The daily gazette., 1879-11-22
The Hospital MtstletOe.
By GRAvKLoTTE.

love.
"How sentimental" you exclaim. No,
1t 10 not culled from the bough under
which l kissed her. Ours was not
match Of the common kind; 1t was not
inaugurated with blindman's bluff and
kiss in the ring. "The mistletoe hung
in castle hall?" No, my friend; you are
quite wrong. There were no merry
CUES Is going hither and thilher under
that treasured sprig Of the mysterious
parasite. Tell you the story? l will. II
happened in this wise: l was the house,
surgeon of the Severnshire Hospital.
One autumn day . patient was brought
tleman. No one in the town knew him.
He was travelling through the country.
In the high street Of the city he had been
thrown from his horse. When he was
picked up he said, "Take Inc to the hos
pital; am gentleman, and will pay for
attention; but prefer the hospital" So
they brought him to US. He was very
seriously hurt internally. George Greg
ory Newbold was his name.
81 don't live anywhere in PARTICULAR"
he said, week after he was brought in.
~ am traveller; have been in nearly
every nation in the world. l can refer
you to the Bank of Eng!and,I have prop
crty in Hertfordshire. am very c0m-
Portable here and grateful for the kind
ness you have shown me-"
lie was handsome man, with ten
der, sympathetic gray eye, and soft,
musical 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.
ayes, you are right, DOCTOR" he said
to me, one November day, when he ap-
peared to have rallied very considerably.
IL have had great deal of trouble; not
the sort of trouble which usually knocks
Il man up--not m Oney anxiety, nothing
of the worlds worry, in truth. Yet
have sufiered tortures almost beyond en-
durance."
"Can be of any service to you, Mr..
Newbold, beyond the. poor professional
services which 1t has been your misfor-
tune to require here?"
mo, thank you, think not, l often
think shall never recover. 1t l could
see my sister again. If could see 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. will tell you: my story, doc
tor. You are q good man. know that
by your face, and by your great kindness
to me, a stranger"
tentive 10 any patient" ] said, ''although
confess that you have interested me
much"
"You are very good" said Mr.. New.
bold ''Heaven will reward you. When
was an infant, my father died, and left
myself and sister 10 the care of oul
mother. 1t is Only doing the memory Of
my mother justice to say that she was
as good as she was beautiful. She dieC
ten years ago. For five years we lived
in the old house, my sister and myself
We had no cares, no troubles life will
us was q continual Summer; to make
each other happy was our only anxiety
1t had occurred to me more than once
many times, indeed-that Lucy nigh
marry, and leave me. should have re
gretted this for myself, but not if it Sc
cured and perpetuated Lucy's happiness
One day--it only shows how blind W,
men are-Lucy told me she was il
love-"
"You are faint, Mr.. Newbold," l said
"rest awhile"
"No, no; l am stronger than yol
think" he said, smiling, and waving INT
20 be silent. at was young fellow wht
had often been TO the house. l ought u
have known. When Lucy told me,
could see how indiscreet had been. He
had neither friends nor position. die
not forbid the match, but 1 discounte
banced 1t, expostulated with Lucy, ant
privately expressed myself in severe
terms to her lover. 1t it were not tha
he believed Lucy would deeply feel hi'
leaving her, he said, he would go away
since had questioned his honor and hi.
love. My selfishness was awakened.
urged him to 60, implored him, gave hin
money and he left Lucy to here brother
in the old house that We had known
since infancy. When Lucy discovered
the cause of her lovers desertion, she up
braided me, called me cruel and selfish
and month afterward she was missing
| have never seen her SINCE"
Here my poor patient fell back upon
his pillow. gave him stimulant; and
by and by, when he looked up with hi
gray eyes expressing an apology for hi
weakness, confess to sensations Ofsym
pathy which had never felt before.
81 thought 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 wOrlt
to see her once more, for the sake of my
poor, dear mother, who loved her 81
much. found traces Of her. She ha(
had letter from her lover, bidding hel
good-by forever. 1t was believed tha
he had enlisted for a soldier. A detective
officer whom had employed fancied HI
traced him to India. His name was no
to be found on the list Of any regimen
at home or abroad.
"This is the story of my life; this i
the story of my wanderings. l am il
search of my sister, in search of then
both-Lucy and her husband. l hav'
forgiven them long ago. What right ha'
| TO stand between her and the man sh
loved?"
The season of Christmas came witt
its kindly thoughts, its Christian-lik
feelings, its genial associations. We al
ways decorated the hospital for Christ
mas eve. The patients all seemed to &c
better in the presence of the little ex
citement OF the time. Each ward ha
its bit of holly and mistletoe. The nurse
riyaled each other in the making of tn
festival wreaths; friends Of the patient
brought in contributions from the cOun
try winter evergreens from their littl