Daily Republican. [volume] ([Wilmington, Del.]) 1874-1890, 1888-07-07
a PATHETIo INUIDENT.

There ore many incidents in the busy
life Of The reporter, pnrsutng his rounds
from day 10 day, under the oouutleo,
cheokered lights and shAuuwS Of q nreAt
city, which, were they 10 find Admission
20 the columns Of his paper, could no,
hut excite Wouder or incTedullty, or, II
may be, would stir generous pity in
those hearts the least Rttuned to sy mpa.
thy with sorrow or misfortune.
But such Incidents, auoh threads OF
human experience, OF whatever ohnrao-
ter, seldom find . place in the column Z
of q great daily. The grim exisenoIeh
0f trade and commerce, the stay Of the
coAselesg hux and retiuK OF prs zion,
TRree0, OF mean ambition, anu Its part
In the woes and wAnts OF every day II
istenoe, seem not only TO have enslAyed
the common attention, but 20 have
dsurI % the % mpRthies Of the common
heA:t as well; and, indeed, ono is sou. Q.
Dimes half forced TO believe that men,
n that turmoil called living, have,
somehow, forgotten life.
The other day ohaposd to be near
one OF the depOIB when tho sharp rlnt.
ing OF bell ATTRACTED me 10 the curb,
where found crowd gathered about
IN ambulance. On learning that an old
nan Ind been hurt out on the road halt
the crowd remarked, "Was that oil.
only IN old MANI" and went about
tHeir buGiness; apd then the ether hat,
all but few of us, remarked that SIT
Waa too bad" AND went likewise.
At;tr u long wait cut came four road.
o. en- heAtluR sttetohcr bstReen them,
IN which lay-oh, 30 CHASTITY pale-An
I'D man with long white hair. His
syes were half closed, and he might
have been dead outright, so calm seem
ID his Ttst thCrs on the strstcher. Then
he bay cling door WAS slammed with o
Gang and q wicked click and The driver
whipped up his horse and rushed pail
NELL down the street, ringing his bell as
ne went. Tbe crowd looked on Ia won
der OF the business like prooe cd Ing, then
disper0ed without word.
IL fell 10 my lot the next day to 20 up
% the hospital to learn OF the untortun-
AEe'H condition. A pAle-iaosd sister,
Glad In solemn black, ushered me mp.
stairs 20 Q small room at one end of the
ball. She then lett me, and entered
The chamber alone, finding II in charge
OF another of the sisterhO0d, who WAs
ssRted beside the pAtienL's small cot,
uA'hinR his head while he apparently
slept. The old mans unsteady breath
ing made mo shudder-wby 1 scarcely
knew. The sister motionsd me to n seat
near the foot Of the bed, which 1 had
scarcely taken before the old man, dis.
turbed perhaps by even so slight = noise
rolled over fsebly once or twice and
then opened his eyes.
He looked about In q dazed way for
. moment, and presently asked In q
faint, yet distinctly audible tone
Where Il JenDJ?" and tlen added &;
~ thought Jenny was here, buI guess
IL R1ess-lt must have bet q dream"
o. saying this he became Silent, and
his face took on an expression Of deep
thought. A few moments later he WAs
mutterinR, half TO himself md half to
The BistBI: Eyes, IL Wa, onlJ q dream,
1t was only 3 dreEmi aud sliil 1 wish
that IL had been . dream AlWsIs; oh,
alNRykW and down his face there
sHeAmsd q hood of cold, inarticul ate
tears.
The good woman was much affected
by this brlsf recital, and spoke eoosh
IIlRly TO him, and asked him 10 tell oil
his troubles, for 1t WAS plain to her ex-
perleuced eyes that he could not live
long, and she mercifully tried to make
his death rs easy as possible.
81 dreamed that | was rome again"
said the old mAn, yielding to her gen.
lie voice and soft petitions. Il dream.
ed that 1t was evening, and that my
denny came to me, and putting heI
head down In my lap rs Bhe used to
when she WAS lttIle child, said softly
Father, can not live without you,
love; when mother died, you brought
line o Hsw one, who hat=s me, and she
has led yuu TO bats me, too. You hate
Ime, don't you, fRGhel?"
| he began looking blank again and
Iaeemsd half unconscious. But the
lstupor aoon changed to an intense stAre
II Baid to her," 10 eIo Himed, with
tall this emphasis his feeble breath couC
command, ~ eAid to her, 'YeB, 1 matt
lyouI Your new mother tells me ths
you are In her way, and for her SAX
iihere has gathered 10 my benrt 30 fie c,
q hate for you that, though you shoult
lleaye my house tonight and neve
show your face to me again in thi
world, IL would not be sllSy cdr
AS be was speaking the terribl
wor Q he half rose In his bed, and hi
lAspect seemed almost fsrce.
81 threw her from me and letb W
room. When 1 returned the girl hat
gone, and since that hour my life hA
been AccuTsedP'
Completely exhausted by his fright
fal eloQuence the old man fsl baol
upon toe cot, where his short, qutol
painting breath and his renewed food o
cold, inartlculAte tears told Of the an
lguished spirit and its deliTium OF deep
unAvAiilnR grief.
at could only see my dear chilt
. sonoe more" hs continued In = mute
IRWe.struck, frightful tone, rs tbousl
his spirit were sill but gone, land 10
lher forgive ms for my awful wrong,
Icould die In peace. suppose she wan
dered off somewhere and died long ago
Poor girl-oh, God, how You have re
paid mel-oh, pang that will follow m
I'm l siuk into the grave, lifelong
eleepless ramorssl 1 must sec nay girl
; II must see hatl oh, Jenny, Jenp,
Dean, whore are you, where are your
The hIBter and l had ghAed In aston
Ilshment from ths beginning OF his hoI
, rible tale, and IS he proceeded our o.
tsntion became more intense. As b
jTenohel the climax in his plteonB nj