Staunton vindicator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1860-1896, 1878-07-05

it. You know when the children were re
vaccinated three years ago, you could not
persuade any of the villagers to be done at
the same time''
! On the following day we dispatch the
children early to their aunt's, under the
care of an old servant, and as soon as /
nave seen them off I 20 down to Mrs.
Blacks. To my CONSERVATION, find Mrs.
Ogilvle just leaving the house.
II have been disobedient, you see," she
said gayly; "but promised to bring Mrs.
Black something early this morning; and
she seemed so i'll yesterday that I did not
like to disappoint her. But I am not going
to transgress orders again-for Franks
sake,'' she adds softly.
give an internal groan. Heaven grant
she may not have transgressed them once
too often! And I hasten into the cottage
to find my worst fears confirmed. Mrs.
Black has smallpox quite Enthusiastically.
For some hours am occupied in ma
king arrangements for her removal to the
inirmary, and in vaccinating such of my
poorer patients as can brighten or coerce
into allowing me to do SO; and it is after
noon before am able to go and look after
Mrs. Ogilvie.
She seems rather astOnished when [ in
form her what my errand is-that I want
to vaccinate her (for of course do not
wish to brighten her by telling her about
Mrs. Black; but she submits readily
enough when 1 say that have heard Of
a case of smallpox in a neighboring village
(which 1 haye), and think it would be a
wise, precautionary measure.
cit is very good in you," she says in her
white arm. 81 have never been vaccinat-
ed since l was baby, so suppose it will
be desirable.''
Desirable? Ishould think so indeed
And send up prayer as perform the
operation that may not be to laU4 am
so busy for the next few days that I am
unable to go down to the cottage. One OF
two more cases of smallpox in the village,
and I am anxious and hard-worked; but
Mary Anne tells me Mrs. Ogilvie has
dreadfully nervous about herself. II hope
she will not frighten herself into it, adds
my wife.
eff she hadn't contracted it before l
vaccinated her, think she is pretty safe,'
1 reply; 'sbut there is just the chance that
she may have had the poison in her pre-
viously."
Almost as I speak a message comes
from Mrs. Ogilvie, who ''wishes to see me
professionally" My heart sinks as 1
seize my hat and follow the messenger
and with too good reason. I find her
suffering from the first symptoms of small
pox; and in twenty-four hours it has de-
clared itself unequivocally and threatens
to be bad case. try to keep the nature
of her illness from her, but in vain. She
questions me closely, and when she dis
covers the truth, gives way to burst of
despair that is painful to witness 81
shall he marked; 1 shall be hideous!'' she
exclaims, sobbing bitterly. "Poor Frank
he will hate me!''
In vain 1 try to comfort her, to convince
her that in not one out of a hundred cases
does the disease leave dreadful traces be-
hind it; she refuses to be consoled. And
soon she is too i'll to be reasoned with or
indeed to know much of her own state.
She is an orphan has no near relatives for
whom she can send, so Mary Anne installs
herself in the sickroom as head nurse; and
as see her bending lovingly over the poor
dlsfgured face and ministering with ten
valid, my wife is in my eyes beautiful ex-
ceedingly; so does the shadow of good
deed cast glory around the most homely
countenance.
For some time Mrs. Ogilvie's life is in
danger; but her youth and good constitu-
ton 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 has been so precious to
our poor patient, is 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 dull, and
the golden hair is thin and lustreless. We
keep it from her as long as we call, but she
soon discovers it in our sorowful looks;
and her horror, her agony, almost threat
en- to unseat her reason. My wife is with
her night and day watching her like mo-
Their, using every argument she can think |
of to consol her, and above all counselling
her 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 loss Of her beauty may
have on her husband, who is now daily ex-
pected. His ship has been at sea, so we |
have been unable to write to him and on |
ly on his arrival in Plymouth Sound will |
he hear of his poor young wife's illness and |
Before her sickness she |
had been counting 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 |
vessel arrives and l receive telegram tel
Ing me when we may expect him, and beg
ging me to break the news gently to his
wife. She receives it with flood of bitter
tears and sobs, crying out that 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 I am conscious
Of a choking sensation in my throat as we
take leave of her half an hour before Mr.
Ogilvie is expected, 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 to the door to
meet him.