South Branch intelligencer. [volume] (Romney, Va. [W. Va.]) 1830-1896, 1881-09-23
The Strange Providence.

OF womanhood, and at q time when n
thousand of the tenderest ties were
binding her to earth. What strange,
sad, mysterious providence!'
Strange and sad enough was the
sober response. 'Ah, me! the ways
OF Him who stitch among clouds and
shadows are dark and impenetrable.
She was thoughtful, loving mother
None could have been more So
answered the first speaker.
Aud her little ones need her care
ow,perhaps more than they will ever
need it again. Tender, innocent
lambs! the chilling wind will blow too
roughly upon Them
An, me! 1t is strangei very stranger
added the other. Il cannot compre-
bend it. Why should God remove
truc-hearted mother from the guardi-
anship of her children?'
'Often and often | have asked my.
sell that question; but there has come
no satisfactory answer
But while these friends of the de-
parted one are vainly striving to penc-
trate this mysterious providence, let
us glance back little and see if some
incidents in her life will not throw
light upon the subject.
1t was an evening in early spring.
The day was warm for the season; so
warm that the lingering fire of the
departed winter oppressed TIE atmos.
phere and the windows and doors were
IN consequence thrown open to admit
the tresher air without.
II WAS early in the evening. and
Mrs. Carlton, Il bride of few weeks
had seated herself at an open window,
with her neck and part of her bosom
barred to tue ln-passing air, that came
III cool, and loaded with vapor.
why, Clara!' exclaimed Mr.. Carl
ton on entering the room and seeing
the exposed position of his thought-
less young wife. How imprudent
You arer And he came forward
quickly to close the window.
'Oh. don't shut it down-don't in
terposed Clara. The air is so refresh
ing
There was slight husllincss in her
voice rs she spoke, which was percciv-
ed by her husband, who, without hes
itating, closed the windows, remark
ing rs he did so: 1T is wrong to eX-
pose yourself in this way, Clara, YOU
might take 4 cold that would cost you
your life.
Mr.. Carlton spoke seriously, and he
felt rs he spoke.
20, dear, no. lightly returned the
young bride. Pm not SO tender as
that. Fresh air will never kill me-
No, not dry, fresh mir blowing up
on your hands and face. Bat tl.is
evening mir is loaded with vapor, aud
You have thrown your handkerchief
from your neck. Already can 1cr-
ccivo that you have taken cold
But Mrs. Carlton made light of her
husbands concern, and sooE after
went and stood in the door without
protecting her neck and bosom with
IL shawl or handkerchief. Tho
consequences were such as might have
been naturally expected. On the
next morning she had cough, with
slight fcbrile symptoms, and a pain
and soreness i'll her breast. Her form
being slight, her chest somewhat mar
row, and her constitution by no
means robust, the effects of the cold
were more painfully marked than is
ordinarily the case in such form ofin-
disposition. Several weeks passed be-
fore she recovered from its effects: or.
we might say, from its apparent eff
tects the seeds OF the disease, which
had been sown i'll her system re,
NAMED.
a few weeks later, at large party
| given to Mrs. Carlton by friend, rs
a bridal party, she danced till nearly
two O'Clock, notwithstanding q slight
indisposition which had manifested
itself early on the previous day. More.
over, she ate several times of rich
cake and other indigestible things.
drank wine aud to add the last pound
to the camel back, took freely of oys-
tiers and coffee at the close Of tie
party.
On the morning following, I'm at
tempting TO rise about ten o'clock. she
felt u sharp pain through her left tenn
pie. Soon followed an attack of dim
sightcdncss, accompanied by a sense
OF numbness in her tongue, and along
one OF her arms Faiutness and dead
/ ~ sickness succeeded, aud Mrs. Carl.
ton threw herself back OF her pillow
F. with a groau.
For hours she suffered from this
sickness, which was accompanied by q
most distressing pain through her left
eye, that went deeply boring into
her temple. When ut length, under
the active treatment of a physician
which active treatment was added TO
the exhausting effects Of the sickness
tue violence OF the attack abated.
Mrs. Carlton was in q low, weak ner.
vous state, from which she did not re-.