Vermont phÅ“nix. [volume] (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1834-1955, 1881-03-18
NO. IL.

and fell upon sofa. The waiter sprinkled
his face with cold water, and forced him to
drink some. Then, when the unhappy man
had come to himself, the waiter begged him.
once more, not TO betray him. and went soft
ly away.
Several days after this the Colonel went
back to Montpelier, but only 10 prepare for
removing TO Paris. Soon after, he took up
his abode in a remote quarter of the city, in
the neighborhood Of the cemetery where lis
son was buried. He lived there for a year
silent, melancholy man then he began to
! pine away, and after a few weeks he took to
| his bed. He had made no acquaintances in
| Paris nobody looked him up to take care of
him. The doctor whom he had called in rec
commended him to engage Sister Of Charity
as nurse. The Colonel assented to every
thing. The nurse came and left his side
neither night nor day. She was q strong
young woman, with a very smooth, calm face.
like milk and blood, face of which one said.
on seeing it the first time, ct is the Acc Of
pure and cleanly person." and Of which, af-
ter regarding attentively, one found not much
more 10 say. She nursed the lonesome. helm.
less, old man carefully, faithfully, un-
tirngly, without sel6shness, without con,
cern, without hope, as for years she had
nursed hundreds Of sick and dying.
He is growing weaker and weaker" she
informed the doctor, when he came on a vis-
it one morning at the usual hour. ''He rec
ognizes me no longer"
The doctor stepped to the sick-bed. The
Colonel lay with half-closed eyes, breathing
gently. The doctor felt his pulse, his fore-
head, his heart and then said, while he slow
ly drew on his gloves:
81 hardly think that he will outlive the day.
l shall call again tonight. You may continue
to give the medicine which prescribed yes
terday."
The sister nodded, and after the doctor had
gone, took up piece of needlework with
which she was accustomed TO employ herself
when the patient did not need her services
The day passed away quietly. No noticea-
BILE change in the condition of the dying man.
1t grew dark. The sister stepped out Of the
still room on tiptoe, to light a lamp. She
had left the door open. When she was in
the kitchen she heard the sick man speak.
She hastened to his side. He had risen up
in bed. His features, which she could see
but dimly in the dusk, appeared to her TO
have grown younger. The eyes, which had
been half shut through the day, were open
wide. They looked peaceful, friendly. The
indescribably beautiful smile, with which so
many tired ones greet rest promising death,
glorified his face
ut is growing dark, =" he whispered wait
for me-we will go home together"
He sank back upon the pillow. His breath
ing grew lighter and Hhortsr-ever lighter,
ever shorter-at last ceased
The sister stood for several minutes entire
ly motionless then she left the room, and
soon returned with the lighted lamp. She
held it above the head of the dead man, SO
that the shade threw the clear light full upon
the still face. She regarded 1t long without
the least emotion, without tenderness, with
out pain. turned noiselessly away, placed the
lamp upon the table, approached the bed
again, and closed the eyes Of the departed
In the same methodical way she smoothed
the pillow and laid the calm head gently end
carefully upon it; then she drew the sheets
up beneath the chin of the dead man, and
laid q wooden crucifix in the cold hands, af-
ter she had folded them above the
spread; then she lit two candles and placed
one at the head and one at the feet Of the
corpse at last she took a flask that stood on
the commode, and poured the holy water
which it held into a saucer, which she had
had standing ready on a chair beside the bed.
As she did all this without hurry, without
hesitation, she looked rehectively about in
the room, as If to make sure that she had for
gotten nothing. Her careful, quiet look
scanned with the same Indifferent seriousness
the corpse, the candles, the cross, the saucer
with the holy water; and when she had con-
vinced herself that nothing was lacking, that
everything was in good order, she drew
small, black book out of her pocket, opened
ii with certain hand at q place well known
to her, knelt, made the sign of the cross,
and with half-loud voice began to say the
prayers for the dead.