The Press., 1888-09-06

relevantly. "Don't yer know he's my hus- ban'G An the preacher said must love, honor an srbey an 90 hey to min him don't yer seeY'
 This revelation rather startled the doctor. It had never occurred to him that Stanard, who had 6 mother and sisters moving in the best circles of society-in which society he himself had minRled-could have united himself by marriage to this girl; and yet the knowledge of the fact rather raised than lowered tho man in his estimation, and at the same time he felt that the girl, poor, frtendless, almost outcast as she was had thrown herself away in marrying him.
 "WheR were you and Tom married, MaggieP' he asked.
 "Nigh on to yer ago." replied Maggie. "But, oh myl I wasn't to tell, am now I've gone an done 1t" and then she began to cry.
 'Never mind, i" said the doctor soothingly, Stroking her hair back from her forehead with . gentle hand. "Never mind; you else"
 "Wont yer, nowg We'll, know yer wont of yer say so You see, his folks moughtn't like it, and we didn't want no fuss. But whar's my brother, doctorg' her eyes glanc- ing slowly around the room.
 "Hs is at my house. I thought he'd better stay there while you are sick"
 "Yes, reckin he had-ef you'll let him. The pol chile wouldn't git nothin' to eat herO."
 "very well, he shall stay there, and have plenty to eat. But you had better not talk any more now, 90 will leave you to rest e little while"
 He went to the door, and stood there look ing across the field at group of pines that had sprung up and grown apace where noth- fnO ell oh q ing bird singing among the dark, green plHmes, its ever varying notes ringing out loud and joyouR
 "Were there nothing beyond this life for us, as some would have us believe" he thought, lit were better to be yonder bird, which knows not pang, and whose exist ence seems to be never ending merry-go- round, than the poor creature lying in there. If life end for man with the death of the body, then surely he is the most miserable of all living thingA He alone knows that long, ing for Q higher, nobler state, and to him alone comes heartache, comes woes, however fortunate he may be he cannot escape care, and disappointment and sorrow await him at every turn. The beast that serves him knows none of these; its hunger and thirst ap- peased, 1t is content; it suffers from naught save actual physical pain, and even that does not make it howl and writhe as it does many men"
 When he returned to his patient he found her lying with her eyes fixed wistfully on the western sky, where the sun was just go- ing down, flooding the earth and lighting up the pale, sad face on the pillow with glori- Ous light. He took her hand in his and bent over her.
 "HOw do you feel now, MaggieT he asked.
 "Oh my, doctorI" she sighed. "I feel moughty weak, am my foots is kinder dead like"
 ''Take this, ," he said, bringing cup from the cupboard and holding it to her lips, while hO raised her head little on his left arm
 Ibid you ever go to church?" he asked, when he had laid her head gently back on the pillow and put the cup away.
 "Yes, onct in c while-when I could"
 EAnd what did the preacher tell youg"
 ''He telled us of we didn't rerpent-that means bein' sOrry-he said, for all the bad we'd did, we'd go to hell But I never done nothin' 90 awful bad that knows on, less'n Fwas marrying Tom when knowed his folks wouldn't like It. But he would have it 90, doctor, an' I couldn't help it. he'd to do like he said. 1"
 "Well, never mind that; you and Tom had c right to get married if you wanted to, and you might have done much worse. But didn't the preacher tell you about anything elsef