Weekly Chillicothe crisis. (Chillicothe, Livingston Co., Mo.) 1878-19??, 1881-03-17

There is Il lull in the stom-fOr at
least three days | have not been called
to any new cases, and at last | think |
may safely say that the cloud is lifted
which for the last few months has lain
so heavily upon the people of this i'll
fated South.
write hopefully, and well may;
for, together with the joy of kno ing
that the woe about me is abating. ITO
my own life has dawncd an Overwlu H.
ing and entirely unlocked for radi g,
| will tell how it has come about.
As one morning, a month ago, in ."
of the hospital wards, bending oN,rr
patient, | saw new nurse.
| watched her a moment unacrn,
when suddenly, as she slightly turned
her head, | recognized one whom lI,.h
not seen for five years. Notwith
standing the stiff regulation dress and
the close cap which confined the hair
i knew her-for was it not a face
which the more had tried to forget,
the more ii had remained engraved on
the inmost tablets of my heart. | had
seen it first when Il dear friend had
persuaded me TO give myself Il short
rest to recruit at his country home the
health which my arduOus duties had
impaired. | went, promising TO re-
main n month if nothing urgent recalled
me- found an ideal home, such as
one reads of in hooks. situated in Il
spot nature must have created with a
smile upon her face
The hostess, gentle, gray haired
lady, made cordially welcome "a friend
Of her sons was as her Own," she said.
There was another inmate of my
friends home his young cousin.
a gay, radiant creature, with mt
sic as of ripping brooklets in her mcr-
ry voice, and face full Of fun and
laughter, but without Il particle of
earnestncsS underlying its varied eX-
preSsions. | could see she shank from
me at our first meeting, and | soon
learned the reason. was a cripple,
and she was one to whose eXubcrant
health and beauty-lOving nature any
deformity or weakness gave Il sensation
almost of rcpulsiOn. But as we grew
better acquainted, as the passing days
opened out to MS each others charaC-
ter, her manner toward me changed.
| Though she suspected it not, the
change was dangerous one to me. |
had thought her incapable of any Sc
robustness Of feeling; now | found my
mistake. had thought her superb
cially fair, but | soon came to find
beauty in her girlsh face surprising
that of any other had ever seen.
The time flew by until the day came
OH which | had decided to go, and it
was well that it was 50, for knew
then that almost uncOnsciOuSlv an all
absorbing love had been growing up
in my heart for the beautiful girl who
was no more a fitting mate for one like
me than Il dainty humming-bird would
be for Il 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
Il cripple.
So | 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 where broke away in
to "reminiscences.
AS stood watching her, she turned
and came toward me. | was not mis-
taken though graver and paler than
of old, before me stood she whom John
had playfully christened Midget
but who was always in my thoughts
Margaret. So | address her now:
Miss Margaret, how can it he pos
sible that you are here, risking youl
, life in this fevered atmospheric"
She gave me her hand quietly, as il
it had been but yesterday that VT
parted.
81 have been in the midst of tht
worst of it, she said; "for came t
D" maming a city IL few mile
distanD-six months ago. There
) have been since, until yesterday. wa
) sent here to take the place of Il nurs
who has been taken sick"
= "But your aunt, where is sheg"
asked; "and my friend, your cousin?
- have had no word from him for lOnI
@ time"
J, An expression of sadness cloude,
t her face
"Did you not know" she exclaimed
: that both my dear aunt and my nobl
4; young cousn-all had in the wOrl
{ to love and be loved by-were take
from me within one short month? OIL
d it was hard! | was almost beside my
t self with grief. Then l read of tn
t suffering in the south and the need O
nurses. l was alone in the world-n
circle would be broken by my loss
y and | thought that perhaps in har
J. work | could be able to drown my sol
f rows. So | came"
o As she spoke l gazed with amaze
II ment at the brave woman before mt
d for though young in years, "girl' sh
G could be called no longer)
f "The first month | took the fever,
l. she continued, "but my perfect healt
+ brought me through quickly"
o Truly the ways of Providence al
II mysterious! Howlittle | ever though
n that should meet Margaret Hope /
IS such amanner and such place.
e After that / saw her daily; saw he
It kneeling in prayer by the dying, c
l Willing away the weary hours of col
q valescence by her beautiful, cheer
n presence,
l., A month passed. It was coolt
.e weather now, and the fever was at a
= end, The time had come when N
9, services were no longer indispensab