Morris tribune. [volume] (Morris, Minn.) 1880-2000, 1882-06-01

VI lIit snip. 1uSy Oittu Ltu " IduoS
and pick their way among the groups OF
deck Iii every conceivable position. Some
ofthem stared at the we'll dressed gen
tleman with the troubled face, and some
of them began question to the doctor,
but the two kept on without word.
Past the kitchen, with it's its steamy,
vegetable odors, past the engine room,
with its never resting, polished steel
bars vibrating up and down, back
and forth. At each of these places
the doctor asked q single question
of the men in charge, and then
went on. Not nook nor COR
ner, not a ragged, woful group of women
and children escaped the anxious search
ing glance of the fathers eye. The walk
was repeated on the other side of the
ship, but without result. AS they passed
one door, Il sickening, sulphury odor
crept out, and q few curls of smoke.
They're preparing for the fumiga-
ton" explained the doctor, keenly
watching his companions face, 81
thought we'd best do it to satisfy the au-
thorities."
Then they went straight to the head of
the stairs that led to the dark, ELEVENTH
ated steerage. There the doctor paused
and checked Mr.. Raymond with his
hand.
81 wouldn't so down there" he said,
lightly; its rather disagreeable place,
" Hark!" he said. And Mr.. Raymond
listened.
Family, sweetly, came girlish voice
up out of the darkness. Some one was
singing. All, if the roar of the wind and
dull breaking of waters against the bows
would but stop for one little moment.
Hark-they could hear the words now:
Jesus, lover ofmy soul"
The doctor glanced again at Mr.. Ray
mond's face. 1t was blanched white as
the foam on the wave tops that could be
seen over the bulwarks as the ship rolled.
doctor, he said, ''let me pass. That
is my little girl, singing"
SO, never mind, said the doctor, still
holding his arm across the companion
way; "I'll 60 down and get her up"
Doctor, why won't you let me-you
The surgeon glanced over his shoulder
and saw that they were alone. Then he
looked the other full in the eye and
said. slowly:
"Because lt-is-smallpox."
'Then for Gods sake, let me go by!
Stand aside, say, or I'llknock you down
and pass over you" For the tall, why
young doctor had placed himself before
him, and was directly blocking the
way,
if you try l will have you put in irons. l
will 90 down and bring your daughter
up. She shall occupy my stateroom for
the rest of the voyage. If her mother
chooses to share it with her and keep
; way from you until we land, she may
do SO. You can not see her, and after
ward 60 back among the passengers
While the pillows near me roll.
tired tremble in them, rose above the
sound of the waters. Mr.. RAYMOND Gov
cred his face with his hands for mo-
II ent, then turned away.
Her mother will come" he said.
The doctor quickly descended the
stairs. The steerage was divided by
rough partitions into small compartments
around the sides of the open space in
the center, where were the dining tables
| made of pine boards, once clean and
| fresh, but now stained to dingy brown.
In each compartment were six berths,
three on side, one over the other
These berths were filed with various
untidy heaps of bed-clothing, as their
occupants had hurriedly left them in
| the morning, and the air of the whole
place was foul and sitting. In the fur
| thest corner, on the edge Of one of the
| wide berths, sal Sue, her pretty. brown
steamer hood thrown back on her shoul
ders, holding the sick child in her lap,
bending over it, and rocking it to and
fro as she sung
Pm glad you've come, DOCTOR" she
said simply. Il was getting tired. Have
YOU found anybody to take care of this
little girl? Because if you haven't l an
going to stay with her tonight"
"Do you know what is the matter with
herr"
eyes, sir; one of the steerage passen
gers told me. There, there, baby
and the little woman began again to sin:
to the child, who was turning restlessl,
in her arms.
will not say what made the DOCTOR
| eyes shine just then. Inever saw doc
tor cry, although l suppose they d.
sometimes, like other people. At an,
rate he turned his head away sharply
and didn't say anything for half min
ute; then he told Sue he would see if tn,
Hospital was all ready, and would b,
back presently. In three minutes, h
thought.
| Those minutes seemed very long t
Sue. Her arms ached, and her throa
was tired with singing and talking An,
the sick child, being dressed in clothe
by no means clean or dainty at the be
ginning of the voyage, and still less now
was not so pleasant to hold as the babe
Sue had loved to tend at home.
| "But He took them in His arms" sh,
thought YEARLY; "and Palestine babe
were no nicer than steerage babies,
guess" Then came thoughts Q
what might happen next. :Woul,
she, too, be sick of that terrible disease
Would it be for long time? Would sh
die?
''There was no more sea-" she went on
to herself, as the ship lurched heavil
before the freshening breeze. THAT
good to think of. Only there wont b
any sunsets. Oh, if He would only com
walking on the water, and make thos
great waves stop, and-and-put out Hi
hand, and-cure-"
Sue felt a great lump in her throat
She heard the doctors step on the stairs
| Her head reeled with the long confine
ment and the foul air she had breathec
She laid the baby gently on the bed, an,
the next face she saw was her mothers
She was in a funny littl
stateroom, which had, besid
the furnishings of her owl
4 room, a cosy shelf of books, q comforts
| BILE easy chair, and several small, bu
brilliant, prints OH the wall. The re-
unset light Just struck through the win
dow, snd rested warmly on the prett
white coverlet.
She feltto weak and tired to talk-tha
is, by words. But dear me deaf an,
dumb people are not the only ones VIII
talk with their fingers. Sue gave littl
squeeze to her mothers hand, and sup
pose it would take something like half,
page for me to write out what she sal,
| by it. And her mother answered he
another half page, in the same way. On
ly she did more. She said:
I '"The baby is better, Sue. She is com
fortably put to bed in the little ship
hospital, and papa has found good-na
tured Scotch girl to take care Of hel
The doctor says my little daughters nurs
ing, this afternoon, saved his life"
II Il IL L Il l.