Lancaster daily intelligencer. [volume] (Lancaster, Pa.) 1864-1928, 1890-03-15

the big hospital for several days Mrs.
Clancy had refused TO leave the bedside
Of her beloved Mike, and was permitted
to remain. For woman who was noto-
rious as virago and bully, who had
beaten little Kate from her babyhood
and abused and hammered her Michael
until, between her and drink. he was but
the wreck Of stalwart manhood, Mrs.
Clancy had developed degree of devo-
ton that was utterly unexpected. In all
tho dozen years OF their marital relations
no such trait could bc recalled; and yet
there had been many an occasion within
the past few years when Clancy's condi-
tion demanded gentle nursing and close
attention--and never would have got 1t
but for faithful little Kate. The child
idolized the broken down man, and loved
him with tenderness that his weakness
seemed but to augment n thousandfdid,
while II but served TO infuriate her moth
er. In former years, when he was Sergt.
Clancy and a fine soldier. many was the
time no had intervened to save her from
an undeserved thrashing; many time
had he seized her in his strong arms aud
confronted the furious woman with stern
reproof. Between him and the child
there had been the tenderest love, for
she was all that was left to him of four.
In the old days Mrs. Clancy had been
the belle Of the soldiers balls, fine
looking woman, with indomitable pow
crs as dancer and conversationalist
and an envicd reputation for outshining
all her rivals in dress and adornment.
''She would ruin Clancy, that she
would" was the unanimous opinion of
the soldiers wives, but he seemed to min
lister to1ier extravaganza with unfailing
good nature for two OF three years. He
had been prudent, careful of his money,
was war soldier with big arrears Of
bounty and, tradition had 1t, consum-
mate skill in poker. He was the money
cd man among the sergeants when the
dashing relict of brother non.commis-
stoned officer set her widows cap for him
and won. 1t did not take many years
for her TO whcedle most of his money
away, but there was no cessation to the
demand, no apparent limit to the supply.
Both were growing older, and now it be-
came evident that Mrs. Clancy was the
elder of the two, and that the artificial
ity Of her charms could not stand the
test of frontier life. No longer sought
as the belle OF the soldiers ball rooms, she
aspired to leadership among their wives
and families, and was accorded that pre-
eminence rather than the fierce battle
which was sure to follow any revolt. She
became avaricious--some said miserlyr-
and Clancy miserable. Then began the
downward course. He took to drink soon
nfter his return from long, hard sum
mcr's campaign with the Indians. He
lost his sergeants stripes and went into
the ranks.
There came time when the new col
onel forbade his enlistment in the
cavalry regiment in which he had served
so many long year. lie had been
brave and devoted soldier. lie had a
good friend in the infantry, he said. who
wouldn't go back on poor fellow who
took drop too much at times, and, to
the surprise Of many soldiers-officers
and men-he was brought to the recruit
ing officer one day, sober, soldierly, and
trinity dressed, and Capt. Rayner ex-
pressed his desire to have him enlisted
for his company; and it was done. Mrs.
Clancy was accorded the quarters and
rations of laundress, as was then the
custom, and for time-a very short
time-Clancy seemed on the road to pro-
motion to his old grade. The enemy
tripped him, aided by the seedlings and
abuse of his wife, ana hc never rallied.
Some work was found for him around
the ulartcrmaster's shops which saved
him from guard duty or the guard
house. The infantry-oflicers and men
seemed to feel for the Door, broken
down old fellow, and to Law much of his
woe to the door of his wife. There was
charity for his faults aud sympathy for
his sorrows, but at last 1t had come to
this. He was living, sorely injured. i'm
the hospital, and there were times when
he was apparently delirious.
At such times. said Mrs. Clancy. she
alone could manage him; and she urged
that no other nurse could do more than
excite or irritate him. To the unspeaka-
BILE grief of little Kate she. too. was
driven from the sufferers bedside and
forhh,lt'' I" c'"ur ,u'o tnc ''-'n except
when her mother gave permission.
Clancy had originally been carried into
the g''ne'ai "a'd with the other patients,
but the hospital steward two days after
wards '"'d the surgeon that the patient
moanrd and cried 50 at nig''' that the
other sick me' could not sleep, and of
fercJ ." s'v" VI little room in his own
part Of 'h" building. The bury doctor
looked surprised ut this concession on
the psrs of sh- steward, who was man
tenacious of every perquisite and one
who had madv much complaint about
the crowded condition of the hospital
wards and small rooms ever since the
frozen soldiers had come in All the