Ashtabula weekly telegraph. (Ashtabula, Ohio) 1880-1886, 1880-11-19


=" We have already done our best" replied
the subcommittee, sadly. We have
found"
"Where Is the woman-doctorp persisted
the excited chief. "She recommended the
fellow. She'd be apt 10 know. Can't some
Of you find herp'
At this moment young DR.. Frank looked
haggardly into the Relief Office.
l am taking her cases" he said. "she
Is down with the fever"
II was the morning after his last pay day
sunday morning, the first IN October; a
dTy, deadly, gittering day. Zeryiah had
been TO bis attic TO rest and bathe; he had
been there some hours since sunrise, in the
Old place by the window, and watched the
RED sun kindle, and watched the dead carts
SINK away into the color, and kneeled and
prayed for frost. Now, being strengthed IN
MIND and spirit, he was descending 10 his Sab
pains work, when message met him at the
door. The messenger was a negro boy. who
thrust a slip Of paper into his hand, and,
seeming TO be seized with superstitious
peared.
The message was triumphal result Of the
education OF the freedmen's evening school,
and succinctly said:
i've Gut III. Nobuddy wunt Nuss me.
MOTT no Doctor nEther
p =. JOopitOr the Durn hee sed he'd ker.
fy rms don't setpOsc you'd KUN. SCfP."
The sun went down that night as red as ii
had risen. There were no clouds. There
was no wind. There was no frost. The hot
dust curdled in the shadow that coiled be-
heath the stark palmetto. That palmetto
always looked like a corpse, though there
was life in II yet. Zeryiah came to the door
OF Scip's hOvel for air, and looked at the
thing. IL seemed like something that ought
10 be buried. There were no other trees.
IN fHNHN sol HHsN lac ~.
ana the scant, starved grass stretched all
around. scip's hut stood quite by ITSELF No
one passed by. Often no one passed for
week, or even more. Zeryah looked from
the door Of the hut to the little
city The red light lay between
felt less lonely to see the town, and the smoke
now and then from chimncys. He
thought how many people loved and cared
for one another in the suffering place. He
thought how much love and care suffering
gave birth to, in human hearts. He began
othink little Of his own suffering; then
Scip called him, sobbing wretchedly. Scip
was very sick. Hope had sent for DR.. Dare.
She had not come. Scip was too sick to be
left The nurse found his duty with the ne
gro. Scip was growing worse.
Lerviah thought Of these things. He had
never felt so lonely before. It seemed a hard
place for man to die in. Poor Scip
Zerviah clasped his thin hands and looked
up ut the purple sky.
Lord" he said, sit Is my duty. came
South to do my duty. Because he told Of
me, had Oughtto turn against him? IL Is a
lonesome place; he's got 1t hard, but III
stand by him, LordW-hi5 worn
face became suddenly suffuscd, and flushed,
transfggred, as he lifted it-"Lord God
Almighty! You stood by me! Icouldn't
have been a pleasant fellow to look after.
You stood by me in my scrape! 1 hadn't
treated You any too well. You
needn't be afraid I'll leave the creetur."
He went back into the hut. Scip called,
and he hurried in. The nurse and the
plague, like two living combatants, met in
the miserable place and battled for the ne
gro.
1t was Monday, but no one came. 1t was
Tuesday, but the nurse and the plague still
battled alone together over the negro. Ter
Viah's stock Of remedies was as ample as his
skill. He had thought he should save Scip.
lie worked without sleep, and the food was
not clean. He layished himself like a lover
over this black boatman; he leaned like a
mother over this man who had BETRAYED him.
But on Tuesday night, a little before mid
night, Scip rose, struggling on his wTetched
bed, and held up his hands and cried out:
" Mr.. Hope! Mr.. Hope! 1 never done
mean to harm yep
@ You have not harmed me-" said Ter
viah, solemnly. "Nobody ever harmed me
but myself Don't mind me, Scip."
Scip put up his feeble hand; Zeryiah took
1t: Scip spoke no more. The nurse held
the negro's hand long time; the lamp went
out; they sat on in the dark. Through the
Tapping wooden shutter the stars looked in.
Suddenly, Zeryiah perceived that Scip's
hand was quite cold.
He carried him out by starlight, and buried
him under the palmetto. 1t was hard work
digging alone. He could not make very
deep grave, and he had no coffin. When
the earth was stamped down, he felt extreme
ly weary and weak. He fell down beside his
shovel and pick to rest, and lay there in the
night till he felt stronger. 1t was damp and
dark. Shadows like clouds hung over the
distant outline OF the swamp.
The Sunday bells In the town had ceased.
There were no sounds but the cries of q few
lonely birds and wild creatures of the night,
whose names he did not know. This little
fact added to his sense Of solitude.
He thought at first he would get up and
walk back to the city i'm the dark. An in
tense and passionate longing seized him to
be among living men. He took a few steps
down the road. The unwholesome dust
blew up through the dark against his, face;
He found himself so tired that he concluded
to 90 back to the hut. He would sleep, and
start in the morning with the break OF the
dawn. He should be glad to see the faces Of
his kind again, even though the stir OF well
come and the light Of trust were gone out of
I Nutll lOl ulllls luol ilNtu8 bntl DItdllcus
they spoke. He was tired of death and soli-
tude.
He groped back into the hut. The oil was
low, and he could not relight the lamp. He
threw himself in the dark upon the he'd.
He slept until late in the morning, heavily.
When he walked, the birds were shrill in the
hot air, and the sun glared in.
"l will go now," he said, aloud. 81 am
glad l can CO." and crept to his feet.
He took two. steps-staggered-and fell
back. He lay for some moments, stricken
more with astonishment than alarm. His
first words were:
"Lord God! After all-after all I've gone
God Almighty, if You'll be-
lieve tive got IL :"
fell, but no one came. Thursday-but out
side the hut no step stirred the parched, |
white dust. FTiday-Saturduy-no voice !
but his own moaning broke upon the sick |
mans straining ear.
As the days passed and no one came to |
him, he was aware of his not being able to |
reason With himself clearly about his sOli- |
averted faces of the people for whom he mad |
labOred, and whom he had loved. In the |
stress OF his pain their estTanged eyes gazed |
at him. He felt that he was deserted be- |
cause he was distrusted. Patient as he was,
this seemed hard.
"They did not care enough for me to miss
me, ;" he said, aloud, gently. 81 suppose / !
was not worth it. / had been in prison. !
was a wicked man. 1 must not blame
them"
And again;
"They would have come II they had
known. They would not have let me die |
alone. / don't think she would have done |
that. Iwonder where she ISL Nobody has |
missed me--that Is ALL must not mindO |
lrnW ho l..