The Democratic advocate. [volume] (Westminster, Md.) 1865-1972, 1894-10-27

know can afford to pay you well
many poor folks you attend You g,
your living through attending toa athe pool
and it can't be agreeable work al Syays, an
it's right you should be paid Besides
there is that dear young lady tok Y consid
cred No, sir; let me have yoa bill ant
settle it honest If the day conlt when
eouldn t, then it Il be time enouglh p for me
to receive charity.
And so the doctor sent in a very modest
bill, and it was duly paid Butghe made
point afterwards of always gifing it to
be clearly understood that his isisits were
friendly And, indeed, he could do
nothing for Mrs. Temple. .31l that medi-
cal skill could do for her bid been done
long ago.
But the doctor could SET that the chill
she had had was the forerapner of grad
ual decline. To say she grew more help
less would be scarcely consistent with truth
but it was evident she was failing. Her
interest in things seemed to flag. She
lay for hours with her eyes closed. She
took less food. Sometimes Temple had to
finish the beef tea himself or eat the grapes,
and they tasted bitter in his mouth. But
he gave no sign that he thought her any
worse, and, indeed, the change was so
gradual as to be almost imperceptible
The spring came. There were no more
fogs. Even here the subtle spirit of hope
penetrates. The air was sweet in the early
morning when Temple went to his work.
He would sing as he walked Sunny
cage was placed near the window, and he
chirped to his mistress. He told her that
the sky was blue, that somewhere the fields
were decked with cowslips, that violets
were blowing in the woodland places, that
the trees we're murmuring together as they
decked themselves in young green leaves.
All this was pleasant to think Of but il
was pleasanter to think that John would
soon be home. When Sunny chirped
loudest, she knew the time was drawing
near. Perhaps she thought of other
things; for she and John talked together
sometimes of the country to which by-and-
by they would go. and where there shall
be ne pain. She was not in hurry to 90.
She was happy here; for love had given
her foretaste of heaven But she was
ready to start; and they had sent little |
to await them thirty years ago.
She had thought then the time would be
long before she saw the child again, but |
John had made it short for her.
The spring brought hope to the doctor
He knew that Mrs. Hawker's reign was
drawing to an end, and that the by and
by would soon be here 1t had been a
hard winter Strikes had brought added
poverty to many home, and the infant
sickness and mortality had been terrible.
And then there had been the influenza !
But he had battled on, working all the
day and sometimes half the night and
kept himself brave with the thought of
Norah. And now it was April And on
the 1st of June
He called on the Temples before he went
away They had known that his marriage
was approaching, but not exactly the date
Of it.
Il am going OF fora month, he said
to John. The.i reidening, when l !
come back hope to bring another friend
to see you
Sir r The old man looked at him.
Then, grasping his meaning, held ont his
rough yet gentle hand.
''God bless you, sir You couldn't
tell me anything that would make me more
rejoiced. The dear young lady We
seem to know her already, but we shall
really see her, and love her, am sure
''Oh, yes, said Murray, you'll love
her, Mr.. Temple. Everybody does.
Lucy, did you hear? The doctor is
going to fetch the dear young lady.
The woman unclosed her eyes She
looked at the doctor and the drawn face
seemed flooded with sweetness Her lips
moved.
s'She says God bless you, sir. Lucy
says, God bless you And when she
says it she means it All, we know what
a blessed thing married life can be, don
we, Lucy? It's a solemn fact, sir, to
take woman to be your wife It's
solemn fact. But when the blessing Of
God rests upon union, marriage Is a
sacrament that brings you added grace.
1t is, sir. Your faith grows, and your
love grows, and your nature deepens.-
learn many things. I'm old and I've
lived, but the part of my life that has
helped me to the best knowledge is-iust
that took Lucy | said I'd love her,
comfort her, honor and keep her in sick
ness and in health. I've tried and we We
been happy. Sir, love does it all. You'll
want to comfort her, you'll have to honor
her, and if sickness comes you Il love her
all the more
From the bed there came strange
sound. 1t was somthing between a laugh
and sob And the doctor, turning,
looked away again. Her husband words
had moved the wife to tears, but her face
was radiant with the JOY in her upturned |
eyes.
Temple laid his hand on hers-hers
which could give no answering pressure.
Sir, he said, Il can only wish you bet
ter happiness than I've had L wish you
as much. And l take it I'm about the
happiest man in London.