The midland journal. (Rising Sun, Md.) 1885-1947, 1893-08-04
RISING SUN, COUNTY, FRIDAY, AUGUST

agony"
I paused, painting for breath. The
muscles of my neck stood,out like whip.
cords; the sweat of agony oozed from
my shivering body, and the doctor in
a cold, hard voice replied: "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 tc
leprosy, and it is therefore our painful
duty to send you at once to the lepei
ward"
81 am not leper," 1 emphatically
declared; had been a leper It would
have been discovered when 1 was res
ident of Honolulu"
''Our decision is unalterable," an
swered the head physician. "NNe 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 l sank into chair spent with
exhaustion. They left me without a
NOlN, anu tllCLl GllC plOuS ScbhlC VI IL
| little sweetheart, to torture me afresh
What would become of her? Better
that she should believe me faithless, a
scoundrel. Better anything than the
truth. l determined to send her a mes.
sage stating that 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, 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 loveI only short time ago
since you were mine, and even now you
would shrink with horror from such a
thing as 1. Yesterday a happy man,
and to-day leper. Yesterday! golden,
mocking yesterday Must its remem-
brance follow me through all the days
and months and years of my dead youth?
| My bitter reflections were brokenj my
hearse was at the door. Was it not a
hearse, this wagon which was to bear
me to a 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 1 rode on with every
nerve quivering with anguish. The
wheels rattling 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 it's 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
I could not partake of it. 1 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 1 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
leper.
was shut in my tomb among the
lepers. The world and it's 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
yaanner. Upon entering my new abode
I shrank from them with an irrepressi-
BILE shudder. But they did not appear
. 70 notion - tha,,or1 7
tenance must have betrayed the hot res
bellion raging in my soul, Would ever
be like that loath~ ome object who sat
auddled in a gloomy corner of the
room? Oh, God Forbid Send death in
any form but that-to sit and wait for
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
I rushed wildly into the open air; I tore
open my shirt my brain and heart felt
as if they would burst with the agony
which consumed me. My case attract
cd 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 /
should be brought before them for a
thorough examination. Were it proven
that was not a leper, might return to
the world and the love of little Jess. If,
on the contrary, / must be sent back
here-but dared not think Of that
The day dawned at last that was to
decide my fate, and l was taken before
a formidable array of physicians and
stripped. They regarded my fine
breadth of chest and strong limbs with
looks of astonishment and admiration,
and critically inspected me as they would
the noble proportions of blooded ami!
NAL ! stood before them like muir
derer in the dock on his last day Of
grace. In vain ! tried to Danish hope,
It crept Though nay mind like mar
cotic and whispered me that was not
that repulsive thing which all human
ity shuns. 1t told me that might
again go into the world free man
free! to marry the girl loved-freel 10
have a home, and little children, and
the pleasant duties which filed the
lives of other men. tried to think of
the other side of the picture, hut an,
pol ! had not the strength to contem-
, plate that. No vision of the inferno, or
, the hideous pictures painted upon the
brain of a drunkard in the frenzy of de
, lirium could equal the thought of be.
] coming a lepef. gazed entreatingiy