Santa Fe daily New Mexican., 1894-07-06
LOST IN LOVE.

| and her goodneSSeS.
REST me with some music darling"
said. 'Paint me some pictures in glad
assonance, for yours is the marvellous skill
which may linn the vanishing shades Of
a blush or thrill"
'How poetic you are getting, papa!'
she said, turning and flashing orations of
wordless love upon me.
Resuming her original position, she
broke into an improvisation which lifted
us both into the dream realm of sweetness
and light Spirit speech is music. There
can be no soul phase not expressible by it,
| UnconsciOusly she evolved in succeeding
touches a picture of her own young, bound
| ing, joyous, ardent selfhood. .
In moment Mabel was on my lap, with
her arms about my neck and her warm
lips against my check. Relaxing and gaz-
| ing anxiously into my eyes, she said
What is it, papa? My music has made
| you sad instead of glad"
mot exactly sad, darling, but sweetly
solemn. That last passage carried me back
| to IA certain epoch in my life"
"Tell me all about it" she said, with
| sweet insistencc.
hcsitated a little, and then, with u
spasm of heart choke, said: II suppose 1
may as we'll do so. 1t is a little hard, but
it is right. Listen, darling for it is q
marvellous story"
Her head was on my shoulder, and she
was trembling.
"Oh, papa" said she, II wish you would
not tell it-somchow dread to hear it.
''1t is better that Should my pet, and
no time could be more fitting than now.
1t is all right, my little one, and 1 COM
menccd:
''Sixteen years ago was practicing in
ST. Louis. One day apale, beautiful young
woman came into my Office to consult me
about her husband. He was failing rapid
ly with somo nameless disease. He scout
cd the idea that anything allied him and
would not hear to having doctor. Would
call next day to see him, and what plan
could we devise that he might not know
was q doctor and that was visiting him
professionally
Il told her that concealmcnt of my mis-
sion would completely handicap mo and
render helpful effort on my part out Of the
question. 1T is better to be frank, | said,
for dissimulation would only do harm in
this case.
oh, love him SOP she exclaimed,
with half sob, 'and it will worry him SO
to know how anxious l am. l have never
hinted to him that felt alarmed about
his condition. am always cheerful in
his presence.
Writing their address on my slate, she
said, Come tomorrow at 8 O'Clock, for he
will be at home at that hour With this
she departed.
"'Ah' thought I, if he is any worse off
than she, pity him.
''Phthisis was written all over her love-
ly form and face The beautiful optimism
of this insidous malady totally blinded
her to her own peril, as it does in all con-
sumptivcs. In the afternoon the remnant
Of once handsome and still noble man
called at my Office. I could see that he was
being preycd upon by q secret woo. The
indiccs to such conditions are plainly legi-
Bile to the practiced eye of an experienced
physician.
"Seating himself at my request, he be-
gan:
g Doctor, I have heard of your skill in
lung troubles. The sweetest woman On
earth is victim of that cruel disease. She
is my wife. She laughs me into silence if
even hint that she needs medical holp.
1t is driving me mad. l cannot and will
not live if she must die. Come tomorrow,
doctor, and SEQ her Do not alarm her
more than is barely necessary to mako her
submit to treatment
HE wrote his street and number on
card, and handing it to me bowed himself
out.
"What was my surprise to find that he
had given mo the same address as that left
by the lady!
'Well, it turned OUT that he was her
husband. I found that she was rapidly
nearing the last stage of tuberculosis, and
that he was keeping an even dcathward
pace with her from loving sympathy. If
her case was beyond the reach of drugs, SO
was his. There was no hope for either of
them, for she could not and he could not,
because he would not, be cured. called
upon them frequently, not because could
do them any good medically, but because
that sweet atmosphere of fathomless love
made me better, because it was religion to
me, because-I couldn't help it.
"They had dear little girl-a human
bud, into which was condensed the united
sweetness and spiritual beauty of it's par
ents 1t had inherited its mothers talent
for and love Of music. When from any
cause it was restless, the mother would
soothe it into peaceful quiotudc with har
monies she must have caught from heav-
en-. l havc seen her do this when the
stress Of mother love alone was between
her and syncope. Oh, the immeasurabili-
ty of q mothers self abnegation-it is the
divinest essence outside of God!
lone night thrcc months after had
made their acquaintance, white Tipped
domestic came and implored me to hurry
to the bedside of these dear friends. l lost
no time in getting to them. l found them
dying. They lay in each others arms
dying and loving, loving and dying! 1
read their mutual wish and held baby up
till that wonderful awe start which sig
nalizes the souls break from the body shut
out forever the sight Of all temporal things.
Its little image went to heaven with
them"
Mabel was weeping and clinging closer
to me.
I continued: "Thcy were wealthy, and
they willed oil they had to their child,
making mo their executor"
"Whcrc is the child, papa?" asked Ma
bel in a broken voice.
1t took all the fortitude could summon
to say: Hero in my arms, darling. They
gave her to me-"
She shook with speechless emotion. The
shock was terrible one to her, but was
somewhat mitigated by the love and rev.
erencc sho had imbibcd for her parents
through my recital of their last chapter In
life
To break her sad train of thoughts
said: Herbert, whom you SO soon will
marry, and who loves you for your dear
little self alone, will not think less of you
when he finds out that you are an heir
ess"
"Oh, darling papa" she exclaimed pas
sionately, "you shall never, never leave mel
shall never marry unless my home shall