The Valley Virginian. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1865-1895, 1885-07-30

do what she could. There were no sign
of change. DR.. Douglas thought this
good time to rest away from the sick room
and he went to the hotel. A hasty sum
mons was sent for him in few moments
The General in taking food had swallowe'
a little, out the effort brought on sever
hiccoughing. 1t had stopped of it's owl
accord before the doctor returned.
For the next hour or so feeling of re
lief came upon the household. There wa
no visible Improvement, but the strail
was relaxed by indications that the Genera
was becoming less inattentive than in tn
morning to small things. There was al
instance of this when the clock at o'clocl
struck twice. Col, Grant, who was at tina
time leaning near the General, heard hin
whisper that he had better fix the clock
There was, perhaps, slight relief from TIT
complete languor of the morning. Thu
General opened wide his eyes several time
and looked calmly about him. He slipped
liquid two or three times, taking not mill
alone, but egg in milk and beef tea. One
when he heard crying near him he saiC
quite distinctly, 81 don't want anybody tt
feel distressed on my account" Family
hope clutched at these straws. No one
thought, not even the doctor, whose appre
tensions were most gloomy, that the active
brain and alert attention were due to slim
ulants, for none had been given him dur.
ing daylight The seeming rally, slight as
it was, came only from his wonderful re-
operative powers under renewal OF
nourishment. The family had no doubt
of that. It cheered them.
A special train at 8 O'Clock brought u S.
Grant, Jr., and his wife and Drs. Shrady
and Sands. Mr.. Grant was much dis
tressed at the change in the General since
last week, and the family were saddened
by his grief. The General recognized the
doctors and shook hands with each of them
They felt his pulse and heart and took his
respiration. All indicated critical weak.
ness. When they left him that was their
verdict. They would predict nothing. DR..
Shrady, who was here last on Saturday,
said the change in the Generals appear
ance was astonishing. 1t was worse than
he had expected it seemed as though at
the time of the visit of the doctors the
Generals condition had assumed a phase
of helplessness that had not been appar-
ent for some hours. They found him too
weak to hold his head erect. He sat be-
fore them passive and with barely energy
enough to move. Weakness was the
thing they noted and that concerned them.
When they had gone there was a transi-
tion back to the observant condition of
earlier in the afternoon. He was still
weak but not utterly listless. The change
was mainly mental, but it restored better
feeling in the household.
At about O'Clock the Generals alert
ness passed away. The doctors were again
with him. His pulse was fast increasing.
The respiration, from having been labored
and heavy, was getting quickened. Hy-
podermics of brandy were given. DR..
Shrady stood over him, watching the
symptoms. They had not become quit
alarming. but verged closely to it. They
were very disquieting. The General had
lapsed into the condition of early last even
ing before the supposed sinking. 1t was
deemed imprudent to leave the General
without medical attendance. DR.. Douglas
agreed to stay, and Drs. Sands and Shrady
stepped up to the hotel for dinner. That
was at $50 O'Clock. The outlook then was
threatening. 1t was no worse than at the
same hour last night. The family, con-
sidering the partial revival of his spirits in
the latter part of the afternoon, were dis
posed to think that he might be tided over
any crisis that seemed then likely. They
could not believe it probable that he could
be subjected to the strain of a second at
tack like last nights.
Drs. Shrady and Sands were about half
through dinner when messenger from
DR.. Douglas called them away. They
when they had left him. He sat with his
head sunk in pillows, yet bending forward
his eyes closed yet struggling to get open,
as the movements of the lids showed his
arms and hands limp, and his body bent
under it's own slight weight. They
touched his pulse. 1t was at 100. His
respiration was at 40, coming in quick,
short gasps. Would you like tolie down,
fathor %, ool1od CoI Ernd Crop+ who no
ticed his fathers restlessness. The Gen.
eral nodded, and at the same moment es-
sayed to rise unassisted But the effort
was too great, and he sank back into the
chair and the Colonel and nurse aided him
to rise and then supported him to the bed
where he was carefully lowered to re-
Ginning position and partly on his face.
DR.. Douglas then rolled the chairs back,
and one of the physicians has since re-
marked that the general then left his chair
for the last time.
The family were about him. They de-
tected the anxiety of the doctors, yet re-
strained their own lest the sufferer might
be annoyed. The Rev. DR.. Newman
joined the parlor gathering. 1t was no
time to suggest death. Their in that close
room, sunk in the pillows of his couch,
was one too silent for anything but silent
thoughts and prayers. The doctors re-
tired to the porch and when they had
whispered together it was decided to pur-
sue the stimulating treatment. The Cen
eral did not need an anodyne. He was in
no pain. The doctors thought that for
the time at least he was past pain. Not a
sound was heard in the room except the
harsh, quick gasping of the pillowed suf-
ferer All felt that he was sinking.
There was hardly hope that he could rally.
That opinion was written on the faces of
the doctors. DR.. Douglas, with face
flushed and his eyes almost fearful. stood
devoutedly at the side of his friend and
patient, watching with eager anxiety for
some sign on which a respite might be
forecast. None came. The General was
as motionless as though only his lungs
lived. DR.. Shrady, intent equally upon
the General, passed his hand to the wrist.
DR.. Sands stood by. He understood the
symptoms, and felt that he could be of no
use. He went out on the porch, avoiding