The Arkansaw traveler., 1885-05-23

and father away in his last earthly resting place. the mother and newborn child lay at deaths door.
 It was long struggle for life-the tie which had bound her heart to her hus- band see med to be drawing the young wife to heaven. But mother-love con- quered, and at last she slowly regained health.
 Two months after the husbands death she came forth from her sick-room to take up anew life's cares and burdens. The few hundred dollars left by her husband had dwindled to an insig nifi- cant sum, and the means of providing for her support was her first thought. . Soon her modest sign, "Dressmaking," had brought her sufficient employment i; and she worked bravely, early and late, to keep home for her baby Richard and her widowed mother.
 The baby grew plump and strong, aud was world of comfort te the desolate heart of the young mother. Through the long summer days, and the longer autumn evenings, she worked untiringly 1; there was no time for sorrowful retrospec- tion-although the dead was never out of her mind-and no smile ever came to her sad face, except when the baby was in her arms. She would not shadow his young life by her grief-so tried to be cheerful for his sake.
 She worked on bravely until Decem- Der, when baby was stricken down by disease. For time his life hung in the balance. Night and day Bessie watched beside him, in an agony of fear lest death should rob her of her last treasure.
 At last the strong constitution, inherited from his sturdy young father, triumphed 1; and very slowly recovery commenced. But overwork, care and anxiety had done their work, and there came day when poor Bessie Clyde was borne fainting to her bed. Dr. Jays pleasant face clouded as he stood beside her. He had feared I-expected this for weeks, and he knew how protracted and severe must be the struggle if ever health was regained. If there is one thing more than another, which tries the skill of the wisest physi- clans it is that most complicated of all physical and mental conditions, which, for want of better name, has been called nervous prostration." But while Dr. Jay gave the disease its technical name, he knew only too we'll it was-homesick- ness for heaven.
 She had lain for month slowly fading away, notwithstanding all his skill and unwearied care. She only held to life for baby's sake, but even this was not suf- 6cient stimulus to restore the wasted powers of life. Medicine was useless, and in the prescription of more geper- ous diet-though humorously given-he | haA ovka ~ka kaA tkn lac
 He had been through all, her best and kindest friend. All the sympathies of his kindly nature had been aroused at Richard Clyde's death. bed, and the brave gentle. young wife and the fatherless babe held 2 warm place in his heart. He had been unusually successful in his profession. There were few towns within hundred miles of Boston which had not at one time or another received proof of his surgical skill. Descended from long line of bishops-D. D.s and M. D.s-all the culture and professional acumen of his race had eliminated in him. Wealth, and high social position were his, yet all combined with his un- usual professional success had left him a, fifty with a heart as overfiowing with kindness and generosity as if he had just commenced the race of life, and knew nNthing of the worlds hardening process. No matter how lowly the estate of another, he was man and brother so long as his life showed the sterling qual- ities of manhood, but neither the posses sion of wealth nor high social position could make him tolerate baseness or meanness. He would have shaken hands in the kindest manner with true nobility in rags, and turned his back contemptu. ously on avarice or vice in broadcloth or : diamonds. Frank, honest,j ovial, with a hearty congenialty of manner, he was idolized by his friends, while his thorough independence and scorn of shame made him equally hated by the unworthy. His character was blending of strength and gentleness, of hrmness-sternness even with tbe utmost tenderness and sympa. thy. The hand which could amputate a limb, or sever diseased part of the hu- man body with unfinching 6rmness, ;; could be as gentle in its touch as that ol child and the eye that had looked calmly on terrible scenes of bloodshed
 and carnage on the battlefield would grow dim with tears at the bedside oi | cVuiS uoii UoUC WuOSC SuuSLluSS nc was powerless to relieve.
 Poor Bessie Clyde's sad condition had brought out all the kindly, generous inn pulses of his nature, and as he thought, this morning, of all her sad history, and of the worn, wasted face and sad smile, he was sorely troubled. Was there something back ot it all, which he had failed to understand2
 , She had always been very reticent about her financial condition, but he felt sure she had no other source of income except her own labor, and he determined to know before another day if she were in want.
 It was as Dr. Jay had suspected. Bes- sie's long illness had exhausted all her small resources, and absolute want stared her in the face. At the moment when he was advising a generous addition to her scanty larder, her purse contained less than a dollar-and the wants of the sr,a all