Grant County herald. [volume] (Lancaster, Wis.) 1850-1968, 1889-08-15

OF curing LOT tue inletnRthct WHICH Wouiu
have made him so happy in health.
She kissed his fevered face and bathed it
in tears Of contrition as she bemoaned the
answer she had given him in that last
moment of partial sanity, when he had
asked her il she loved HIM. And yet, how
could she have answered him differently,
without being sure of her own feelings.
Mrs. Montford had brought her skill and
experience into the sick-room at once, scorn.
ing DR., Conroy's proposition TO install a
hired nurse there, and had shared the
young wife's vigil with unwearied devotion.
Oracle wandered through the house dis
consolately, and even Lottie's unvarying
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 az Isabel was sitting one day in
the darkened 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 a sweet voice whispered in her ear
"Dear auntie, as mamma was not well, ]
have come to help you nurse Uncle Harvey
1t was Lillian, and Isabel leaned her hea6
YEARLY on tAe young BRIDES shoulder, anC
commenced the acquaintance with aburst o.,
tears.
Lillian had rare ia Guilty in a sick-room
her steps ware SO noiseless, and she wai
so far removed from business, and with
an excellent memory, she could always be
depended on to carry out every direction o.
the physician.
Isabel could rest, so far as her overwhelm
ing anxiety would allow her to, with perfec
confidence that Mrs. Montford and Lilliar
were doing I'll for him which could be done
The delirium had given way to a heavy
stupor, and there must soon be a change
for the better or worse, and the change wal
awaited with breathless interest
''Do not grieye so, dear auntie," sale
Lillian, gently, when Isabel, overcome By
the thought that he might die, had giver
way to violent weeping. "Uncle Harvey
has such grand constitution, you know
why am perfectly astonished at him fol
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 wifeis heart, and she began TO lool
forward more cheerfully to the expected
turn in the disease
IL was her night to watch with him, and
she took her place by the bedside with q
more hopeful spirit than she had cherished
since he had been sick.
About midnight she noticed that he
brcathed more naturally, and, going close
to him, she noticed with q heart throbbine
with delight that there was faint sparkle
Of moisture on his hitherto parched and
strained forehead; she took her handker.
chief and gently wiped 1t off, fearing she
might be mistaken, but no, 1t was true, and
in a few moments it reappeared and she
-, al 4,
Thee,n she cried, as she sank upon her
knees in mute thanksgiving.
Perhaps the great emotion of her heart
awoke sympathetic chord in his, for in a
few moments he opened his eyes, and, look.
ing at her with glad recognition, whispered,
feebly: "Isabel.n
my lovel my darlingp she whispered
softly in his ear.
He seemed to struggle with memory.
"You do love me, them" he whispered,
family.
"Better 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 of
to sleep again, while she sat by his side In a
tumult of JOY
"How is help said Mrs. Montford, who
came in to relieve her watch.
"He Is BETTER" she whispered. "He knows
me and spoke to me-"
"Thank the Lord for His merciesl I" said
the good woman, fervently, and, taking Is
abel in her arms as If she had been her own
child, "now go to bed, dearie, and sleep
like top until morning"
The sun was high when the overtaxed
wife awoke from her long and dreamless
slumber; the slumber of sweet relief after
Il frl4 -
onizing suspense, and she hurriedly dressed
herself and went into tho sick-room.
Lillian was there, and her husband was
awake He greeted her with q smile, in
fantile Ia its weakness, yet full of love and
trust, as she bent over him and whispered
glad words of love and thankfulness into
his ear
"Have /, then, been so very sicxl' he
asked, feebly as her tears of joy fell upon
his face.
II think, Uncle Harvey, you deserve a
good scolding fo' giving US such a scare"
Lillian answered for her. 'If IL 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 were
glowering over you like 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.
1t seemed as II 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.
81 think / must go home how" said Lii
| liam, playfully, the next day. 81 have res
cued one forlorn man from a premature
fate, and shall have another TO drag from
the brink of despair il do not get back to
Ralph. Mamma says he wanders to and
fro like the disconsolate ghost of Melan-
choly."
~ little thought that your long-talked-of
visit was to be such q doleful affair as this"
said Isabel. 'But, indeed, Lillian, you do
not know how much you have helped me-"
II assure you take full credit to myself
| for all Ihave DONE" she answered, willfuily
II do believe Uncle Harvey got up this lit
| tie diversion Just for the purpose Of testing
the affection Of his friends"
"Then l deserved to be disappointed,
| didn't IT. he said, weakly. He enjoyed her
| bright raillery, as il showed him that he
was once more among flesh and blood peo-
| Pile instead OF the dim and ghostly forms
| among which he had moved during the
weeks when his diseased fancy had distort-
ed every thing about him into unreal shapes.
Isabel was not disappointed in Lillian
the bright, sweet girl was just the gener-
| Gus, whole-souled little woman she had i'm
agined her to be, and a warm affection had
| sprung up between them.
"You have forgiven me, then, for marry
| ing your unclei" Isabel said, mischievOusly
as they were waiting in the drawing-room
| for the carriage which was TO take Lillian
away.
"Yes,n she replied. promptly, ''and have
| given you my blessing, fguratively speak
ing.n Then more thoughtfully: "Your case
Is only another demonstration Of the fact
which mamma and / have argned over ever
since went IN pinafores, that persons
1 position In life does not necessarily deter
: : - "a his qualities Of lead and heart