Vermont phÅ“nix. [volume] (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1834-1955, 1880-02-13


whether she lived or died, though longing
thoughts aud wishes went out to him on ev-
cry wind that blew, though night after night
her pillow was wet with bitter tears though
he had never been out Of her mind, waking
or sleeping At first she had comforted her
self with the belief that he would find her out
hmself but, as time passed this hope faded
and died, and was given decent burial How
should he know that she had proved true,
that she had loved him on and on? Why
should he not suppose that she had left him
Of her own choice. because she scornCd the
son Of his father? No doubt he had taught
himself to unlove her had almost forgotten
the old fondncss, the old hurt had married
some good woman, and was happy by his
own freside with his children. She hoped
he was happy as for that good woman, she
did not care to think of her overmuch. But
daily she pictured him in the midst of his
family-picturcd him young and handsome,
with the color in his smooth cheek, the
bronze shade in his waving hair the sparkle
in his eyes, forgetting that twenty years had
robbed him Of youth and its beauty
When her father died there had not been
money enough left in the purse to take her
home to England, though Captain Seymour
would gladly have carried her back without
it if she would have taken him for better or
worse. Afterward she had parted with her
trinkets one by one for her daily bread till
she could earn-with all but the shining ring
Angus had given her, and which was now
worn quite thin, though the odd legend en-
grayed within was yet plainly legible;
Though he seek till he be gray,
Love will hnd ont the way"
But in all these twenty years she had never
saved enough from her necessities to pay her
homeward passage. If perchance she got a
few dollars ahead, some poor souls greater
need appealed TO her aud it was now fifteen
years since she had graytated TO Great Her
rington and cast anchor, but no one in all the
place dreamed that romance had ever touched
30 plain and old and commonplace a body as
Miss Bertha, who was doubtless made to sew
to tend the sick, aud stir gruels and broths
and mustard plasters, leaving the poetry of
life for her younger neighbors. She had
been out toward the last Of January, watch
ing all night. and as she stepped into the
frosty air, and began to remember that she
was hungry and drowsy, she suddenly en-
countered DIR. March coming round a corner.
Speak of angels and you hear their
wings said he II was thinking of you,
Miss Bertha, this very minute"
Don't turn my head, doctor"
We'll, you see, the brig AJ5y Jones came
in last week She's a whaler-boon of these
two years Most Of the crew belong to
'TTttl l1tTIluklOu. anu lLt Ut utt ltht IL II
they aren't all down with the ship-feyer
came ashore as wen as you are, too. Now
the bother is some have families to look after
them, and some haven't and all the people
are a. scared as they were in the small poX
panic, and nurses cant be found for love or
money-at least not enough. I've been up
myself these two nights with one poor fellow,
who's wild as a hawk, and I'm ready TO drop.
not to speak Of my other patients, and can't
find any body willing TO look after him and
l didn't know thought to myself, There's
Miss Bertha, she's always ready to do a good
turn, aud she isn't afraid of man, the devil,
or the smallpox"
And so you'd like me to go to him 2"
"Exactly. Hen die you don't. It's mis-
sionary work, Miss Bertha. l don't know as
the man has a sou TO pay a nurse"
Il don't want any money, if he has, said
she
That's lucky. Come home with me and
drink a cup of Mrs. March's coffee, and then
III take you to the Herrington Arms. There's
where our patient put up when he came
ashore. Looks ns il he'd no kith or kin in
the place, aud | don't remember his face in
these parts
Poor fellow poor fellow :" Miss Bertha
had forgotten that she had been up overnight
and was breakfaStloss.
Il thought to be sure" she mused during
the next nights yigils-"I thought, to be sure,
he was a young man but he is grayer than
/ am. I wonder if his wife is looking for
him home soon. He isn't weather-beaten
like sailor his hands are white and soft
and well kept, like a gen,leman's l don't
believe he ever tarred the ropes before this
voyage. Perhaps he is reduced in circum-
stances, and went whaling to seek his fortune,
| wonder if he will die" But the disease
left her little time for idle reflections and sur
misses, the services of the doctor, and the oc-
casional assistance of the other nurses whose
patients were conyalescing, being all the re-
lief afforded her. One night, rs she moved
about the room, conxing the fire into glow,
stirring the Cruel in she porringer, pouring
the wine, Gischarging the ninety and nine lit
tie duties of the sick-room, it seemed to her
that the patient followed her with his eyes
curously-those great hollow, darkling eyes,
full of sad questioning.
do you want to ask me any thing ?" she
said pausing beside the pillow, and meeting
the gaze.
Perhaps" he faltered-''p 'perhaps-you
could tell me-where Iam-and howl came
here? Am I awake-or dreaming?"
''You are in the town of Great Harrington,
at the Harrington Arms" she answered him,
you have been i'll with ship-fever. You
came in the whaler Ab5y Jane, Dr. March
tells me, which had picked you off the wreck
of the Atlas, bound for New York-you and
others. You have been very i'll, and you
must not talk"
"And you have saved my life. heard the
doctor say so this morning"
Hush, hush; that's only the doctors pa
laver."
Miss Bertha, I'm afraid you've won that
poor fellows heart that you've been taking
care of at the Harrington Arms" said DIR.
March dropping in a week or so after he had
ordered her home to take care of herself,
lest he should have another patient on his
hands. Hes been pumping me dry about
you wants to know why you have never
married. told him because nobody asked
you but Parson Chapel. and he was too big
a pill"
That's because you didn't prescribe him, d"
said Miss Bertha.
just then Sue Blair put her rosy head in
at the door.
"Haye you smoked out Miss Bertha ?"
said she. "Is it quite safe for me to come in ?
I've such a lovely valentine-from Sam, of
course-that l must show you, even if catch
the fever. It's St. Valentines Day, you
know. Did you ever have a valentine, Miss
Bertha 2"
"Once-ages nearer the beginning"
"Oh, by-the-way," put in DR.. March,
'here's something for you that took from
the mail as 1 came along. It's a wonder 1
remembered it. Perhaps it's valentine too
it has blue stamp. Who knows?"
Perhaps So, laughed Miss Bertha, open
ing, and reading;
"Though he seek till be be gray,
Love will hnd out the way.
"ASGUs AIKEN.
"HERRINSToE ARMs.n
"Why, what does it mean ?" she cried,
rising and flushing strangely. "Who could
have been so cruel? Who could know ?
Who"
my dear child" said DIR. March, "who
could know what? Angus Aiken is the name
of our patient at the Harrington Arms.
Didn't tell you that you had won his heart
It's a valentine indeed !"