The Roanoke times. [volume] (Roanoke, Va.) 1890-1895, 1895-03-24
THE SURGEONS VISIT.
by JAN nIAcLAHEN.

bOrucTlup OH Iuc supernatural, because
| neither the Drumtochty houses nor his
| manner were on that large scale. He
| was accustomed to deliver himself in
| the yard, and TO conclude his directions
| with one foot in the stirrup: but when
! he left the room where the life of Annie
| Mitchell was cbbing slowly away, our
| doctor said not one word, and ut the
sight of his face her. husbands heart
was troubled.
He was Il dull man, Tammas, who
could not read the meaning of Il sign,
and labored under a perpetual disabil-
ity of speech; but love was eyes to him
that day, and mouth.
rs t as bad rs yir loolSin', doctor?
Tell the truth; wull Annie no come
through?" and Tammas looked Mac
Lure straight in the face, who never
1linched his duty or said smooth things.
ga wud gle onything tac say Annie
hes u chance, but n daurna; u doot yir
gaein to lose her, Tammasp'
Mcclure was in the saddle, and as
he gave his judgment he laid his hand
on Tammas' shoulder with one of the
rare caresses that pass between men.
Its n sair business, but We ill play
the man and no vex Annie; she ill dac
her best, all warrant"
AN all dac mine;" and Tammas
gave MacLure's hand grip that would
have crushed the bones of wealSling.
Drumtochty felt in such moments the
brotherliness of this rough-lcolling man,
and loved him.
1ammas hid his face in Jess name,
who looked round with sorrow in her
beautiful eyes, for she had seen many
tragedies, and in this silent sympathy
the stricken man drank his cup, drop
by drop.
The winter night was falling fast,
the snow lay deep upon the ground,
and the ncrcilcss north wind moaned
through the close as Tammas wrestled
with his sorrow dry-cycd, for the tears
were denied Drumtochty men. Neither
the doctor nor jess moved hand or foot,
but their hearts were with their fellow
creature, and atlength the doctor made
u sign to Marget Howe, who had
come out in search of Tammas, and now
stood at his side.
"Dinna mourn tao the brallin' o. yir
heart, Tammas," she said, las if Annie
an you had never loved Neither death
nor time can part them that love;
there's neathin' in u the warld sac
strong as love. If Annie gacs frae the
SIGHT O. yir cen She'll come the nearer
tae yir hert. She wants tae see We,
and tao hear We say that We ill never
forget her nicht nor day till we meet in
the land where there's nae pairtin'.
Oh, a ken what ain sayin' for it's five
years moo sin George gied ava, an he's
| mair with me moo than when he Yves in
| Edinboro' and ives in Drumtochty."
Thank We kindly, Marget; thae are
| GUIDE words and true, an We hcv the
RIGHT tao say them; but a Gamma dac
without secin' Annie comm tao meet
me in the gloamin', an gaein' in an
| DOT the hoose, an hcarin' her ca me by
ma name. an all no can tell her that a
| luve her when there's nae Annie in the
| hoose.
Can naethin' be dune, doctor? Yc
| brac, an yon shepherds wife, Dun
lcithwy, an we were a sac prood o We,
an pleased tae think that we he'd kept
dcith frac anithcr hamc. Can We no
think o somethin' tae help Annie,
and gle her back tao her man and bair-
nies?" and Tammas searched the doc
tors face in the cold, weird light.
"Ye medina plead wi me, Tammns,
| to dae the best u can for yir wife Man,
a kent her lang aforc yc ever luvcd
her; n brocht her intac the warld, and
a saw her through the fever when she
was bit lassiliie; ~ closed her NTH
cr's cen, and it Yves me he'd to tell her
she ives an orphan, an nae man Yves
better pleased when she got guide
husband, and n helpit hcrwi' her Tower
| BARNS. Ave naithcr wife nor BARNS
| o ma own, an a coont a the faux o
the glen ma family. Div we think a
wudna save Annie if I. cud? If there
Yves man in Muirtown 'at cud dac
mar for her, aid have him this vera
| NIGHT, but a the doctors III Pcrthshirc
are helpless for this tribblc.
'Tammas, ina puir fallow, if it could
avail, a tell We a wud lay down this
auld worn-oot rucllle o. Il body o. mine
| just tao see We bath sittin' at the fire
side, an the BARNS round We, couthy
an canty again; but it's nae tao be,
Tammas, it's nae tac be-"
Its Gods wull an maun be borne
but lisa sair wull for me, an am no
ungratcfu' tao You, doctor, for a we've
| ducn and what We said the NIGHT " and
| Tammas went back to sit with Annie
for the last time.
Jess picked herway through the deep
snow to the main road, with skill
that came with long experience, and
the doctor held converse with her.
"Eh. Jess wumman, yon Yves the
| hardest warll a hae tae face, and a
wud rather hac ta'en ma chance o.
anithcr row in Glen Urtach drift than
tell Talnmas Mitchell his wife ives
|