Vermont phÅ“nix. [volume] (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1834-1955, 1877-09-28

| wards, for he fell upon his back with his bel
| ly in the air. The next thing 1 saw was my
father leaning against tree about six yards
| behind my victim. had killed the rabbit
almost between my dear fathers legs
At the moment my delight at my success
overpowered every other feeling. Isprang on
| the dead rabbit like young savage, and wav-
ing it above my head, cried:
"Oh, papa, it was my first shot,
1T is very well TO be good shot" he an
swered. with what afterwards appeared to me
forced smile But you ought to have
obeyed. If you had stayed where l had sta
toned you, you would have run no risk of
hitting me-"
"Oh, hope have not hurt you!"
mo, no, my SON but another time be more
careful
His face looked pale. l stopped down and
saw some rents in one leg of his pantaloons.
Good heavens, dear papa! Can 1 have
hit youy see something like shot holes!"
Look at your own pantaloons. They are
torn as much as mine"
That was true and l felt reassured at
once.
The terriers, Waldo and Woldna after try
ing to worry the dead body of my game, were
ON another scent, and waited with great inn
patience till my father should load my gun
again.
Come, my boy, let us go, he said. "You
have done enough for the first time Wen
come back and have some more of it one of
these fine days, please God -
He whistled for the dogs, went back to our
gig without lmping very perceptbly and
drove homeward. | observed that he got ont
with some difficulty, and that his left leg
seemed to drag after him.
"Something hurts you, dear papa" l said
He made no answer-only told me, rather
abruptly to put the game away, and went up
slowly to his own chamber.
My brothers and sisters came running to
know if l had had any good luck, and were
delighted when they saw my rabbit. But /
felt too anxious TO be able to enjoy their sat
isfaction, and all the time was looking around
me with one eye, and listening to every sound
i'll the passage. | saw our old cook Gredel
come out and few moments after | saw Dr.
Alagnn 20 in. He looked in Il hurry. and
ran up stairs without noticing us children
lie was there still when our supper was served
and suppose he left while we were at the
table. Our dear mother came down to us as
calm and sweet as usual but she looked anx-
ious and pale.
Papa is not hungry and does not care for
tea, she said He is little tired and not
very well. But it will pass off in a few days
Come and kiss him before you go to bed, to-
night, as usual"
My heart was very full. | could hardly eat
any supper. | kept furtiyely watching my
dear mothers face, dreading to read my con-
demnation in her eyes. But she did not seem
disposed to be displeased with me, and staid
at the table (though with some impatience,
thought, till our youngest-my little brother
had finished his last mOuthful.
As soon as our napkins were folded she ran
up to my fathers room to see if we might
come in, and called to us over the stairs:
Come up and say goodnight to papa"
got up first, thanks TO my long legs. He
was lying on his back, propped up by three
pillows. But he did not look very badly.
kissed him. trying not to cry, and whis-
pered
Dear papa, please tell me that did not
hit you"
Frank" he replied, you are good boy
have to say to you
The little ones who had followed me began
to climb up ON his bed, they often did in
the morning, i'll their night-gowns.
Take care" he said. You'll hurt my leg
I've got the rheumatism
But could not believe in such sudden
and violent attack of sickness lie had never
suffered from before. l looked all around the
room trying to see something that might show
how it was. BY the light of the chamber
candle | perceived his pantaloons. They had
been hung up near window, and fancied
that one leg was cut all the way down. | had
not time to verify the observation, for my
mother, no doubt seeing what was looking
at, closed the curtains.
You may easily imagine what an anxious
night it was. As often | closed my eyes |
fancied that | saw my fathers leg torn with
the shot and so terribly swelled that the doc
tor had to cut of his clothes. But this night
was not the worst Day after day things grew
more wretched. My dear father could not
conceal his suiferings, my gentle mother could
not hide her great anxiety; even the children
became unhappy got into corners and cried
without exactly knowing what they were cry
ing for. Our kind old friend, the doctor, was
in and out of the house nearly every hour. /
could not go outside our own front door with
ont having kind inquiries to answer which
We're dreadful to me. l shut myself up at
last, saying had some books had promised
to study in the holidays. My mother had a
table fixed for me in little study of my faith
ers between the library and sitting room. |
sat there most of the day, but | did not do
much studying. The greater part of my time
| was looking through an old medical book on
gunshot wounds or the law encyclopedia, un-
less | was crying too much to see the words.
All this went on n long, long fortnight,
when one morning between 10 and IL O'Clock,
| saw our doctor coming up the front steps i'll
company with three elderly strangers, all of
them with the red ribbon of the Legion of
Honor in their button holes.
They went right up to my dear fathers
chamber, and, after staying there a quarter of
an hour they came down TO the parlor, where
they were closeted with one another. My
| anxiety was so great that took the liberty of
trying to make out what they were saying.
The few words l could hear made me perfect
| ly wretched. They were talking of n shot-a
| shot mt Of m 1r1p--yyhipl had lO1Op1
the bend Of the knee. They talked of in
| tiammation, tumors, white swelling and other
matters with long Latin names, which, though
| | heard them for the first time, have remained
| engraven ON my memory.
They all agreed upon the importance of the
case and the urgent necessity of an opera
ton, though none of them seemed willing to
undertake it. The responsibility seemed too
| great, and the success too doubtful.
The fear was that the patient whose sys-
TEN had been weakened by suffering, might
sink under the operation. rough voice re-
| peated two or three times over, Il had rather
cut out ten rifle balls"
DIR. Maginn, however, urged the operation,
saying that he knew my fathers strength and
constitution his habtual calmness and regu-
lar habits He grew so earnest at last that
| heard him say:
Then l shall call in DIR. SedillOtt, who will
| be less timid than you"
There came a loud chorus of voices, the
doors opened and closed again behind them,
and the house was left in misery and gloom.
Our good doctor paid MS no more visits that
day, and presumed he had gone to get the
great surgeon from Strasburg, The next
morning at & o'clock my mother called us all
up, made MS dress and go into our fathers
ROOM He kissed us very ferventiy. Then
we were all put into 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
! l. 4 L L =. Il