The Roanoke times. [volume] (Roanoke, Va.) 1890-1895, 1893-03-21

John, this is the mistress; she's got
trouble i'll her brccst-some kind O. an
income, we're thinkin'."
BY this time saw the woman's face:
she was sitting on II sack filled with
straw, her husbands plaid around her,
and his big coat with it's large white
metal buttons. over her feet.
never saw a,norc umforgcatble face
pale, serious, lonely, delicate sweet,
without being at all what we call fine.
She looked sixty. and had on n mulch,
white us snow, with its black ribbon;
her silvcry, smooth hair setting off her
dark gray eyes-cyes such as one sees
only twice or thrice in lifetime, full
OF suffering. full also of the overcoming
OF it: her eyebrows black and delicate.
anu her mouth firm, patient and con-
tented. which few mouths ever arc.
AS have said. l never saw Il more
beautiful countcnunce, or one more
subducd to settled quiet.
Allie" said james. this is Master
John, the young doctor; Rab's frcend,
We ken. We often speak ABBOTT YOU,
doctor She smiled, and made a move
mcnt, but said nothing; and prepared
to come down. putting her plaid aside
and rising. Had Solomon. in all his
glory, been handing down the Queen of
Sheba at his palace gate, he could not
have done it more daintily. more ten
derby, more like gentleman, than did
James the Ilowgate carrier when he
lifted down Allie his wife The con-
trast of his small. swarthy, weather
beaten. keen. worldly face to hers
pale. subdued and beautiful-was some
thing wonderful. Rab looked on con-
ccrned and puzzled. bat ready for any
thing that might turn up. were it to
stranglc the nurse, the porter, or even
inc. Allie and he seemed to be great
friends.
MS was sayin'. she's got kind @
trouble i'll her breast, doctor: will We
talk Il look ut it:'' We walked into the
consulting-room. all four: Rab grim
and comic. willing to be happy and con-
tdential if cause could be shown. will
ing also to be the reverse, on the same
terms Allie sat down, undid her open
gown and her lawn handkerchief round
her neck and without a word showed
me her right breast | looked at and
examined it carefully, she and James
watching me, and Rah cyeing all three
What could I say? there it was. that
had once been so soft. so shapely SO
white. so gracious and bountiful. so
full of all blessed conditions as
stone. Il center of horrid pain making
that pale face. with its gray. lucid, reason
abe Iycs. and its 81: GET, resolved mouth.
express the full measure of suffering
overcome. Why was that gentle. mod
est. sweet woman. clean and lovable
condemned by God TO bear such u bur-
len?
] got her away TO bed. .'Mav Rub
and me bdc:" said james. You NAV;
and Rab. if he will behave himself"
Use warrant he's do that DOCTOR
and i'll skunk the faithful beast. wisl;
YOU could have seen him. There are
no such dogs now. He belonged to a
lost tribe. AS | have said. he was
brindled and gray like Rubislaw gran
lite: his hair. short, hard, and close, like
lion ;: his body thicli-set. like a little
bull a sort Of compressed Hercules of y
dog. lie must have been ninety pounds
weight, at the least; he had large
blunt head: his inuzzlc black as night:
his mouth blacller than any night. a
tooth on two, being all lie had, gIeam-
ing out of his jaws of darkness. His
head was scared with the records of
old wounds, Il sort OF series of fields OF
battle all over it: one eye out. one car
cropped as close as was Archbishop
I.cightonS fathcrs the remaining eve.
had the power OF two: and above it, and
in constant communication with it, WIS
Il tattcrcd rag Of an ear. which wa, for
ever Enfuriing it self. like an old hap.:
and then that bud of a tail. about on.
inch long. if it could in any sense b.
salt 10 pe long. being as broud IL, lony.
the mobility. the instantaneousness OF
that bud were very funny and surpris-
ing, and its expressive twinlllings and
winkings, the intcrcommunications be-
tween the eye, the ear, and it, were of
the oldest and swiftcst.
Rab had the dignity and simplicity of
great size and having fought his way
all along the road to absolute snyrem-
acy. he was as mighty in his own line as
Julius Caesar or the Duke OF Yelling
ton, and had the gravity of all great
hghtcrs.
You must have often observed the
likeness of certain men to certain ami
mails, and OF certain dogs to men. Now,
| never looked at Rub without thinking
OF The great Baptist preacher, Andrew
Fuller. The same large. heavy, mcnac-
my NpiipdtNt- SohtoTc, llc:lcSJ cOuuJ"-
nance. the same deep inevitable eye. the
same look, as OF thunder asleep. but
ready: neither a dog nor man to be
| trified with.
Next day. my master, the surgeon.
examined Allie. There was no doubt it
must kin HEY, and soon. 1t could BE- re-
,noved-it might never rcturn-it would
give her speedy relief, she should have it
done. She curtsicd, looked at James,
and said, "When:' Tomorrow, 2" said