The Cincinnati daily star. [volume] ([Cincinnati, Ohio]) 1875-1880, 1879-11-25
THE DAILY STAR
THE HOSPITAL MISTLETOE.

our love.
= "How sentimentalp YOU exclaim. No;
it is not culled from the bough under
which l kissed her. Ours was not a
match of tn common kind; it was not
inaugurated with blindman's buff, and
kiss in the ring. "The mistletoe hung in
in the caste hallT' No, my friend; you
are quite wrong. There were no merry
guests going hither and thither under
that treasured sprig of the mysterious
parasite. Tell you the story9 l will. 1t
happened in this wise: l was the house
surgeon of the Severnshire Hospital. One
autumn day, patient was brought into
the accident ward. He was gentleman.
No one in the town knew him. He was
travelling through the county. In the
high street of the city he had been
thrown from his horse When he was
picked up, he said, "Take me to the hos
pital; | am a gentleman, and will pa
for attention; but l prefer the hospital" "
So they brought him to Us. He was
very seriously hurt internally. George
Gregory Newbold was his name.
II don't live anywhere in particular" !"
ne said, week after he was brought in.
81 am a traveller; l have been in nearly
every nation in the world. can refer
you to the Bank of England. have
property in Hertfordshire. am very
comfortable and grateful for the kindness
you have shown me-"
He was handsome man, with ten
der sympathetic gray eye, and a soft mus
cal voice. There was something about
him that excited interest at once. 1t was
an honest, open, candid face, with lines
of care and trouble about the eyes.
eyes, you are right, doctor" he said to
me, one November day, when he ap-
peared to have rallied very considerably.
| have had great deal of trouble; not
the sort of trouble which usually knocks
IA man up--not money anxiety, nothing
of the worlds worry in truth. Yet l
have suffered tortures almost beyond en-
durance.'
"Can | be of any service to you, Mr..
Newbold; beyond the poor professional
services which it has been your misfor-
tune to require hereT'
"No, thank you, think not. / often
think | shall never recover. If 1 could
sec my sister again, could die happy
that is, as happy as man can die when
death separates him from the only being
whom he loves, and whose protective
hand she may need. l will tell you my
story, doctor You are good man. l
know that by your face, and by your
great kindness to me, a stranger"
81 trust | should be none the less at
tentive to any patient" said, although
| confess that you have interested me
much"
"You are very good" said Mr.. New
oold; "Heaven will reward you. When |
was an infant, my father died, and left
myself and sister to the care OF our
mother. 1t is only doing the memory of
my mother ordinary justice to say that
she was as good as she was beautiful.
She died ten years ago. For five years
we lived in the old house, my sister and
myself. We had no cares, no troubles:
life with us was continual summer; to
make each other happy was our only
anxiety. 1t had occurred to me more
than once-many times, indeed-that
Lucy might marry, and leave me. |
should have regretted this for myself,
but not if it secured and perpetuated
Lucy's happiness, One day--it only
shows how blind we men are-Lucy told
me she was in love-"
"You are faint, Mr.. Newbold," said;
''rest awhile"
."No, no; am stronger than you think" )"
he said, smiling, and waving me to be 81
lent. 'Gt was young fellow who had
often been to the house. / ought to
have known. When Lucy told me,
could see how indiscreet I had been. He
had neither friends nor position. ! did
not forbid the match, but l discounte-
nanced it, expostulated with Lucy, and
privately expressed myself in severe
terms to her lover. If it were not that he
believed Lucy would deeply feel his
leaving her, lie said, he would 90 away,
since ! questioned his honor and his love.
My selfshness was awakened. l urged
him to 60, implored him, gave him
money; and he left Lucy to her brother
in the old house that we had known
since infancy. When Lucy discovered
the cause of her lovers desertion, she up
braided me, and called me cruel and sell
fish, and a month afterwards she was miss
ing. Ihave never seen her since"
Here my poor patient fell back upon
his pillow. l gave him stimulant; and,
by and by, when he Hooked up with his
grey eyes expressing an apology for his
weakness, | confess to sensations of SYM
pathy which l had never felt before.
81 thought l was stronger" he said
pray, forgive me. Let me finish my
story; it will do me good to tell you my
troubles would give the world to see
her once more, for the sake of my poor,
dear mother, who loved her so much. ]
found traces of her. She had letter
from her lover, bidding her good-by for,
ever. 1t was believed that be had en-
listed for soldier. A detective officer
whom had employed fancied he traced
him to India. His name was not to be
found on the lists Of any regiment at
home or abroad.
"This is the story of my life; this is the
story of my wanderings. ! am in search
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