Iron County register. [volume] (Ironton, Iron County, Mo.) 1867-1965, 1889-12-12

| hired nurse there, and had shared the
| young wife vigil with unwearied devotion
Oracle wandered through the house dis
| consolately, and even Lottie's unvaryine
sweetness and care could not console her
! for the loss of her parents society. A tele
| gram had been sent to Mrs. Stanford at the
| first, and as Isabel was sitting one day in
| the darllened chambers, her hands clasped
over her face in deepest detection, the door
! opened and light step entered the room.
A pair of soft arms stole around her neck,
and sweet voice whispered in her ear
/ 'Dear auntle, as mamma was not we'll,
| have come to help you nurse Uncle Harvey
| 1t was Lillian, and Isabel leaned her head
! YEARLY on the young brides shoulder, and
| commenced the acquaintance with burst of
| tears.
| Lillian had rare ia Guilty in sick-room
! her steps were so noiseless, and she was
| SO far removed from business, and with
an excellent memory, she could always be
depended on to carry out every direction of
the physician.
Isabel could rest, so far as her overwhelm-
ing anxiety would allow her to, with perfect
confidence that Mrs. Montford and Lillian
were doing all for him which could be done.
The delirium had given way to heavy
stupor, and there must soon be change
for the better or worse, and the change was
awaited with byeathless interest.
s'Do not grieve SO, dear auntie," said
Lillian, gently, when Isabel, overcome by
the thought that he might die, had given
way to violent weeping. 'Uncle Harvey
has such grand constitution, you know :;
why, am perfectly astonished at him for
being sick at all, it is an unprecedented
performance on his part, lean assure YOU"
Her gentle raillery was better in this case
than sympathy, and hope sprung up anew
in the wife's heart, and she began to look
forward more cheerfully to the expected
turn in the disease.
It was her night to watch with him, and
she took her place by the bedside with a
more hopeful spirit than she had cherished
since he had been sick.
About midnight she noticed that he
breathed more naturally, and, going close
to him, she noticed with a heart throbbing
with delight that there was faint sparkle
of moisture On his hitherto parched and
strained forehead; she took her handker-
chief and gently wiped it off, fearing she
might be mistaken, but no, it was true, and
in a few moments it reappeared and she
knew he was better. ''Oh, God, I thank
Thee she cried, as she sank upon her
knees in mute thanksgiving.
Perhaps the great emotion of her heart
awoke a sympathetic chord in his, for in a
few moments he opened his eyes, and, look
ing at her with glad recognition, whispered,
feebly: "Isabel'
ssMy love! my darlingI' she whispered
softly in his ear.
He seemed to struggle with memory.
sYou do love me, them" he whispered,
family.
sBetter than my life, dearest love-" she
said, gently pressing her lips to his.
He smiled YEARLY, like tired child, and
with look of ineffable content dropped off
to sleep again, while she sat by his side in a
tumult of JOY.
'.How is he!" said Mrs. Montford, who
came in to relieve her watch.
she is BETTER" she whispered. sHe knows
me and spoke to me-"
THANK the Lord for His merciesr' said
the good woman, fervently, and, taking Is
abel in her arms as if she had been her own
child, ''now go to bed, des-ie, and sleep
like a top until morning"
The sun was high when the overtaxed
wife awoke from her long and dreamless
slumber; the slumber of sweet relief after
long days and nights of WEAKNESS and ag
oniZing suspense, and she hurriedly dressed
herself and went into the sick-room.
Lillian was there, and her husband was
awake. He greeted her with smile, in
fantile in it's weakness, yet full of love and
trust, as she bent over him and whispered
glad words of love and thankfulness into
his ear.
"Have 1, then, been so very sick!' he
asked, feebly, as her tears of joy fell upon
his face.
Il think, Uncle Harvey, you deserve a
good scolding for giving us such scare"
Lillian answered for her. ''If it hadn't been
for my excellent nursing there's no know
ing what would have happened to you.
Aunt Isabel and that big-eyed doctor We're
glowering over you like a couple of lunatics
when came to the rescue"
He was too weak to reply to her lively
sallies, but he pressed his wife's hand with
q feeble energy.
It seemed as if she could not be demon
strative enough after the long period OF
cold indecision through which she had
passed; she knew now that she had loved
him for months when she had imagined
herself grateful only, and she sighed as
she thought how his kind and noble heart
must have been wounded by her GOODNESS,
and she strove to make amends by showing
him every phase of tenderness her full
heart could devise.
"Ithink must 60 home how" said Lii