The Delaware ledger. (Newark, Del.) 1879-19??, 1884-03-15

He paused before he red on.
"Sir-I have bad news to tell you.
Your wife Is dead. She caught the
smallpox somehow, and 1t proved
fatal. She was glad to die, because
the disease makes people very hideous
sometimes. and she knew you would
not lore her if she were ugly. She
said you said 80, and bade me tell you
how dear your love was to her until
the last.
"The nurse, MARTHA BLooMdREN."
An hour afterwards waiter found
Charlie lying senseless on the floor
beside his half-packed valise. 1t was
many weeks before he returned to his
desolate home. Then he found he
could not live there. The place seemed
haunted. His wife's dresses hung on
the wall, and he seemed to hear the
sound of her feet on the stairs, and
hear the door stir, and dozen times
lifted his head and looked towards it,
almost hoping she would come in. In
his place. Nellie would have gathered
up small trihes he had touched, and
kept them where she could weep over
them; and she would have sought bis
grave, and sat beside it for long hours,
but those pretty personal belongings
were the very things he dreaded to see.
And her gravel All, good Heaven, to
look at it and think that 1T covered
her. He did not even ask where it
was. There had been a postscript to
the letter, saying that all expenses
were paid. And the fact that she was
dead blotted out all minor things-all
save that terrible reminder of his idle
speech. That she thought of that
in dying, was very woeful to him. In
day or two he locked up the house,
which he owned, and accepted the
position of supercargo on an ocean
vessel. The sea, with Its troubled
waves, seemed better to him than solid
land; to roam, his best relief. All, we
take the heart with us wherever we go.
1t is not the land in which we live that
troubles us, but that hearts woeful
depths. Nor can sea or sky give us
comfort. An unhappy man would be
no less unhappy could he traverse
space, and visit all the stars, only we
do not think SO when grief stings us to
go somewhere. To be at a distance
from the scene of our great trial, is
always the longing of the unhappy.
Charles did not say much-he never
talked of his wife. But when the
vessel returned home, sick man lay in
one of its berths, tossing to and fro,
and muttering again and again a
woman's ''Nelle-Nelliel''
''He's been disappointed IN love-"
said the sterwardness, and cried over
him, and thought that had she been a
fair young lady, and he in love with
her, he never should have been disap-
pointed. When they reached London,
the delirium was over, but pale
skeleton was borne to the shore.
"Take him to Mrs. Boston's,'' the
captain had said. ''She's a kind
woman, and will do what she can for
him." and poor Mrs. Boston, who had
boarded more sea-captains and ships
officers generally than any one could
count IN a minute, opened her hos
pitable doors and gave the invalid her
best bedroom.
II don't mind sitting up at nights, II
she said; "and Nancy is a real &c cd
J girl, she'll help.'
Nancy was shy young woman,
with brown hair, short in the neck,
and her features were deeply SCARED.
She wore the plainest possible dress,
and never seemed to be happy; but
since she came to Mrs. Boston's door
and asked for work, she had been in.
valuable.
'Nancy Smith is a treasure,n said
: Mrs. Boston; "and only wish knew
what she cried about so much; only
can't ask questions no more than II
she was lady," Poor Nancy Smith,
She was no doubt nervous when she
had stood beside the young mans
pillow moment. She turned pale
and gave a little CRY.
He was in sort OF stupor, and die
not hear her; but Mrs. Boston said-"l
hope you amt overcome by the sight O.
! sickness"
And she answered at once, IN {
t frightened tone-"Oh, no. Pm al
3 excellent nurse. Do let me nurse him
, Mrs. Boston," And thus it came Il
pass that that night Nancy Smith sal
up with the invalid. He slept or wa
. insensible; even the doctor was moi
quite sure which, or that he might
ever open his eyes again. And wher
Mrs: Boston had gone to bed, and al
was still, that strange girl, Nancy
behaved most strangely. She Bnelt
e down by the bed, and kissed the pallit
hand that lay so gently upon the
;, counterpane, and whispered over ant
over again-"Oh, my darlingI oh, my
darlingp' Had Mrs. Boston seen her
she would surely have thought hel
mad. Silence lay on the city, and tn,
. light of the late risen moon fell whit
through the crevices of the shutters
: and the lace of the drawn curtains. A
= night lamp burnt in the room, ant
> showed a face that watched intensely
and motienless one with closed eyes
. The clock on the mantel licked slowly
At the appointed time medicine was Il
= = be given. 1t was dropped between lip
y that never resisted; and lay alwaysjus
!. a little apart. "He is dylngp' tn,
. watcher thought. ''He is dyingl'
u But towards dawn change came
. The head turned upon the pillow-th
v lips parted.