The Evening post. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1888-1889, 1888-11-16
IN LOVE AND DUTY.


In the hospital she was only known
by the name of Sister Aurelia the most
faithful of the nurses; the most ardent in
her work of helping the miserable.
There were few who knew her story,
among them DR.. Fordyce, the principal
physician. who had been strangely at.
tracted by this beautiful. stately woman,
who had given up the world to minister
to the poor and sick.
Hers was not an unusual story. She
had been engaged to be married. until
one day she found out that her lovers al =
legiance had been stolen from her by an
other. and that other little orphan
cousin whom she had taken to her home
out of pity.
But Aurelia Graye did not repine at
her fate; she gave her lover his freedom
and after he had married the cousin,
she had come to the hospital to find in
work Letho for memory.
A little child from the fever ward had
become her special charge, and she
fought nobly with death for the child s
life. All her love seemed to be conferred
in this little one, for whom she had be-
gun to feel almost mothers devotion.
Her unceasing care was already begin
ming to tell on her own constitution, but
still she would not give up her charge to
another.
At last came the crisis--the hour which
was to decide whether Ann would live
or die, and to DR. Fordyce it looked as
If that hour would also decide whether
Sister Aurelia should live or die, for she
that of the sick child that death to one
would be death to both.
Hour followed hour; the slow watches
of the night were called off one after an
other by the distant church clocks
2, 3, A.
For hours Ann lay as if already dead,
so white, so still, her eyes closed, and
the Tutoring breath so faint that more
than once DIR. Fordyce had held his
small pocket-glass before her lips, and
could only tell that she lived by the al
most imperceptibe dew that gathered for
an instant on its surface,
AS the clock struck 4 the faintest flush
like the first blush of morning reflected
on far distant snow, stole into the white
cheeks; the pale lips parted slightly for
the slow, regular breathing, and warm,
pearly dew broke out upon the brow and
temples. The child slept profoundly,
her breathing grew stronger and the faint
flush upon her cheek deepened as in a
new morning of life.
DR.. Fordyce moved toward Aurelia,
and softly laid his hand on hers.
"You have saved her life" he said, in
the deep, rich tones so familiar to the
nurses ear. "Thanks to your unceas-
ing care, she will live"
"Thank God Thank God | love
the child % murmured Aurelia, and she
raised her eyes, swimming in tears, to
the young physicians face.
1t was not handsome face, though
strong and manly; but to Aurelia it
seemed like the face of Lancelot to
Elaine-"the COOLEST that her eyes had
ever rested OF"
There was moisture in the young ply.
sician's eyes, too, as they met Aurelia' s
with a warm ana sympathetic clasp, and
for several minutes they remained with
clasped hands, and only started away
from each other at the sudden movement
of little Ann.
h Both nurse and doctor bent anXiously
over the sick child, but she had only
moaned in her sleep and was still
wrapped in profound slumbcr.
Then DIR. Fordyce told Aurelia what
she was to do when Ann awakened, and
as he turned away she looked up at him
again and their eyes met in long,
tender, sympathetic gaze that set the
nurses pulse in wild thrill, and it was
well that little Ann Brown was quite out
of danger now, for Sister Aurelia almost
forgot the child-for few minutes
After that, the crisis of the fever being
passed in safety, little Ann had nothing
to do but get well, which she proceeded
TO do in the most wonderfully rapid man
ner.
Sister Aurelia took Ann away
as soon as she was well enough to leave
the hospital, and it was then that the
long night-watching and fasting days
began to tell on herself. She fell ill
of the same fever, and DR.. Fordyce at
tended her. He did not wait to be sent
for, but came and almost took up his
abode there, and after long and des-
perate struggle he won Aureia back
from the dark valley into which she had
seemed so often slipping away from his
cntreating, beseeching grasp.
But he did win her back, and she grew
well and strong again.
H"Well, am here again, living and
well" said Aurelia, with slight laugh
the first time she was able to come down
stairs 1T is the second time / have
come back from the gates of death.
am not to die yet it seems then l mus
be kept here for something. wish
knew what it was. want to do my
duty"
"Aureliav murmured Stephen For
dyce, rs he sank down on the cushion a
her feet and clasped her two slender
hands in his, 81 will tell you what tha
duty is if you will promise to do it"
81 promisel" murmured Aurelia, hel
lovely pale face quivering with emotion
her smiling lips parted in u tender smile
though her eyes were moist with happy
tears.
1T is to be my wife, Aurelia-my owr
loved, cherished, worshipped wifel Tel
me, darling, will your
tt''If it is my duty | will try to do it,
and when duty is pleasure who wouldn't
be good and happy, tooY'
The proud head bent forward and tn,
lovers kissed each other in token of
truth that death could never dim.
Infant Theology.
"Tom," said a small child TO her younge
brother, 'if you are good boy when you di
you'll go up to heven an be an angelo
Tom looked up at the blue sky with bi