The daily intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Territory [i.e. Wash.]) 1876-1881, 1881-07-17
his STORY.

Ieast three days 1 have not been called
I TO any new cases, and at last think
i may safely say that the cloud is lift
ed. which for the past month has lain
so heavily upon the people Of this i'll
fsted town, where for so long fever and
disease, bred Of foul smells and bad
ventIi alton and drainage, aggravated
by privatlon-for nearly all the mills
have stopped work on account OF 8
strike among the employees have
held sway.
write hopefully. and we'll may;
for, together with the joy of knowing
that the woe about me is abatiug, into
my own life has dawred sn overw helm
ing and unlocked for radiance. | will
tell now it has come about.
As one morning, a month ago. l went
my rounds la one OF the hospital
wards, bending over patient, saw a
new nurse.
l watched her a moment unseen.
when suddenly. as she slightly turned
her head, l recognized one whom 1 had
not seen for five years. Notwithstand-
ing the stiff regulation dress. and the
close cap which confined the hair, /
knew her-for was it not q face the
more j had tried to forget. the more it
had remained engraved on the Utmost
tablets Of my heart l had seen it first
when q dear friend bad persuaded me
to give myself a short rest to recruit, st
his country home, the health which
my arduous duties had impaired.
went. promising to remain month, if
nothing urgent recalled me. 1 found
an ideal home. such as one reads of il.
books situated in . spot nature must
have created with q smile on her face.
The hostess. 9 gentle, grayhaired
lady. made me cordially welcome-'A
friend of her son was as her own she
said. There was another inmate of my
friends home-his young cousin.
A gay, radiant creature, with q music
as of ripping brooklets in her voice,
and face full of fun and lsug liter, but
without particle of earnestness under.
lying its varied expressions. l could
see she shrsnk from me at our first
meeting, and learned the reason.
was cripple, and she was one to
whose exube-ent health, and beauty
Toying nature, any deformity or weak
ness gave sensation almost of repul-
sion. But as we grew better acquaint,
ed. as the passing days opened out to
each others characters. her manner
toward me changed. Though she sus-
pected it not, the change was danger
Gus one for me. l had thought her in
capable of any seriousness of feeling;
now found my mistake. / had thought
her specifically fair. but l soon came
to find beauty in her girlish face sur
passing that Of any other had ever
seen.
The time few by until the day came
on which l had decided to go, and it
was we'll it was so; for knew then that,
almost unconsciously, an all.ahsorbing
love had been growing up in my heart
for the beautiful girl who. was no more
fitting mate for me than dainty hum
ming bird would be for grim. somber
raven.
Not for such as she was a work day life
like mine-even had not been as
was. different from my fellows-a Grip
pie.
80 L went away thanking my kind
entertainers and binding with cords of
iron. my heart. which throbbed like a
wild thing, when at parting she laid
her little hand in mine and said she
was sorry was going.
Sorry-and /, who was more than
sorry, could only utter the merest COM
monplaces.
To return to whs re | broke away into
"reminiscences
As l stood watching her, she turned
and came towards me. l was not mis-
taken enough graver and paler than
OF old, before me stood she who was all
ways in my thoughts. So addressed
her now.
Miss Carleton, how can it be posi- .
BILE that you are here, riskirg your life
IN this fevared atmosphere 2
She gave me her hand quietly, as if
it had been but yesterday that we
parted.
L have been in the midst of the
worst Of it, she said. for l came to
D--(nsming town q few miles dis
tantl six months ago. There l have
been since. until yesterday. was sent
here to take the place of nurse who
has been taken sick
But your aunt. where is shes' I
asked, and my friend, your cousin 1
have had no word from him in a long
| time
An expression of sadness clouded her
face.
Did you not know she exclaimed,
that both my dear aunt and my noble
young cousin-all had in the world
20 love and be loved by-were taken
from me within one short month"; Oh.
It was hardl / wad almost beside nv.
self with grief. Then I read of the
suffering here. aud the need of nurses.
| was alone in the world-no circle
would be broken by my loss-and 1
thought perhaps, in hard work could
be able to drown my sorrows. So
came
As she spoke gazed with amaze-
rnent at the brave woman before me
(for, though young in years. girl she
could be called no longer)
The first month / took the fever
she continued, but my pefect health
brought me through quickly
Truly the ways OF Providence are
mysterious. How little ever thought
that / should meet Vera Carleton in
such q manner and place.
After that / saw her daily; saw her
kneeling in prayer by the dying or