Juniata sentinel and Republican. [volume] (Mifflintown, Juniata County, Pa.) 1873-1955, 1884-05-28
hnt if Won wish it-u

| And SO i am half led, halt carried
along stone passages, up a flight of
stairs and deposited in a chamber where
a fire is burning brightly.
''This room was intended for another
patient, whom we expect this evening""
says Doctor Browne ''but L shall give
orders to have the next one prepared
for him."
l am soon in bed. Doctor Trail
comes to say good bye, promising to
see me soon and l am left alone. l cry
and laugh by turns, now overcome by
my exceeding loneliness, now struck by
something absurd about the whole al
| fair.
Tbs new patient arrives, and / won-
der vaguely who he is. l am restless,
miserable, feverish, and the Doctor or
ders me draught, whereupon L sleep
heavily and awake somewhat refreshed.
My case is very mild one, as l have
said, SO there is nothing for it but to lie
in bed and take fever diet-to lie till L
am weary of the wooden wainscotting,
the pale blue painted walls. To relieve
the monotony, begin to chatter to the
nurses; if one has any latent love of
gossip in ones nature-and what wo-
man has not ?-life In a hospital will
develop it.
"Who are my fellow. sufferers What
are they like ? Are they very Ill ?''
So l inquire, and learn that the two
private patients downstairs are young
one a student at Kings College, the
other schoolboy they both have scar
let fever, and the latter is very i'll. My
next-door neighbOr, who arrived only
last evening, is more interesting. He
is an officer, Major Ronald Mcdonald
by name, is mIddle-aged and single, and
has been a fortnight in London. and is
| i'll of scarlet fever. The nurse adds
| that he is tall, and must be very hand
some when in health, as even the redneSS
and swelling caused by the fever have
not been able entirely to disfigure him.
/ He holds possession of my mind. His
name pleases the romance of eighteen,
the description takes my fancy; and l
dream of him, long to see him, listen
| for the faint sounds of his voice, and,
when Doctor Browne tells me that he
has been in the Zulu campaign and has
been wounded there, think of him as
a hero.
l long, as say, to see him. 1 do so
all too soon. The evening of the Sec
ond day draws to a cloSe, and the night
nurse looks sad and worried, for the
schoolboy downstairs is very Ill indeed,
and she can scarcely leave him, and
| Major Mcdonald is restless and uneasy.
After time, fall into doze-how
long know not but. when l awake,
/ - oil UE gnfr
the fire, which is blazing brightly, and
| the gas is turned full on. The figure
moves it is man-nOt the Doctor, but
tall powerful man in dTeSSing-gown.
| catch glimpse of well-cut profile
as he half turns, listening. He holds a
knife in his hand, for see the glitter
of the steel. Inyoluntarily l move
slightly, and he starts to his feet. What
a face Even though disfigured now,
with unshorn beard and the redneSs of
fever, the face is that of brave man
and a good one. DelirIum CLEANS in
his eyes and gives strength to his up
lifted arm, which graSps the knife.
Alone Alone" he mutters, amongst
those fiendiSh Zulus, and my sword
broken but shall not die unavenged!'
He springs to my bedside, his arm
raised, and the cruel steel glittering IN
the air.
They tell me that am brave. Thank
Heaven, my courage does not fail me
now, or his lie might be poisoned by an
undying regret l speak softly
major Mcdonald ?''
"Who calls 2" he cries. "That is an
English voice 4? Is there any one in
distress ?''
"Yes," 1 answer. 81 am i'll, wound
ed. / am not a Zulu, but an English
soldier"
He takes my hand in his and looks at
it tenderly.
How small and delicate ~ he says.
You must be very young. Only little
drummer Have courage, my boy ! l
shall not forsako you, and shall carry
you to a place of safety, if possible; if
not. we can die together. But bark
Here is the foe in full force l'-and he
stands near the door, his head thrown
back, his arm upraiSed to strike.
know who is about TO enter-it is
the head night-nuTse, who has heard
the sounds in my room, and is coming
up-and, unless l can turn him away,
her fate is sealed, for he has in him for
the moment the strength of twenty
men.
| l call out feebly-
"You are wrong! That is the ambu-
lance nurse; you would not harm her
There, there is the foe ~ and | point
to the corner where my dressing gown
is lying, presenting somewhat the shape
of human figure.
He dashes at it with deep yengeful
CRY, and the knife pierces it with such
force that 1t snaps in two, leaving the
point buried in the woodwork beneath.
The head night-nurse now enters, a
sweet-faced woman with golden hair,
whom all the patients love. Dear nurse
Branscombe? How thankful L am
that the cruel knife did not seek her
heart
Major Mcdonald turns the sight of
the nurses face recalls his wandering
mind. He passes Lis hand over his
brow and looks bewildered, his strength
seems to fail, and he murmurs-
81 fear l have made a great fool of
myself. i thought was in Africa |
dul 81 oOlil duu hC Noiho ""oJ ~ JSSs
EDDY.
The next day am worse. more fever
ish, and Major Mcdonald is beyond
measure distressed. He recollects last
nights scene vaguely, and in his con-
triton sends out for a bouquet. which
the nurse bring me, with his compli-
ments-also tiny note, feebly written,
limploring me to forgive hun, and to
send him even a leaf in token thereof.
[ select rosebud. l am too weak to
write now, and beg that he will think
no more about it. Evening comes and,
cheered by the Doctors assertion that
nothing of the kind can happen again,
as a special night-nurse has been as
signed to Major Mcdonald, L compose
myself, and, looking at my sweet flow
ers to the last, L fall asleep, and undis-
turbed by anything, awake next morn
ing refreshed.
/ do not see Major Mcdonald again
for three weeks nor do l hear much
about HIM, as, soon after, private
room on the women's side of the hos
pital becoming vacant, j am carried
| n,,or So tbat only from the head night