The Arkansaw traveler., 1885-05-23

strength of his young manhood-full of bright, happy anticip ations of the future. | and in three short hours to return crushed, mangicd, death-stricken.
 The experienced eye of the surgeon saw at glance the serious nature of the case; he was suffering the most terrible agony, and quickly putting him under tue influence of aA ara sthetic, Dr. Jay dispatched a messenger for Dr. Camp
 bell. Upon his arrival careful exami- nation was made which confirmed the
 first impression. He was fatally injured nothing could be done save to give
 temporary relief and wait for death. It
 might come in few hours-it might be
 twenty-four, at the utmost limit, forty
 eight. But who could tell tbe young girl
 wife the terrible decision?
 Like a shaft of lightning from faiz
 sky the terrible blow had fallen She
 had uttered no outcry-made no moan,
 from the first, but with white, rigid
 face and colorless lips she seemed as one
 turned to stone-save that the large dark
 eyes revealed the agony which was rend.
 ing her heart.
 Her eyes followed the doctors every
 movement, and watched their faces vt , inc
 tense eagerness, as if she would read there
 the decision for life or death, of which
 her white lips could not speak. Every
 thought of self seemed swallowed up in
 the agoniz!ng suspense of hope and fear.
 She apparently had no realizing sense of
 what was passing around her, save what
 was connected with her suffering hus-
 band. Every power of mind and body
 seemed concentrated on his wants. Her
 mentsl clearness and quickness of ap-
 prehension-so far as he was concerned
 -astonished the doctors, who had looked
 for fainting fits and convulsions rather
 than intelligent cooperation in their la-
 bors.
 Both physicians had been old army
 surgeons, and in professional experi-
 ence of over twenty years had looked
 upon sufferings in all it's various phases
 but something of this still white face and
 the mute appealing agony of the dark
 eyes, touched them as no other scene
 had ever done.
 She repelled gently, but firmly, every
 friend who attempted even to hint that he
 must die. s' When God tells me-" she
 said, |" l shall believe it; until then will not know it."
 But there came time when God told her! As the soft gray light of the Sab.
 bath morning came stealing up the sky at her own request she was left alone with
 what, even her fond blinded eyes could see, was her dying husband. Wha, passed in that terrible struggle as she knelt by his unconscious forM, none but God might ever know, but when at last
 she opened the door of the death cham. Der, her face was as one who had passed through the struggle of death and stood face to face with God.
 From that time until death came, twen. ty-four hours later, she never left him for moment, or permitted any other hand to minister to his wants. Only once was was her perfect self-control shaken. On
 the second day. during one of the inter vals between the paroxysms of pain when for a few brief moments he was permitted 70 regain consciousness from the effects of the ara thetic-he had , turned to his wife, and drawn her close to him by his left arm, the only one oi his limbs unbroken.
 , "l did only my duty, dear," he said in faint, low voice "I am ready to gc if it be Gods will. But. Oh if l could have been spared for your sake We . have been so happy-so very happy to getherl' Then, as if in the clear ligh, of eternity he foresaw all the desolaticn :, aud loneliness of her future life, the ten ] derness of the husband overcame the for . titude of the christian, and clasping hel
 closer he added in tones of heart-break '. ing agony, 70 my darling my darling ? who will care for you when am gone ? s Dropping on her knees by the bedside D and buryins her face in the pillow besid, him, for an instant she lost all self-con e trol, and convulsive sobs shook hel slight frame.
 3 Dr. Jay turned away with tear-dimmes eyes. "Poor child poor childp h, V murmured. "May God help her!' 2 Surely He did help her, for in anothe
 moment she had regained her self-cor ,- troll "Don't grieve for me, love-" sh, e said tenderly; God will take care of me I s The peace which God alone can giv, s settled over the face of the dying man = Earthly cares seemed to fade away, ans l. the glories of heaven to open upon hi C sight.
 = "Sing, Jesus, lover of my soul,'" h, f said. softly.
 s Friends around his bedside starte d tha y sweetest of our grand old hymns-anc 1T as their voices rose in the melodiou !, strains of Martyr, the dying man joined in clear, rich tenor and in that earnes
 prayer their souls seemed lifted to tn, D portals of heaven.
 V As the last line was ended f O,receive my soul at lastl'' :. there was long. quivering sigh-a con vulsive movement of the body the eve: tarned with lingering look of fondnes. upon the face so tenderly beloved; ana the soul of Richard Clyde had left the , poor mangled body and stood in the , presence of the loving Savior whose aid he had invoked. And Bessie, without sigh or moan, sank unconscious into the arms outstretched to receive her. Long and patiently the physicians sought to restore her to consciousness, 7 and at last were successful. But life and