Perrysburg journal. (Perrysburg, Wood Co., O. [Ohio]) 186?-1965, 1886-08-13

40 this day week I may expect you,
Mrs. SphinxPh
A moment later he, too, left the
house, thinking as he walked briskly
along:
81 believe she will suit me to dot.
Trim and neat with n quiet voice. Poor
little woman, ] expect she has seen n
good deal of trotble," and then other
thoughts chased DR.. Reed housekcepcr
from his mind.
Doctor Nathaniel Reed had been
brought up by an old maid aunt A
woman composed on the sharp corner
and angular system. Yet, withal,
not unkind TO her charge, but he being
of bright, afl'cctionatc disposition
missed sorcly mothers loving wuys
albeit always grateful TO the woman
who had taught him TO be so strictly
upright and just, and placed him in the
way to earn an Independent living.
About two years previous to his aunt's
death she had bought the old-fashioncd
house standing in its own grounds,
where the doctor ut the opening of my
story resided, for at her decease she
bequeathcd il to him, with an income of
two hundred pounds per annum.
Steadily the Doctors practice had in
creased his reputation as physician
gaining every day. Perhaps he would
have made money faster if he had been
less attentive to those patients whose
only pay consisted of their grateful
thanks. Jane, who thought no one
equal to her master, waxcd fairly clo-
quent when relating how he had tended
hermother and helped along her smaller
brothers and sisters. And If the many
"God bless yous" called forth by the
DOCTORS kind acts were registered |
above, their record must have been Il
glorious one.
A year had passed since Mrs. Sphinx |
entered upon her duties as housekeepcr
to DIR. Reed and no fairy wand could |
have worked greater changes than that
lady's clever hands had done. The old
fashioned furniture had taken on pol
ish upon which no fly dare risk foot
ing. Pretty lace curtains graced the
windows which looked out, not upon
weeds any more, but fragrant flower
beds and velvety grass and a rustic seat
meath the o'erhanging branches of an
ancient oak. Jane, no longer slip-shod,
but in a neat gown and dainty cap, wa ted
upon ''thc MISTRESS" as she always per-
sisted in calling Mrs. Sphinx, TO whom
she had become almost as much at
tached as to the doctor. And the doc
tor himselfP Probably he would have
thought no worse fate could befall him
than the loss of Mrs. Sphinx. What of
that lady herselfP From the first day
Wheh the doctor gave her so kindly a
Wulcoihe ana paue her make herseit
quite ut nome ana II anything was
wanting 10 her comfort TO let MN Know,
she llau grown 10 loSo ner 9utles ana
the qulet olu house' ana hopeu that she
might always stay, although OF course
tnat I wouIu hot DC PoSslp,e wneh the
uoc,or orouSht nome or,ue' wn'ch nat
uraliy ne Wou,u 40 some u'ly' somehow
sue , u,u MOI. hot lke 10 'n'nh Oh 'has h nouT'
ana so stroVe TO put IT out oil her mnd'
c. @ .he ,'G uGc,or' ,5 ruin TO tell; had hardly
sa.e.l suc.i a,i ,uta a 'nougn., nc was
too ousy man u nave liluch ,'lue 10
uetole W soclc.y' anu 'ne aPPolhttiiehts
iI, Oh ms nome nor sutcu % nm 10 h'cetY; con
seiuehIlf nc icNtl lclt the neeu oi
VIC re i,au crown quIte attachea 10
sIe Iu'e.' iasio iS1lo III pIarN' Wnose
pLowh Gles sPaIHIeu PaI iI 80 MERRY ~ t'llles
'uoNS ',io'l Soiu-po"cu sPcvtuc'cs, anu
Moulu nav s0poiy iliisSeu nus iaitUlul
,'o"sohoeput, I.,"; hUt oNeil outSluo Vi neI
holm to KIM ossisting hi him to taen GiS bis
accounts and sortinr his napers en- cley.
crIy Porh,nS he wos tbinking Of tbis
ne bo said onr ,ftnrnoon rathcT obr,ntl
Iy. '''"p'
.,, .,-.-
,..5 am Nh "irn,u you Are are "orhlhS 100
nnIu' im Mis' 'Pl,iiN' n; ~, no" siouiu you
IKE ,W 70 taEe y noi.uny
nhat: LOU ii'c''i niS " 20 aw"y'
'o'i1, s,.:,r, I'M. ,. .,.,
s.,'. 1i Ii ioi r: Oiu, nv wins utopplu
llViii ms iilys "''iUst u"uW "res pciorc nc
auueu; Just u i,'uG ,rip; say 10 the
county; lot y1,'. nui,th' uithouSu nov
N'iom. 'l. - ., 1,
NOT ,n ' y SV" tho uHo' nu;ot o on, la" and ,"i"o e
iioI 20, was ' 'lI qu'c' answer anu 81
no more was s"iu.
III ms heaIt tliG uoctoI Was pleaseu
snht iii MIs 0PnlnA iau eLecteu hTs , 10 'ahe
noltuay' SonicnoM nc h"u l'hcu her
.,S !" weicoio @ m nun hl wnJil d;I ne cniue nome,
anu once ne hiu saiu 10 liiiis1h' as nc
80, -, ls,,I' . No., .,,,,e,,,,, -
away pcheatn ', tn,Ih nGl snowy cap:
49, am Us . lTlu 9i her aiiiios' "s II she
were my iiio'ner'
Toward the latter part of that sum-
mer virulent fever broke out among
the poor of the district where the doctor
lived, and hardly an hour could the doc
tor then call his own. And Mrs. SphinX's
helpful hands were always busy those
days-oft soothing frctful little sufferer
where others had failed, until her name
also became beloved of the poor that
learned to know-till one night, when
the doctor came in to snatch hur
red mouthful, Jane met him, ejacula-
ting, rs best she could between her
sobs: