The Hickman courier., 1878-06-28

4
some cottage with an empty baske+
wich was full when she entered it.
In a quiet little neighborhood liko
ours such q woman csnnot fail to be on
acquisition, and every one hastens -
call on her, and many are the dinners ana
roquet parties which are inaugurateJ
in her honor. To the former she viii
not go; she does not wish to go ont -
he evening in her husbands absence
much to my wife's satisfaction, who on.
proves of women being "keepers at
home" and it is only seldom that sbs
can be induced to grace one of the GRO.
quet parties with her presence.
But when she does she eclipses svarr
one else. She always dresses in fbe
most exquisite taste, as if anxious that
the setting should be worthy of the lew
el-tbe beauty which she prizes so
highly.
Sue has been settled at the COTTAGE
rather more than two years and is begi1-
ming TO count the weeks to her husba1d's
return. We do not number them ouite
20 eagerly. for when ne comes he will
take her away from us, and we shall miss
her sorely. It is summer again, hot
damp summer; it has b en- a very sieklv
snail have to get a partner, nv
dear" l said TO my wife as I prepared 10
30 out. Il this goes on I shall have
uoOre TO do than I can msnage. There
ia nasty lever about which | don't
like the look o.; and il we don't have
a change for the better in this muggv
weather, there is no saying what it may
turn to-"
6 am glad all the boys are at school,"
observed Mary Anne, "and think I
will let the girls accept their sunts invi.
Jation and go to her Tor 9 month"
1t would be q very good plan, and
should be glad If you would go too. A
little change would do you good"
'And, pray, who is to look after you?''
asks my wife reproachfully. Who is
TO see that you take your meals properly.
and don't rush off to see yeur psefents,
leaving your dinner untaste5 on the
table !"
Mentally, confessed mat l should
probably be poorly off without my Mary
Anne; but il Is q bad plan to encourage
vanity in ones wife, so 1 say, " Oh, l
should do very well by myself; ;" and
with partjog nod betake myself to my
daily duty"
In The village I meet Mrs. Ogilvie,
basket il hand. She doesn't look well,
and I say 50.
"You have no business out in the heat
of the day" I tell her. What will
your husband say, if he does not find
you looking your best when he comes
back"
a shade comes over her face. All
he would not be pleased" she says
rather gravely; g he always like 10 see
me look my very best and pTettiest."
Well, then, as your doctor, | must
forbid your doing any more cottage
visiting just at present. You are not
looking strong, and going into those
close houses Is not good for you.
will come and see yeu on my way back"
Which l de. I find there is nothing
the matter with her she is only little
languid.
80 You had better send the children
away to morrow morning, Mary Anne"
say as soon as l get in. Mrs. Black
Is very i'll, and l am afraid (I cannot
quite tell vet, but l am afraid) she is
going to have smallpox. Of course,
shall have her removed at once, if l am
right; but it may prove not to be an
isoIsted case, and it will be IS well 70
get the children out of the way. l
shall try and persuade every one in the
village to be vaccinated to-morrew."
You will be clever If you manage
that" says IDy wife. " l am afraid some
of the people are very prejudiced against
it. You know when the children were
revaccinated 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 I
have seen them of go down to Mrs.
Blacks. To my CONSERVATION, I find
Mrs. Ogilvie just leaving the house.
4 have been disObedient, you see"
she said gayly; bus Ipromised to bring
Mrs. Black something early this morning
and she seemed so i'll yesterday that
did not ike to disappOint her. But l am
not going to transgress orders again-for
Franks sake" she adds softly.
gave 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 con-
frmed. Mrs. Black has smallpox quite
unmistakably.
For some hours I am occupied IN max
ing arrangements for her removal 10 the
infirmary, and IN vaccinating such of
my poorer patients as I can frighten or
coerce into allowing me ts do so; and it
Is afternoon before ] am able to 90 and
look after Mrs. Ogilyie.
She seems rather astonished when I
inform her what my errand is-that l
want to vaccinate her (fOr of course I do
not wish TO fTighten her by telling her
about Mrs. Black; but she submits
readily enough when I say that I have
heard OF a case Of SMALLPOX in a neigh~
boring village (Which l have), and 1
think il would be q wise precautionary
measure.
. 1t is very good in you" she says in
her pretty gracious way as she bares her
white arm. have never been yaccin-
ated since L was baby, so 1 suppose it
will be desirable"
Desirable? l should think so, in
deed And l send up a prayer as / per
form the operation that I may not be
too late. / am so busy for the next few
days that / am unable to 90 down to the
cottage. One or two more cases o!
smallpox in the village, and l am
anxious and hard worked but Mary
Anne tells me Mrs. Ogilvie has heard of
Mrs Blacks removal and is dTesdfully
nervous about herself. 81 hope she
will not frighten herself into it" adds
my wife.
IF she hadn't contracted it before I
vaecinated her, I think she Is pretty
safe,' reply; "but there is just the
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" Nv heart sinks "a
l seize my hat and follow the messenger;
and with too good reason. I find her
suffering from the first symptoms of
smallpox; and in twenty-four hours it
has declared itself unequivocally and
threstens to be bad case. 1 try to keep
the nature OF her illness from her, but
IN vain. Sue questions me closely, and
when she discovers the truth, gives way
to burst OF despair that is painful to
witness. 81 shall be marked 1 shall be
| hideOusW W she exclaims. sobbing bitterly.
Poor Frank--he will hate meP'
vain try to comfort her, to convince
her that in not one out of a hundred
cases does the disease leave dreadful
traces behind it; she refuses to be con.
| soled. And soon she is too i'll to he
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, 50 Mary Anne installs herself in the
| s1ck-roOm as head nurse: and "a 600 bor