Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1884-04-10
An Original Sturg.
Written for the Yorkville Enquirer.
EIGHTEEN YEARS..
CHAPTER VII.
Is IL a spirit that I see before me?

CHAPTER VII.
Is it spirit that see before me?
Winter passed away, and spring with its
buds and verdant foliage, its singing birds
and running streams, came once more TO
gladden. longing eyes.
The household at Warner Grove was re-
duced to still smaller number than before,
Kate having suddenly married in Febru-
ary, and gone to live at her husbands home.
Marion felt very lonely. Her uncle's health,
50 far from improving, had grown worse,
more enfeebled and Jessie, though she did
her best, was poor hand at housekeeping,
and required constant supervision, while on
the other hand, the Judge was never salts
fed to have her out of his sight, so that her
duties were sometimes almost too much for
her. She looked back with wonder on the
time when she had been light-hearted and
gay, with only her own wishes TO consult,
and plenty of leisure at her disposal. Her
life now was so different, she could scarcely
realize that she was the careless girl OF a
twelvemonth past. There had been losses,
too, in the neighborhood. More than one
family intimately known to her had been
bereaved of son or brother in recent battles,
and the evils of war seemed brought very
near.
She had to give some directions to one OF
the servants, quite late one evening, leaving
Jessie in the Judges room to attend to his
wants during her absence, and had not been
gone more than ten minutes when her cou-
sin came flying after her.
"Oh Marion, quick, quick! Papa has an
lieve he is dying" q,
"Send James instantly for the DOCTOR"
said Marion, and with swift steps she sought
her uncle's room. The poor old gentleman
had fallen over to one side of his bed. His
limbs were rigid, and his face distorted.
Marion, too, believed him to be dying; but
this attack, like the first, gradually passed
off with the difference, that it left him quite
childish, without memory or understand
ing. The doctor gave no hope of farther
Improvement, though he might remain
many months in this condition.
A pitaible condition, indeed; one to which
death might certainly be considered prefer
able. So Marion thought many. times, as
with a wrung heart and fearful eyes she
watched his unmeaning countenance, and
tried to understand his broken, disconnect-
ed speech. She ministered to him with the
tenderness of mother to an i'll child, try
ing as far as possible to make him comfort
able. 1t was fortunate that he suffered little
pain and was not at all conscious of his con-
dition. But the responsibility laid upon her
She lost her color and her appetite, and her
face grew thin and worn.
"This will never do" said Dr. Carey at
last. ''You are not fit to have the charge
of your uncle in his present state; you will
surely break down."
i'Oh no, Doctor; am stronger than you
think" said Marion with wan smile.
'Pooh! I know all about your strength:
1t can stand a reasonable pressure, but not
such an uncommon one as this. 1t would
not worry your uncle now TO nave pro-
fessional nurse"
"Indeed it would" replied Marion, ear
nestly. ''He would know the difference
Immediately. He misses me when l leave
him even a little WHILE"
"Well, my dear, you will leave him al
together if you dou't spare yourself some
what, is all have to say. If you don't
exactly kill yourself though that would
not surprise me-you will get laid on the
shelf, and be be utterly useless for good
while. Do you ever go out in the fresh
air?"
'Sometimes," replied Marion.
"She goes on the piazza for about tlVe
minutes in the morning, or late at night
when Papa is asleep" interrupted Jessie,
who stood by. 'That is all the fresh air
II thought So" said the Doctor. "Now
I tell YOU what, Miss Marion, this won't do.
You must either follow my advice, or l
shall take my patient entirely out of your
hands. I won't consider you any longer tit
to have charge of him. 1 positively insist
on your being out Of doors for at least an
hour, regularly every day. You must either
take walking or riding exercise, to get your
blood in proper circulation. Why, you are
the color of turnip! Even your lips are
white, and you have rings as big as saucers
around your eyes. Isn't that true, Miss
Jessie?"
EYES," said Jessie, who could not forbear
laughing.
every we'll you see what I say is cor
rect. Now do you promise to oblige me,
young lady? | require your solemn word"
"Ofcourse, if you say must" was Mari
on's reluctant reply.
"Of course you will; you are a sensible
girl. Mind, I trust you implicitly, for l
have never known you to deceive any body
yet; and in one week I'll engage that you
find yourself much stronger, and eat your
food with relish. Goodbye, and he sure
you begin tomorrow"
Irksome as Marion found it to follow this
advice of the doctors, when it seemed that
she could so i'll afford herself whole hour
of idleness each day, she soon became aware
of the benefit she derived from it; and, to
HGI TCllcl, liSl uuClC ull ilOl SuHcl HULL llCl
absence as much as she had feared.
Her favorite horse, Seneca, was now the
only one remaining in the Grove stables,
her uncle having insisted on her keeping
him when the other animals had been sent
into public service. Mounted on his back,
she found melancholy pleasure in revisit
ing her old haunts, especially those which
she and Carroll had often sought in company.
Returning from one of these solitary ram
bles, she perceived, as she approached the
gate, man slowly walking before her in
the same direction. 1t was no unusual mat
ter for weary soldiers to stop at the house to
ask for meal or drink of water, and sup
posing this one to be bent on such All errand,
She rode forward more quickly, so as to over
take him. At the sound of the horses foot
steps he moved aside, and turning, stood
still.
Marion uttered smothered cry-the bri-
die rein dropped from her hand. Was it a
ghost she saw, wearing the form and face of
CroyS