Watertown republican. [volume] (Watertown, Wis.) 1860-1906, 1892-10-19

the town by the river. The darkness
| seemed deeDer In this poor neighbor-
| hood, the rain more soaking and the
| wind keener. The river swept sullenlv
| by, a black, swollen tide, rejecting the
tlaring lights on the bridge. But the
| doctor minded this discomfort very
little. He wasin love with bis profess
sion, ardent and young. Besides, the
| desplsed dinner had given him new
| courage to fight pain and death.
lie entered the one room of the low
house to which he had been directed
with face quite free from Impotence.
A woman opened the door for him-a
lean, miserable creature, with pale eyes
| void Of expression. Her thin hair hung
over her neck, her calico dress fell limp
| ly from her sharp shoulders. She stared
at the doctor as he entered, and he
could see there were tears in her child
| like eyes.
"Joe's SICK" she said, slowly gazing
| into his face
whats the NATTER"
| "He-he's goin' ter die, may be-" she
| faltered piteously.
mo, hope not"
"Joe's SICK" she repeated in a whis-
per, shaking her head.
Who's come ?" asked voice from
the bed in the corner of the room.
"Nellie, girl, who are We talkin' with ?'
ut IS DR.. Ford, whom you sent for"
said the physician, approaching the bed.
One candle lighted dimly the untidy.
comfortless place, showing a stove and
man with tumbled hair and rough
beard lying among the pillows of his
bed.
"Oh, the DOCTOR" said he, with fever
ish eyes staring from under shaggy
brows.
GLOW long have you been i'll ?" asked
DIR. Ford, sitting down on rickety
chair.
cts week since I gave up; but
I've been feeling bad for a long time"
The doctor placed his little thermo-
meter under the patients tongue and
waited silently.
''Joe's SICK" moaned the girl peering
out Of the shadows.
The sufferer seemed to be irrjtated by
the repetition of these words, and made
an impatient gesture, but as be did SO,
glanced pitifully at the slouching figure.
''What you most need is good nurs-
ing" said the doctor after examining
the patient. The mans face darkened.
The woman lowered aimlessly over the
stove.
"she's my wife," said the sick man
hoarsely. Il know she amt quite like
other folks. But she's peaceable and
good; not bold and noisy like other
women. I pitied her first off; then I
got kind O. fond of her. And she"
The girl had crept to the bedside, and
stood there with her vacant, troubled
face, fumbling with the pillows.
"Joe," she said, much as mother
might speak her baby's name.
"She can't do nothing more for me
nor for herself" whispered the man,
as he clasped one of the futtering
hands in his.
poor thing" murmured the doc
tor.
II can earn good wages when Pm
we'll, " went on the invalid, ''and [ did
the cooking and kept the house tidy
then. Now everything's gone wrong.
She spoils all the victuals, but she don't
mean to-"
At this moment something on the
stove boiled over with loud hiss and
filled the room with the odor of scorch-
ing milk. The girl started, then moved
toward the ruined mess.
"Oh, dear me ~ said the sick man
under his breath. Don't burn your
self, Nellie,'' he called, as if to child.
cts scorched. joe" she said, the
tears overfowing at last.
"Never mind, my girl, throw it away.
We can get plenty more. You see,
DOCTOR" he said in his hoarse voice,
II can't speak rough to her. She's my
wife"
The doctor sat with bent head, speech
less.
''l'll send you nurse, my man." he
said, after pause. "What you need is
good care. [ will come again tomor-
row." And with low bow to man and
wife, now clinging together, hand in
hand, the doctor said goodnight and
went on his way.
'Thank YOU, sir" called out the sick
man much moved.
The girl only stared and wiped the
last tear from her lashes.
Two hours later a capable, kind
hearted woman was installed as nurse
in the little home by the river. She
brought with her food i'll abundance
and comforts of all kinds.
DR., Ford drove slowly homeward.
Though it was late bright light shOne
from the parlor window as he. stopped.
The glow of wood fire Illuminated the
room as he entered But no one came
to meet MIN. His wife sat in her rock
er fast asleep. The lamp threw radi-
ance over her bronze brown hair and
one delicate cheek as she slept with
head against the crimson back OF the
chair. Her face wore a sweet, child
like expression, with touch of pathos
about the lips, and her hands lay closely
clasped in the lap of her gown of soft
dove color.
Near the fire stood a white-draped
table holding a tempting little repast,
carefully arranged. From a slender
glass in the midst hung one red rose.
The doctor knew she had cutr it for
him from her favorite plant On a
pretty plate reposed the fakiest and
most delectable of mince pies.
DR.. Ford stopped and kissed his wife's
fair cheek reverently. She stirred,
then opened her large eyes slowly.
"Oh, you have come. | am sorry /
was not awake to meet you. But here's
a mince pie. sent over to your
mother for one."
Hang the pie % cried John Ford.
"Elinor. | am brute !"
"Oh, no, dear-only man instead of
an archanget, as l once believed you to
be. But never mind. How do you like
my dress"
at is divine and you are an angel.