Vermont phÅ“nix. [volume] (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1834-1955, 1880-04-09


broke loose and overwhelmed him. oh yes,
| do, he said drying his eyes "and, please
Sir, he's not ut home-and Polly's raging in
fever-and | cant put baby to bed and Mrs.
O'Flannighan will have to go to Billy please,
Sir, if you're doctor, couldn't you come and
help us Z"
"What a dreadful state Of affairs :" said the
gentleman, in pleasant, CHEEKY voice. eyes,
| am doctor, and | can spare ten minutes TO
come and see Miss Polly, II you like. Here
jump into the carriage and tell me where to
drive to"
Number 10 Groves Alley" said Dick,
brisIy, cup two flights in the garret :" and
so be drove away side by side with one Of the
best men aud one Of the cleverest doctors in
London, to the dingy room in Crowe's Alley,
where Polly, with the light of reason shining
in her eyes again, was lying exhausted with
her hot tangled head on Mrs O'Flannighan's
shoulder
The doctors first thought as he came into
the room, was a shuddering horror of the din
giness and gloom and emptiness Of this un-
homcliko home the next, when he turned to
the corner with the bed, where the one dip
gathering on chair threw fitful light on
Polly's flushed face, was to recognize as by
instinct that here, in this dreary room, and
on this childish face, was concentrated all the
careful love and tender patience that can
make home anywhere.
For Polly raised her head painfully with a
CHEEKY, patient smile, and tried to speak and
Mrs. O'Flannghan rose hastily, and dropped
n long forgotten courtesy to the doctor for
sho was not as ignorant as Dick, and she
knew the great man by sight.
He nodded to her kindly and took the place
she had left vacant by the bed, feeling the
fickering pulse gravely. while he asked her
many questions about Polly which she nm
swered with tears in her eyes
Then the doctor laid the wasted hand down
tondery and said, REST and quiet patience
Miss Polly and you'll do"
But the children?" faltered Polly.
"Oh, never mind the children. said the
doctor "wel look after them, and you're to
think Of no one but yourself. Aud while you
can't earn money, Miss Polly" he added, in
his gentle way, as if he were telling her the
most natural thing in the world, "I'll take
care Of the household expenses for you, and
Mrs. O'Flannighan here shall be your nurse,
if she will"
Thank YOU said Polly, accepting the
goodness as quietly as he offered it, Il was
wondering about the children but Dickie
earns a bit with his backing, aud baby's get
ting deal less trouble with his teeth"
Those were strange days TO Polly and dark
times came among them-times Of racking
pain and feyersh thirst. Of delirium and mis-
cry and horrid dreams-out Of which she
wakened one February morning into life of
stiffness, Of utter weariness and utter content
when her sight was dim, and the hum Of life
in the alley came as from afar of to her fee
BILE ears and she could not speak TO Dick
when he came and sat Oh the bed beside her
and told her how beautiful it was out-Of-
doors.
~. a. Nth L. 1,,1. I,,, tl.t
day and gave her beef tea and brandy every
little while, and spoke gently to her and read
to her out of the torn Bible about the
streets of gold and the water of the River of
Life and he kissed her when he went away,
aud said God bless you, Polly ;" for he
thought himself that by the next morning
she would know more about the city of God
than the Revelation could teach her.
But Polly surprised them all. The crisis
passed safely over, and the wave Of life that
had ebbed away and left only the wasted
body that they all loved and tended, swept
slowly andward again, and Polly was safe.
The doctor told her so one day, kncclng 10y
the bed, and smoothing back the short rough
locks from the gentle face and Polly said,
Thank YOU Sir-God won't forget all We
owe you-the boys and me I'm one OF the
least of these, she said smiling family, ''and
| think Sir, you did it to the Lord"
And then the doctor went home, and talked
to his sister for an hour Of the gratitude of
this so-caled ungrateful world and of the
good that lies dormant in nearly every human
soul. There's Groves Alley" he said 'the
worst place in London and Mrs. O'Flanni-
CHAN that the very police are afraid of, sit
ting up night and day with a little child who
is down with fever and all the neighbors
coming in now and then 20 bring her bits of
things, and oranges or pictures, or to take
the baby out for an airing Depend upon it,
if We went deep enough, we should find
stratum Of good verywhere."
And his sister thought, though she did not
say, it, for the doctor hated to be praised.
that you would not have to go far for the sta-
tum of good in some people.
showed you Polly first on a glorious July
day, clinging to the railings in Grosyenor
Square, with all her family around her; l
show her to you for the last time, on a sunny
April afternoon, when she had crept out into
the Park for her first walk, and was standing,
with the boys, close by the Marble Arch,
watching the grand carriages sweep in and
out with their burdens of smiling faces, that
looked as happy as faces are apt to do in the
spring.
Pony was weak and tired and what with
the dizziness and the Pickering sunshine and
the noise, she was standing in a kind of dream,
half forgetting the boys, who had made a
holiday of Polly's first day, and were perfect
ly happy,
Out of the dream, however, and out of the
gloom of the overshadowing archway, came a
pretty Victoria, with dainty chestnut, arch
ing its neck proudly, as it was drawn up
against the railings on the opposite side
Polly hardly saw the carriage, however, and
hardly noticed the horse, for she was looking
intently at face in the carriage-the face
that had stood out distinctly in her mind
through nine weary months, in sunny frame
against background of gloom and misery
the face Of the lady who had ridden into
GrosyenOr Square on that hot July day. With
n cry that Dick did not hear, she stopped her
head and darted swiftly under the ralings in
to the road She heard the clear ring of hoofs
close beside her, smothered exclamation,
and clatter on the road, as horse was rein
ed sharply up on her right hand but when
she glanced up with frightened, wistful eyes
and saw it was the doctor, she just nodded
her head, re-assured and he, looking after
her saw her dart between the lines of car
riages, and spring up on to the steps of the
Victoria
The lady in it was leaning back talking to-
young man on the other side, and she paused
abruptly as Polly's eager face came on to a
level with her own, and turned toward her;
while the young man put up an eyeglass, the
better to suppress the audacious beggar, juA
as Polly brought her hand out of her pocket,
and cast the nineteen shillings and siNpence
into the ady's lap.
Its the change she said, breathlessy.
"What changer" said the lady, with a sud
den sly blush rising TO her face, as she saw
people beginning to collect, and whisper, and
stare-as she saw the doctor, who had dis
mounted and was leading his horse, stand be-
side Polly with an amused smile on his face.
Don't laugh, Paul, she said to him, half
laughing herself "What is it all about? l
don't understand"
Nor do l." he said but this is little
patient of mine, Margaret, Come, Miss Polly,
l thought you were 30 pOor-where did the
money come from p
Don't you remembers" said Polly, turn