Daily globe., 1881-06-05

appearing with a telegraphie mes
sage in her hand. Men in business
regard kilograms as quite ordinary
methods of communication, and suf-
fer from no unpleasant emotion on re-
ueiving one; but we women, who are
not accustomed to such rapid trans
mission Of general intelligence, gener-
ally experience a sinking of the heart
at the sight of the orange-hued envel-
opes.
I glance at the direction Mrs.
William Mitchell" Clearly it is in
tended for me. Iopened it with trem-
bling forebodings. 1t was from Will.
''I shall not be home tonight.
Mother is i'll Shall catch the express
to W. Will write further par
ticulars."
And / shall not see him tonight,
nor tomorrow, and most likely not the
next day either. 1 cry in earnest now.
By the last post next day have q let
ter. With what impatience tear it
open and run my eyes over the preci-
Gus lines!
His mother is i'll very ill--and the
illness is smallpox. "Of course" ne
says, q shall not leave her till she is
out of danger. I will write to you
every day. l left all in order at the
office, and have sent Simmons paper
of directions" He goes on to beg
of me on no account to think Of going
to him, concluces that he is my affec-
tionate husband, and finally adds a
last eXhortation to await at home his
daily bulletins.
Whatever my fears and quailings
pay be, illness does not frighten me.
Ordinary maladies have no terrors
at all for me, and / am not even
afraid of infectious fevers; but /
must own to a decided dread of small
pox. It is so unsightly and loathesome
a disease. Still, whatever risks my
husband runs, these risks must be
mine also. l will share danger as
well as safety with him. He is quite
right in his determination to remain
with his mother. She is widow and
he is her only child therefore duty
and love both demand his presence at
her bedside. And duty and love show
me that my place is there also. I
acted in opposition TO his wishes be-
fore when pleasure was concerned. I
have certainly resolution enough to
repeat the offense for so very differ
ent an object.
get Bradshaw and puzzle out
my route, when to start and where to
change; it becomes clearer to me,
after a tremendous amount of consid-
Grafton, that, if I leave the station at
midday I shall reach Yearly in
the evening. This point settled, /
feel more at ease, and retire to rest in
sweet anticipation Of soon meeting
VIII again.
On the following day set my house
in order for an absence of an indefn-
|. ite length, and then start on my jour-
ney northward. I have the railway
carriage to myself most of the jour
ney. An old gentleman who shares
it with me for part of the way, man.
ages, during the forty minutes he is
my fellow traveller, to comment upon
a variety Of subjects. l reply to him
in mOnosyllables, having no inclina-
tiOn for conversation; but my feeble
smiles fail to arrest his garrulity. He
talks on and on, deserting one topic
only to commence another till the
train stopped at junction and I am
relieved Of his company.
Wis small place, pretty enough
in the summer but indescribably dull
in the winter. Mrs. Mitchell's hus.
band practiced there as doctor, and
since his death she has remained on
in her old house, being attached to it
because of it's associations with her
married life. When l alight at the
station and have given the porter in
strUcti0nS as to the conveyance of my
luggage, I ask him if he has heard
lately how Mrs. Mitchellis.
Very bad, ma'am," is his reply,
and I turn away with sad heart.
My mother-in-law has not shown
herself particularly fond of me; she
has been rather hard upon my youth
and ineXperience as housekeeper.
But then it must be a terrible trial for
a mother to find herself relegated to
the second place in the affections of
the son whom she almost idoliZed; and
Mrs. Mitchell is good woman, / am
convinced, really thoroughly good
woman, and above all she is Wills
mother. and what troubles him grieves
me also.
Ivy Lodge is a low, white house,
with veranda extending round two
sides and a great deal of ivy climbing
about it. / glance at the windows.
They are raised. and the curtains are
futtering in the breeze; but, thank
heaven, the blinds are not drawn. The
maid who opens the door for me has
been in Mrs. Mitchell's service for
many years. She lifts up her hands
with an ejaculation of astonishment.
Mercy on US! What will Mister
Will say 2,
"Hush How is she!''
"Just as bad as she can be- returns
Charlotte, raising her apron to her
eyes.
''Does not the doctor give any
hope q
Hardly any, ma am. Mister Will
he has had two and has sent for a
third
"Well, I will take off my things
first, and then will go to my husband.
And Charlotte, will you get me some
tea! l am parcned with thirst