The daily Cairo bulletin. (Cairo, Ill.) 1878-1???, 1881-04-22
HIS STORY,

Wliicn IOf lhe pHsl Illonl'l Nus lulh so
heavily upon the people OF this ilI-faled
town, where for so long fever and dis
ease, bred of foul smells and bad yen,i-
latiOn and drainage, aggravated by pri-
vation--for nearly all the mills have
stopped work on account of n strike
among the employees have held sway.
write hopefully; and well may; for
together with the joy of knowing that
the woe about me is abating, into my
own life has dawncd an overwhelming
and unlocked for radiance. | will tell
how it has come about.
As one morning, II month ago, went
my rounds, in one of the hospital wards,
bending over Il patient, l saw new
nurse.
watched her a moment unseen, when
suddenly, as she slightly turned her
head, recognized one whom | had MT
seen for five years. Notwithstanding
the stiff regulation dress, and the close
cap which confined the hair, knew her
for was it not n face which the more
| had tried to forget, the more it had
remained engraved on the lnmost tab
lets of my heart I had seen it first
| when n dear friend had persuaded me
| TO give myself u short rest to recruit mt
his country home, the health which my
mduous duties had impaired, ! went
promising TO remain month, if moth
inc urgent recalled me found an
ideal home, such rs one reads of in
books, situated in spot nature must
have created with n smile upon her
face
The hostess, n gentle, gray-haired
lady, made me cordially welcome "a
| friend of her sons was rs her own,"
she said There was another inmate
of my friends home his youngcousin.
A gay, radiant creature, with mu-
sic as of ripping brookIets in her mer-
~ voice, and face full of fun and
| laughter, but without Il particle of earn
estncss underlying its varied express
sions. could see she shrank from me
at our first meeting, and ! learned the
reason. | was a cripple, and she was
one TO whose cXubcrant health, and
bcauty-loying nature, any deIormity or
weakness gave sensation almost Of re-
pusOn. But as we grew better ac-
quanted, as the passing days opened
out to us each Others characters, her
manner towards me changed. Though
she suspected it not, the change was
dangerous one to me. had thought
her incapable of any seriousness of
feeling; now found my mistake. |
had thought her specifically fair but |
soon came TO find beauty in her girlish
face, surprising that of any other had
ever seen.
The time flew by until the day came
on which had decided to 90, and it
was well that il was so; for knew then
that, almost unconsciously, an allah
sorbing love had been growing up in
my heart for the beautiful Girl who was
no more fitting mate for one like me,
than dainty humming-brd would be
for a grim, sombre raven.
Not for such as she was work-dav
life like minc-even had | not been as
was-diilercnt from my felows-a
cripple,
So | went away, thanking my kind
entertainers and binding with cords of
iron my heart which throbbcd like
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 mercsl com.
monplaces.
TO return to where broke away into
"reminiscences
AS stood watching her, she turned
and came towards me. was not mis-
enough graycr and paler than
of old, before me stood she who was al
ways in my thoughts. So | addressed
her now.
Miss Carleton, how can it be posi-
BILE that you are here, risking your life
in this fevered atmosphore?n
She gave me her hand quietly, as il
it had been but yesterday that we
parted
II have been in the midst of the
worst of it, she said, "for | came to
D" (naming a town few miles
Distant -"sx months ago. There |
have been since, until yesterday. was
sent here to take the place of Il nurse
who has been taken sick
But your aunt, where is she?'
asked, land my friend your cousin?
| have had no word from him for long
| time
An expression of sadness cloudcd her
face.
did YOU not know" she exclaimed
"that both my dear aunt and my noble
young cousin all had in the worldto
love and he loved by--were taken from
me within one short month? Oh, il
was hard! was almost beside myself
with grief, Then read Of the suffer
ing here, and the need Of nurses, |
was alone in the world no circle would
be broken by my loss and thought,
perhaps, in hard work could be able
to drown my sorrows. SO came"
As she spoke gazod with amaze
mcnt ut the brave woman before me
Qor, though young in years, girl she
could be called no longcr),
"The first month took the fever
she continued "but my perfect health
brought me through quickly"
Truly the ways Of Providence are
mysterious How little ever thought
that should meet Vera Carleton in
such n manner and place.
After that saw her daily; saw her
knccling in prayer by the dying, or