St. Landry democrat. (Opelousas, La.) 1878-1894, 1886-02-06

as something Wh.Ch could not be
changed. Her husband had not been
long gone however, before Mrs. / a.
sons noticed that Johnny had a slight
fever, and at once began to censure her
self for not having observed it sooner
and asked John to have the doctor come
out Or at least send another prescrip-
ton. 1t was now too late to do this,
and she must do the best she could
alone; perhaps after all the fever would
soon pass off.
She prepared and gave the child some
simple household remedy Sponged his
person with tepid water, and sought to
amuse him by talking OF the coming
journey to the Slough, where Lucy and
Erastus were, and the pleasant time
they would have when they got there.
But the fever did not 90 down; on the
contrary it became higher as the hours
passed, until finally Mrs. Parsons be-
came greatly frightened.
She prepared note to DR.. Brenton,
asking him to come at once. Upon the
envelope she wrote a request that any
one going to town would deliver it into
his hand. She then fastened the letter
to stick, one end of which she sharp
ened with butcher knife, and telling
Johnny she was going i;;to the yard
and would be back in a few moments,
ran down to the big road and stuck the
stick, with the letter attached, into the
ground where any one passing would be
almost certain of seeing it. This done
she returned to the house as quickly as
she had gone, and waited and watched
the one point of the road which was
visible from the window, hoping to see
pass a team or horseman. as an assur-
ance that the message had found car
rler. One team she saw going in the
opposite direction, but if the driver of
it saw the letter he made no effort to
forward it to its destination, fancying,
perhaps, that some one going to town
would soon pass and take it.
As the afternoon came on, new
cause for alarm to the watcher by the
cot Of the sick boy appeared. The
clouds were gathering in a way that
betokened q long-continued and heavy
rainfall. What if John should be de-
tanned until late by the business or
which he had gone; would he be able
to return at night in the midst of the
storm which was approaching9 If not,
how should she get through the night
all alone with the sick child9 Or, what
If John should attempt to come through
the darkness and rain and should meet
with an accident? She felt certain that
he would make the attempt to reach
home that night. no matter what the
weather might be: but would he be able
no
fill with water and make the road dan
gerous. if not absolutely impassable9
She could not tell. she could only wait
and hope for the best but every mo-
ment seemed an hour, for hours before
she had any reason to expect her hus-
band S return. even if he was not de-
layed by the storm.
1t was but little after three O'Clock
when it began to rain; but so
thick were the clouds that it
seemed as if night were already
at hand. Johnny had dropped off into
a light sleep, and she sat by the window
that commanded a view OF the garden,
the level ground with the ravine below,
and the hills stretching away towards
and the river. The rain
came down in torrents, and she noticed |
how quickly little rills formed and ran
down between the rows and vegeta bles |
in the garden, and lost themselves in the |
stubble field beyond. The turkeys and
deceived by the unusual dark
ness. had all sought their roosts, ex-
oept here and there one who had been
ate about getting in and now stood
with dropping tail feathers and q gen.
orally demoralized look beneath the
,hick leaves of some shrub or vine.
Then it occurred to her to save for
hat was falling, soft water being lux
Try during half the year on the mount
lin; and she threw an old shawl about
Ter head and shoulders and went out
ind set the wash-tub and boiler under
he cave spout, and saw them filled al
most before she could turn back into
he kitchen.
And now Johnny had wakened and
vas calling her She went to him and
cit her heart give great throb as she
loticed that..his fever was higher than
'ver, and that his eyes had strange
ook about them. She preserved her
alm appearance, ministered to his
wants, and when he asked for his
ather, told him that he had not re-
urned, and that they must not look for
i'm yet awhile, but that he would come
" and by.
During partial lull in the storm she
an out to the shed and MIXED the
ows, which had come up of their own
ccord, and were contentedly chewing
heir cuds beneath the shelter. The
lorse left at home stood in his stall, and
:ept turning his ears back and side
7avs, as if to catch the sound of his
mate, and she set her milk
all on the ground and threw him bit