallen from a tut
ting mass Of rocks above. Surprised and
alarmed, seized the oars and pulled to
the spot where the object lay. NY fears
were we'll grounded, for, to my horror, ]
found an old man there, bloody, and
groaning with pain. When asked him
where he thought he was hurt, he pointed
to his head and legs. With true "surgi-
cal INSTINCT" was about IT, rip up the
leg OF his pantaloons, to see if there was
any broken bones, when he motioned me
to Stop, and said:
Don't; please don't touch it. Take
me home"
IN arrange the boat first, and make
it q little more comfortable" said, start
ing toward it.
9 No, no." he cried IL live up there, !"
pointing to the woods behind us. /" Can't
you carry me?' l looked at him in
amazement, for the clerk at the hotel had
told me that the islands were uninhabited.
"Some poor fellow" thought, who is
hiding from justice, or some one, perhaps,
who, tired of the world and its ways, lives
here by himself"
Whichever it might be, the man seemed
badly hurt, and in need of immediate at
tention. More than that, Ifelt strange
interest in him, and was curious to see
where he lived and what manner of man
he was. Despite all my care in lifting
him. he groaned with the pain. He was
heavy, and seemed to grow heavier at
every step took up the steep ascent
Guided by sort of path, labored on.
About halfway up was obliged to stop
and tesf. In a peevish, querulous tone
he begged me to go on. Once more
started. He seemed to be made of lead.
Happening to look quickly into his face,
was surprised to see that he was smiling
Perhaps it was for Joy at the prospect Of
soon reaching home. Still did not like
1t. There was something sneering and
malignant about it, something cunning
and devilish. At best, his face was any.
thing but prepOssessing. He was appar
emily about sixty I'VE years Of arc. His
hair, originally white, was now dirty and
blood-stained, his skin yellow and win
kled. Little, ferrcty eyes, with green.
ish tinge Of coler; long. sharp roae
and very large mouth, containing a few
scattered teeth, worn to the gums and
blackened, completed the picture. His
hands Wern valiou xprsnklaa sd H..