The Republican. [volume] (Oakland, Md.) 1877-current, 1880-11-27

m Tp ~ well people, ndrumor, wearied of the
inc 49,. iever symptom, found divert
nsst IN this shattered reputation.
in Calhainin nope was very much talked about
rn,ttan u1un so much, that the Relief Com
official an oa;ru, questioned, and experienced
40 vad., anxiety. 1t seemed a mistake to lose
distnr Haole man. 1t seemed severity to
-,SSsurD SO noble career. Yet who knew
roj~L. SINISTER countenance the murderer
roasi pc capable of shielding beneath his
nI asA OF pity! The official mind was per-
o o ,o.. was 1t humane to trust the lives of
= perishlng citizens to the ministrations of
ielon who had SO skillfully deceived the
, ,osI intelligent guardians Of the public
~ mere was, in particular, a chairman
~ q subcommittee ION the water Supply
a ar, was ourdened with uneasiness.
ca,ho,sc GEAR enough what brought him to
s,,n noun, said this man. "What do YOU
q dayY' "oe' WIN MS nFe uoilars
we ane committee on the Water Supply
R1otmptly divided into Sub Vigilance, and
N .ne Vigilance Committee Zerviah
bhopes case was referred. The result was,
'n On ne was followed on pay day.
s,, me saturday night, just as the red-hot
sun was going down, the subcommittee re-
Turned to the Relief Office in a state OF high
as follows '''-'' p'i ''' ~ 'n0 'ii'ei
We've done it. We've got him. We've
r ,. out what the fellow does with his
nuney. lie puts it"
WellE' for the ub-committee hesitated.
oo,., INTO the relief contribution-boxes on the
corners Of the street."
Whatw
Every dollar. We stood and watched
MN count it out-his weeks wages. Every
mortal cent that Yankees turned over to the
lund for the sufferers. He never kept back
red. He poured it all in"
Follow him next week. Report again. %
They followed, and reported still again,
They consulted, and accepted the astound-
ing truth. The murderer, the convict, the
miserable, the mystery, Zerviah Hope-vol-
unteer nurse, poor, friendess, discharged
from sing Sing, was proved to have surren-
dered to the public charities of Calhoun,
every dollar which he had earned in the
service Of her sick and diving.
The Committee on the Water Supply, and
the Sub-Vigilance Committee stood, much
depressed, before their superior officer. He,
being just man, flushed red with noble
rage.
"Where is he? Where is Zerviah Hope?
The man should be sent for. He should
receive the thanks of the committee. He
should receive the Acknowledgements of the
city. And we've set on him like detectives
hunted him down. BOUNDS! The CITY is
disgraced. Find him for mel"
We have already done our best" replied
the subcommittee, sadly. We have
searched for the man. He can not be
found"
"Where is the oman-doctorw persisted
the excited chief. "She recommended the
fellow. She'd be apt to know. Can't some
of you find herr"
At this moment young Dr. Frank looked
haggardly into the Relief Office.
8 am taking her cases." he said. "She
is down with the fever"
1t was the morning after his last pay day
Sunday morning, the first in October; a
dry, deadly, glittering day. Zerviah had
been to his attic to rest and battle; 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
stink away into the color, and kneeled and
prayed for frost. Now, being stronghold in
mind and spirit, he was descending to his Sab
baths work, when message met him at the
door. The messenger was negro boy, who
thrust slip Of paper into his hand, and,
seeming to be seized with superstitious
fright, ran rapidly up the street and disap-
peared.
The message was a triumphal result of the
education of the freedmen's evening school,
and succinctly said:
"ive Gut IT. Nobuddy Wunt Nuss me-
"P. s. Joopiter the Durn hee sed he'd kerr
ny This don't Serpose you'd KUN. SCIP."
The sun went down that night as red as it
had risan- There were no clouds. There
was no wind. There was no frost. The hot
dust curdled in the shadow that coiled be-
meath the stark palmetto. That palmetto
always looked like corpse, though there
was life in it yet. Zerviah came to The door
OF Scip's howell for air, and looked at the
thing. 1t seemed like something that ought
to be buried. There were no other trees.
The everglades were miles away. The sand
and the scant, starved grass stretched all
around. scip's hut stoodquite by itself. No
one passed by. Often no one passed for
tSs So even the 6 tn f6e from
city. The red light lay between
him and it, like great pool. He
felt less lonely to see the town, and the smoke
now and then from chimneys. 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
to think 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.
Zerviah thought of these things. He had
never felt so lonely before. 1t seemed hard
place for man to die in. Poor Scipl
Zerviah clasped his thin hands and looked
up at the purple sky.
"Lord," he said, sit is my duty. came
South to do my duty. Because he told of
me, had ought to turn against him? 1t is
lonesome place; he's got it hard, but I'll
stand by him. Lord !"-his worn
face became suddenly suffused, and flushed,
TRANSPORTED, as he lifted it-"Lord God
Almighty! You stood by mel 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.o
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
yiah's stock of remedies was as ample as his
skill. He had thought he should save Scip.
He worked without sleep, and the food was
not clean. He lavished himself like a lover
over this black boatman; he leaned like
mother over this man who had BETRAYED him.
But on Tuesday night, a little before mid
night, Scip rose, struggling on his wretched
bed, and held up his hands and cried out:
''Mr. .Hopel 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
it: Scip spoke no more. The nurse held