Daily globe. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1878-1884, 1878-02-17
anchor, but no one in all the place dreamed

anchor, but no one in all the place dreamed
that romance had ever touched so plain
and old and common place a body as Miss
Bertha. who was doubtless made to sew,
to tend to the sick, and stir gruels and
broths and mustard plasters, leaving the
poetry of life for her younger neighbors.
She had been out, toward the last of jan
uary, watching all night, and as she
stepped INTO the frosty air, and began to
remember that she was hungry and
droWsy, she suddenly encountered DR..
March coming round corner.
Speak Of angels and you hear their
wings said he. 81 was thinking of you,
Miss Bertha, this very minute"
Don't turn my head, DOCTOR
swell, you see, the brig Abby Jane
in last week. She's whaler-been off
these two years. Most of the crew be-
long in Great Harrington, and the deuce
take It it they aren't all down with the
shlp-tever; came ashore as well as you
are, too. Now the bother is, some have
families to look after them, and some
haven't; and all the people are as scared
nurses can't be found for love or money
at least not enough. I've been up my
self these two nights with one poor fell
low, who's as wild as hawk, and I'm
ready to drop, not to speak of my other
patients, and | can't find any body will
ling to look after him; and didn't know
u thought to myself, There's Miss
Bertha, she's always ready to do a good
turn, and she isn't afraid of man, the
devil, or the smallpox"
'And so you'd like me to so to him?'
Exactly. He'll die if you don't. It's
missionary work, Miss Bertha [ Don't
| know as the man has sou to pay a
| nurse.o
II don't want any money, if he has,
said he.
That's lucky. Come home with me
and drink cup Of Mrs. Marchs's coffee,
and then I'll take you to the Herring
ton Arms. There's where our patient
put up when he came ashore. looks as
| if he'd no kith or kin in the place. and /
don't remember his face in these parts. .
Poor fellow! poor felloww Miss
Bertha had forgotten that she had been
up overnight and was breakfastless
Il thought, to be sure" she unused,
during the next nights vigils-'s
thought, to be sure, he was young man !;
but he is grayer than I am. I wonder if
his wife is looking for him home soon
He isn't weather-beaten like sailor; his
hands are white and soft and we'll kept,
like a gentleman's. | don't believe he
ever tarred the ropes before this voyage.
Perhaps he is reduced in circumstances,
and went whaling to seek his fortune. |
wonder it he will die" But the disease
left her little time for idle reflections and
surmises, the services Of the doctor, and
the occasional assistance Of the other
nurses whose patients were convalescing
being all the relief afforded her. One
night, as she moved about the room
coaxing the fire into a glow, stirring the
Cruel IN the porringer, pouring the wine,
discharging the ninety and-nine little
duties of the sick -room, it seemed to her
that the patient followed her with his
eyes curiously-t great hollow, dark
ling eyes, full Of sad questioning.
"Do you want to ask me anything?" she
said pausing beside his pillow, and meet
ing the gaze.
Perhaps" he faltered-operhaps-
you could tell me-where am-and how
Il came here? An I awake or dream
ing?"
"You are IN the town of Great Herring
ton, at the Harrington Arms" she ans
wered him. ''You have been i'll with
ship-fever. You came in the whaler Ab-
By Jane, DR.. March tells me, which had
picked you off the wreck of the Atzas
bound for New York-you and others.
You have been very ill, and you must
not talk"
"And you have saved my life. l heard
the doctor say so this morning"
"Hush, hush; that's only the doctors
palaver."
"Miss Bertha, I'm afraid you've won
that poor fellow heart that you've been
taking care of at the Harrington Arms,n
said DR.. March, dropping in week or
so after he had ordered her home to take
care OF herself, lest he should have an
other patient on his hands. "He's been
pumping me dry about you; wants to
know why you never married. I told him
because nobody asked you but Parson
Chapel, and he was too big a pill"
Ahdl UcSduSc you u1IlIl prescribe
him, !" said Miss Bertha.
Just then Sue Blair put her rosy head
In at the door.
'Have you smoked out, Miss Bertha?'
said she. ''lslit quite safe for me to come
in? I've such lovely valentine-from
Sam, Of course that mast show you even
if I catch the fever. It's St. Valentines
Day, you know. Did you ever havea val
entine, Miss Bertha?"
"Once-ages nearer the beginning"
ooh, blythe way" putin DR.. March,
"here's something for you that I took
from the mail as I came along. It's a
wonder remembered it. Perhaps it's
valentine too; it has a blue stamp. Who
knows?'
perhaps so" laughed Miss Bertha,
opening, and reading:
Though he seek till he be gray,
Love will find out the way.
ANGUS AIKEN.
"HERRINGToN ARMS"
"Why, what does i: mean?' she cried,
rising and flushing strangely. ssWho
could have been so cruel? Who could
know? Who y
"My dear child" said DR.. March, sswho
could know what?" Angus Aiken is the
name Of our patient at the Harrington