The Cheyenne daily leader. [volume] (Cheyenne, Wyo.) 1870-1884, 1881-08-09


time that night 10 see Els patient.
None" be sid.
aAnd you can do nothing7n
Nothing; we must leave nature
slone. Stay, open the window Q lit
tie the air cannot harm him."
She did as he babe.
Ii Was q soft warm night, and the
sweet-scented air from without filed
the room. There was no moon. The
heavens were studded with stars, and
their mild light shone down upon the
earth. There seemed more pity in
this scene than in the one she had be-
held that morn. This time she did
not turn away. Some of its peace
seemed to sink into the wife's break
Ing heart, and led her thoughts wan
dering into the past. She thought Of
her young love for the man who now
lay stricken and helpless, of the few
years of happiness she had spentat his
side and then she could pursue the
vein no further.
"Surely, surely" she cried in heart
anguish, ..joy does o die so soon!'
She turned her mind away from the
all-engrossing topic, and let her ideas
wander dreamily her long-continued
watches had tired her mentally aud
bodily. She knew not why, or where
fore, except, perchance, that Efie's
question had recalled the old story
with new vividness, but her thoughts
ran on about that bird Of health
Should he descend this night, whom
OF those that lay i'll on earth would
he elect 10 benefit? For in this vas;
world of sorrow and sick, how many
lay stricken besides her husband?
The darlings Of other hearts might be
dying. How, then, would the bird
choose between them? How tell
which life was needful still on earth
which meet for heaven?
And still the sick man lay notion
less.
As the young wife sat thus, lost in
deep revcrie the hours wore on. AT
last she was reused by o sound from
without as the rushing of mighty
wings. 1t came nearer, even nearer
It seemed to approach where she sat.
1T 10 death who comes thus, 'twixt
cleaning and dawn to seek his prize
thought the wife, and her heart turned
faint and sick.
Still the rushing continued ; 1t came
closer, closer. She listened breath
less and awe-stricken. Suddenly a
huge bird few in through the open
window ; ~unheeLing her, he winged
straight toward the bed, and there
alighted and rested himself from his
fight. His micn was lordly, as of ali
eagle; his pluniage, white as a swans /;
his movements, gentle as . doves. Ii
was the bird Caradrion-
The wife sat on in awed silence she
dared not speak or move. But hope
began to beat ace more in her heart ;
she laid her hand upon it to quiet its
beating 4; it pulsed SO loudly she feared
lest the sound might scare the bird
Immovable her eyes were fixed upon
him as he bowed his long slender neck
toward the sufferer, and laid his broad
beak upon the sick mans lips. For
several seconds Of breathless anxiety
to the watcher it rested there, as tho
bird drew forth the sore ailmcnt unto
himself. That ended, he once moro
flew away. On, on, with the Same
rushing sound wherewith he had
come; on, on, till 1t grew fainter as no
flew further from earth. The wife saw
him mount higher and higher as no
darted heavenward.
She could not q to follow his
flight; her eyes were spell-bound on
his departing form; for, a. yet, the
cure was not wholly, wrought, she
knew; and who could say that il
might not fail even now? So she con-
tinued gazing, and Is abe looked tho
stars Light grew fainter, then faded
quite.
A rosy simmer suffused the East /:
at last, in fiery splcndor, uprose the sun
from behind . bank OF gorgeous tint
ed clouda He had returned yet again
from his nightly slumber in the bo-
Som of Paradise. And still the bird
was flying on, till his form grew .
nero speck in the distance; he had
neared the sun, and darted within its
flaming circle. Then ahe who Watched
10 eagerly could see no moro; the
glare was too fierce for mortal eyes;
they might penetrate no further. But
she knew that Caradrion had taken
away her loved ones sickness, that he
was purifying himself anew In the
eternal light, that her husband was
"My darling" called a low voice,
"where are your" They were the first
words the sufferer had spoken for
many a day, and fell like music on
the wife's ear. She hurried towards
the bed and fell on her knees beside it,
bathed in tears. He laid his worn,
wasted hand tenderly upon her head.
81 feel better than for weeks past
only weak, very weak. Do not weep,
love. Let me be carried into the gar
den, in the sweet fresh air, among the
flowers. shall soon row
strong"
ain q few hours" she said, "when the
sun has risen quite, and the dews are
gone. Rest till them"
Later In the day they placed him ON
the grass, swathed in warm rugs and
propped with pillows. And there he
lay, day by day, delighting in the air
and golden sunshine, in the flowers
and song of birds. As he grew strong
er, they let his children coine to him.
Ellie threw her arms around her IA
theirs neck when she saw him for the
first time. -
81 have a secret to tell you, papa"
she Whispered. "You must not tell
nurse she says it is nonsense. l have
told mamma, and she only cried"
"Well, what is the secret, little
oney" asked the father, gayly.
IL prayed Caradrion might come to
make you well, and l feel sure that he
did, for you are better since that
night. Did he come? Tell me, papa
dear"
The father kissed the sweet face and