The Colfax chronicle. [volume] (Colfax, Grant Parish, La.) 1877-1981, 1893-07-08

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entire medical fraternity. You may err
in your Judgment. What then? Must
I be thrust in there to court the loath-
some infection? The meanest OF Gods
creatures ought to be treated with more
You might as well plunge
nv body and soul into the abysses OF
hell-it could not cause me greater |
agony"
I paused, painting for breath. The
muscles of my neck stoodout like whip |
cords; the sweat of agony oozed from
nv shivering body, and the doctor in
a cold, hard voice replied: 1--WE were
prepared for this; we expected it would
be terrible blow to you, but that could
not alter our course. The health laws
are extremely rigorous in regard to
leprosy, and it is therefore our painful
duty to send you at once to the leper
ward"
81 am not a leper," emphatically
declared; ''had been a leper It would
have been discovered when l was res
ident of Honolulu"
sOur decision is unalterable," an
swered the head physician. 1--WE would
spare you this pain If we could, but it
is impossible"
Mercy is always possible. For the
love of God, give me days grace, a
days respite" My voice broke in a
great sob, and as noticed the set de-
termination upon their faces hope van
lshed and sank into chair spent with
exhaustion. They left me without
word, and then the thought came OF my
little sweetheart, to torture me afresh.
What would become of her? Better
that she should believe me faithless,
scoundrel. Better anything than the
truth. determined to send her a mes
sage stating that l had been called
away on business, and then to change
my name, that she might never dis
cover that the man she loved and would
have married was that thing accursed
of God and man, a leper! could never
see her sweet face again, nor ever hear
her low, tender voice. She might come
to me only in dreams. My little Jess!
my lost love! only short time ago
since you were mine, and even now you
would shrink with horror from such a
thing as /. Yesterday a happy man,
and to-day leper. Yesterday! golden.
mocxing yesterday! Must its remem-
brance follow me through all the days
and months and years of my dead youth?
My bitter reflections were broken; my
hearse was at the door. Was it not a
hearse, this wagon which was to bear
me to living tomb-to cut me adrift
from the endearing ties of life? Death
! was more merciful than this. The dead
rode in their carriages respectfully un-
conscious-but rode on with every
nerve quivering with anguish. The
wheels rafting upon the stone pave
ment sang in my ears: Going to the
grave-to the grave forever" In the
street children Knocked me with their
merry voices; the sun flung upon the
blue dome above its royal banner of
light; birds sang jubilantly; happy
faces passed me, and flowers bloomed
on every side. The air was redolent
with perfume. 1t was spring in Cali
fornia, and all nature was glad; but L
could not partake of it. / was young,
and was old. Grief touched my mind
with age, while youth imperiously as
serted control over my body. We
reached the outskirts of the city at
last. The hillsides were covered with
blossoms. Perhaps if l were to touch
them they might wither in my hand.
But no, they were of Heaven, and
would not shrivel even in the hand of a
| leper.
| was shut in my tomb among the
lepers. The world aud its joys were
left behind. The pitiable wretches-
sharers of my miserable lot-seemed as
if they were bound in a heavy lethargy.
Upon their faces was an expression of
mute resignation. They sat listlessly
about in an apparently uninterested
manner. Upon entering my new abode
/ shrank from them with an irrepressi-
BILE shudder. But they did not appear
to notice it, though am sure my coun-
tenance must have betrayed the hot re-
bellion raging in my soul. Would ever
be like that loathsome object who sat
huddled in a gloomy corner of the
room? Oh, God forbid! Send death in
| any lOTIu Uut tudt-UO SiL anu wall lOT
the inevitable approach of decay, to
know as the leaden-footed years drag
by, one must reach the stage where the
flesh gradually drops from the bones
and nothing remains but living mass
of putrefaction. Horrible! Horrible!
l rushed wildly into the open air; tore
open my shirt; my brain and heart felt
as if they would burst with the agony
which consumed me. My case attract
ed the attention of the journals and
they, with my employers, demanded an
investigation. So it was finally de-
cided by the board Of health that l
should be brought before them for a
thorough examination. Were it proven
that was not leper, might return to
the world and the love of little jess. If,
on the contrary, l must be sent back
here-but dared not think of that.
The day dawned at last that was te