The Osceola times., 1878-06-22

chance that she may have had the poison
in her previously"
Almost as | speak a message comes
from Mrs. Ogilvie, who "wishes to see
me professionally" My heart sinks as
| seize my hat and follow the messenger;
and with too good reason. find her
suffering from the first symptoms OF
smallpox and in twenty-iour hours it
has declared itself unequivocally and
threatens to be a bad case. l try to keep
the nature of her illness from her, but
in vain. She questions me closely, and
when she discovers the truth, gives way
to burst of despair that is painful to
witness 81 shall be marked; ! shall be
hideousp she exclaims, sobbing bitterly.
Poor Frank. -he will hate me !"
/ vain try to cemiort her, TO convince
her that in not one out OF hundred
cases does the disease leave dreadful
traces behind it; she refuses TO be con-
soled. And soon she is too ill to be
reasoned with or indeed to know much
OF her own state. She is an orphan and
has no near relatives for whom we can
send, so Mary Anne installs herself in the
sick-room as head nurse; and as | see her
bending loving over the poor, dis6gured
face and ministering with tender hands
to the ceaseless wants of the invalid, my
wife is in my eyes beautiful exceedingly;
so does the shadow of good deed cast
a glory around the most homely cOun.
tensnce.
For some time Mrs Ogilvie's life is in
great danger but her youth and good
constitution prevail against the grim
destroyer, and at length / am able to
pronounce all peril past.
But alas, alas all my hopes, all my
care, all my poor skill have been in vain !;
and the beauty which we have all ad.
mlred so much, and which has been 80
precious to our poor patient, is a thing
of the past. She is marked slightly it is
true ; but the pure complexion is thick
and muddy, the once bright eyes are
heavy and duh, and the golden hair is
thin and lusterless We keep 1t from her
as long as we can, but she soon discovers
it in our sorrowful looks; and her hor-
ror, her agony. almost threaten TO unseat
her reason. My wife is with her night
and day, watching her like a mother,
using every argument she can think of
to console her, and above all counseling
with gentle words submission to the will
of God. But her misery, after the first
shock, is not so much for herself as for
the possible effect the less of her beauty
may have on her husband, who Is now
daily expected. His ship has been at
sea, so we have been unable to write TO
him; and only on his arrival in Ply
mouth Sound will he hear of his poor
young wife's illness and Disagreement.
Before her sickness she had been count
ing the hours, now she sees every day
60 past with shudder, feeling that she
is brought twenty.four hours nearer to
the dread trial. At length his vessels
arrive, and | receive telegram telling
me when we may expect him, and
begging me TO break the news gently
to his wife. She receives it with a
food of bitter tears and sobs,
crying out thst he would hate and
loathe her, and that she is about to lose
all the happiness of her life. MY wife
weeps with her, and ! am conscious of a
CHOKING sensation in my threat as we
take leave of her half an hour before
Mr.. Ogilvie isexpected, and pray God to
bless and sustain her.
We are sitting in rather melancholy
mood after dinner, talking of the poor
young husband and wife, when Mr..
Ogilvie is announced, and | hasten te
the door to meet him.
"She will not see me-" he says impet.
uously, coming in without any formal
greeting. "She has shut herself into
her room, and calls to me With hysterical
tears that she is too dreadful to look
upon, that | shall cease to love her a.
soon as look upon her, and that she can
not face it," And then the strong man
falls into chair with a sob.
1t is not so bad as that" | begin.
/ don't care how bad it is," he cries
she need not doubt my love. My poor
darling will always be the same TO me,
whether she has lost her beauty or not"
Whereupon extend my hand to him
and shake his heartily and / know my
wife has great difficulty in restraining
herself from enveloping him in her
motherly arms and embracing him.
You must resort to stratagem,"
say. 81 will 90 down to the cottage at
once and yon follow me in ten minutes
with my wife. will try and coax Mrs
Ogilvie to come out and speak to me-
and you must steal upon her unswares y
Mrs. Ogilvie at first refuses TO zee OF
speak to me but go up to her door and
Am mean enough to remind her of my
wlfe's devotion to her, and to entreat her
for her sake to come down to me.
Where is Frank ?" she asks.
81 lett him at home with Mary
Anne, | reply, feeling that am worthy
of being diplomatist at the court Of
st. Petersburg, as she opens the door and
and descends the stairs. take her out
into the garden and begin to reprove
her for her conduct, with assumed an,
ger She listens with eyes blinded by
tears. |, on the lookout for it, hear
the latch OF the garden gate click, but
she absorbed In her sorrow does not no.
tce it. ! loob up and see Frank Ogil
vie's eyes fixed hungrily upon his wife
Her changed appearance must be a
great shock TO him; but he bears il
bravely; and in moment he has sprung
forward, clasped her in his arms, and
the poor SCARED face is hidden on hi.
true and loving heart
Then Mary Anne and | turned gently
away, and leave him 10 teach her that
there are things mere valuable, of high
er worth, than mere beauty of face oil
form.
After all we do not lose her, for Mr.
Ogilvie comes into some money, leaves
the navy and purchases small estate
In our neighborhood, on which they still
reside. Mrs. Ogilvie is no longer young
and has a family of lads and lassies
| e..,..,l kn. .rho i.,l~..A IL A 1.