Northern Ohio journal. [volume] (Painesville, Ohio) 1872-1896, 1880-05-29
A Small.POx Romance.

Life is full of tragedies. Love, the
from the blight of disease and darkness.
beat the heart-no matter how bright
may be the sunny vision of the future
the clouds of adversely, sooner or later,
are sure to come. Death, with the un-
sparing scythe and CHASTITY shroud, may
sever the mutually beloved, or affliction
in some other form may rob life of
nearly all its tenderness and beauty.
A few short weeks ago, there lived in
the West division, on fashionable
thoroughfare, young and handsome
couple, who had learned to love with
the sweet intensity of olden romance.
Their affection was recognized and ap-
proved by their kindred, and, very
soon, their hands were to be united as
husband and wife.
The gentleman was a fine specimen
of manly beauty. Tall, well-propor-
toned, with fine features, and free
stride, he was the beau ideal of a lover.
The lady was all that fancy could paint
her, and as good as she was lovely.
She has lived, however, to realize sadly
that
All that's bright must fade
The brightest still the feetest,
All that's sweet was made
To be lost when sweetest.
The gentleman's business called him
to travel occasionally, and, after re-
turning from one of his recent trips, he
felt particularly indisposed, and retired
at once to his room in the fashionable
boarding-house kept by the mother of
his fiancee. Feeling a growing sense of
wretchedness, he locked his door, not
wishing to disturb the household, and
tossed feverishly on his bed until some
of the domestics came to make up the
apartment. Then he complained of a
violent headache, sick stomach, and
other ills which make man Indifferent
to existence. At first it was fondly
hoped that the attack was a mere cold,
or intermittent fever, at worst, and he
received the usual remedies. These
having no effect, skilled physician
was called, and, after examining the
symptoms, pronounced the case one of
smallpox. This was thunderbolt to
the patient and his friends. He could
not remember how or where he had
been exposed, and they were slow to
believe the full horribleness of the an
nouncement.
| Other physicians were called, and, as
usual, disagreed. Even the health Of
ficer could not make up his mind at
once. From Tuesday until Friday the
sick man remained at the boarding
house in painful uncertainty. At last
his symptoms became so clear and
alarming that the most ignorant could
no longer doubt. The awful news ran
through the house like wild-fire, that
Mr.. - had the smallpox and was or
dered removed to the pest-house.
But although panic might extend it,
self to the boarders, neither his fancee
nor her mother were moved by such
vain fears. The young lady had been
his faithful nurse while he remained
beneath her parents roof, and, when
he was removed by the sanitary officers
her noble tenderness and sense of duty
braced her heart to the act of follow
ing him even within the putrid pre-
cincts of that abode of mortality an6
Disagreement. She practically illus
trated the sentiment of the beautiful
song:
Thou hast called me thy angel in moments ot
| bliss,
And thy angel I'll be thro' the horrors of this
Thro' the furnace unshrinking thy steps tt
| pursue,
And shield thee, and save thee, or perish ther,
too.
Unfortunately, not even her devo
ton, although it undoubtedly saved the
slender thread of life, could shield hin
from the worst effects of the dread dis
ease. His case developed into tht
dreadful type known as contluent,'
and when he arose from his couch O
sickness the unfortunate lover realized
the doom of desolation entailed upo1
him. He was stricken blind, and NIGH
never more behold the light of day, o.
look into the depths of the sweet eye
that still beaned with love for him.
In an age like this, when romantic
devotion is supposed to be upon th'
wane, and in city like Chicago, whicl
is, of necessity, utilitarian, it might b'
expected that the atliiction which fel
upon her idol might have ALLEVIATE,
from him the heart of his betrothed
Instances of kind almost similar hav
occurred where this has been the re
suit, but, in this case, purity and unset
fshness have triumphed. The misfor
tunes of her lover have the more Ell
deared him to his faithful lady, who i