Sacramento daily record-union. [volume] (Sacramento [Calif.]) 1875-1891, 1881-12-24

good doctor, you've had all your trouble
in vain / cannot, must not live. There's
nothing in this world for me. / shall be
SO much better dead-you don't know how
much better, doctor"
What folly for girl like you to talk
so! Why should you die: You've hardly
begun to live."
'sBut I've committed the sin the world
does not forgive. ("
IS Never mind the world What we
call the world is the. sum of all selishness,
meanness and baseness. 1t has so many
fresh sins of its own to commit that it is
unwilling to waste any time in forgiveness.
Youi haven't done any worse, Christina,
than thousands of women who hold their
heads among the highest; in fact, you
haven't been half so bad as most Of them. y
I" You can not think so, DOCTOR
"Think SO? I know so. You, poor
girl, have simply been UNANIMOUSLY deceived
and betrayed. The world you speak Of
would cast you out; would trample on you;
would strike down your hands when lifted
for mercy. But the same world would &C
cept your betrayer would fiatter him /;
would honor him and honor him none the
less, if it believed him even worse than
he is"
'.That is, alas, the way of the world,
DOCTOR"
cit is, Christina. One could pardon
something in the world, if it were not SO
cowardly. 1t might be fendish if it
would be impartial. If, while it con-
demned and prosecuted you, being poor
and friendless, it would condemn, under the
same circumstances, a woman who was rich
and influential, might have some regard
for its savage justice. But it would fawn
on the rich woman, and would, after fawn-
ing seek to regain its self-respect by treat
ing the poor woman with increased ferocity.
He who hates such world is lover of
his kind. Miaanthropy is sometimes the
proof of virtue"
':Such world, doctor? Is there any
other world? There can not be two worlds
in one."
"Thank Nature, there can be, Christina,
and there are. There is a little world in
the big world, and The little world morally
outweighs the other. The best men aud
women belong to it, and make the big
world endurable. Except for this little
world, mankind ought to become extinct,
through universal suicide, from self-dis.
gust
"And you, my dear doctor, are mem
Der of the little world"
II am nothing, Christina, but plain
Charles Archer, and at your entire service.
But I must not talk to you any more, nor
must l let you talk to me. Try to compose
yourself 1 will stay here for several hours
to be absolutely sure of your recovery but
l will go into another room and wait"
"You are very kind, doctor; but you
would not want me to recover if you knew
how 1 feel. Please let me die, and be at
rest. When you are gone, I shall, am
sure, find some other method to destroy
myself"
"Yeu must not think of it, Christina.
If you believe you owe me any gratitude,
which you really do not, show it to me by
living viii you promise me?"
"You forget, doctor, that I am poor,
lone, ruined girl -motherless, fatherless,
friendless. You do not know what it is
for one like me to face the big, hard,
sefsh world you have spoken of, and earn
my bitter bread with its permission.
You're man, strong, rich, influential. l
am a betrayed, deserted woman, lacking
everything that woman needs-everything
that can reconcile her to existence.
"Perhaps do not understand the diff
ference, my poor child /; we men are gen.
orally stupid. But you must not say you
are ruined, for you are not; you have a
future. Nor must you say you are friend
less. l repeat that l am your friend, and
l do not use the word lightly"
But when you are gone-and you will
go like all blessings-I shall be all alone
again. Then you will give me permission
to die +; won't you, doctor ?"
Permission, my child? l do not own
your life? You are in no sense bound to
me. I've done nothing but the commonest
duty"
" You have saved my life, and such as
it is, I owe it to you, while it lasts"
"Promise me then you will keep it,
Christina. Now I'll go into another room.
shall give you sedative which will, l
hope, quiet you. You may not see me
again tonight; but shall certainly cali
tomorrow"
Tomorrow, never p she murmured /;
tomorrow, neverl"
"What do you say"
" Nothing, nothing; was only think
ing"
"Not of that detestable villain, trust?"
.He is detestable villain. All my love
has gone; hate him. The man loved
and trusted was not Philip Royden."
"Try to sleep, my child. I'll go now. :"
Doctor, may may ="
"May you what, Christina: Speak out.
Do not be afraid nobody is afraid of me. +"
"May I, before you go, may may I
kiss your band?"
There was such plaintiveness in her voice
that Archer's eyes moistened as he pressed
her hand. Then he stopped and kissed
her forehead, and stepped away.
In the adjoining room he found Nora
waiting and half asleep. She once more
wanted to know if her dear mistress was
safe, and once more thanked God and the
Virgin, when assured Of the fact. Archer
talked for sometime with the warm hearted
servant about Philip Royden, Christina
and her circumstances left prescription,
and at the end of two hours, finding his
patient to be asleep, took his departure.
He thought much of Royden as he was
going home, and the conclusion was ire