The diamond drill. (Crystal Falls, Iron County, Mich.) 1887-1996, 1895-01-26
THE SURGEONS VISIT.
BY JAN MAcLAnEN.

Dr. MacLufc ulu not ichu u hoienh
procession from the sick bed TO the
dining-room, and give his opinion from
the hearthrug with an air of wisdom
bordering ON the supernatural. because
neither the Drumtochty houses nor his
manner were on that large scale. lie
was accustomed 10 deliver himself in
the yard, and TO conclude his directions
with one foot i'm the stirrup; but when
he left the room where the life of Annie
Mitchell was ebbing slowly away, our
doctor said not one word, and NJ the
sight of his face her husbands heart
was troubled.
He was dull man, Tammas, who
could not read the meaning OF sign,
and labored under perpetual disable
ity OF speech; but love was eyes To him
that day, and mouth.
us Z as bad as yir lookin', doctor?
Tell the truth; wull Annie no come
through" and Tamlnas looked Mae
Lure straight In the face, who never
flinched his duty or said smooth things.
"a wud gle onything tae say Annie
hes n chance, but a daurnoi a doot yir
gaein' 10 lose her, Tammas!'
MacLure was in the saddle, and as
! he gave his judgment he laid his hand
on Tammns' shoulder with one OF the
rare caresses that pass between men.
ats a suir business, but ye i'll play
the man and no vex Annie; she i'll dae
her best, all warrant
"An' all dae mine;n and Tammas
gave MacLure's hand a grip that would
have crushed the bones Of n weakling.
Drumtochty felt in such moments the
brotherliness of this rough-loolSing 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 merciless north wind moancd
through the close rs Tammas wrestled
with his sorrow dry-cyed, 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 al length the doctor made
a sign To Marget Howe, who had
come out in search of Tammas, and now
stood at his side.
"Dinna mourn tae tho bralSin' o. yir
heart, Tammas,n she said. ''as If Annie
an',you had never loved, Neither death
nor time can part them that love;
there's neathin in a the warld sac
strong as love. II Annie gacs frae the
SIGHT o. yir cen she'll come the nearer
tae yir hert. She wants tae see ye,
and tae hear We say that We i'll never
\ forget her nicht nor day till We meet in
4 the land where there's nae pairtin'
NOh, n ken what am saYin', for it's five
years moo sin George gicd AVA, an he's
mair with me moo than when he Yves in
Edinboro' and ives in Drumtochty."
"Thank We kindly, Marget; thae are
rude words and true, an We hev the
RIGHT tue say them; but n Gamma dae
without seein' Annie comm tae meet
me in the gloamin', an gaein' in an
DOT the hoose, an hearin' her ca me by
ma name, an all no can tell her that a
Iuve her when there nae Annie In the
hoose.
"Can naethin' be dune, doctor? We
savit Flora Cammil and young Burn
brae. an yon shepherds wife, Dun
leithwy, an we were a sac prood o We
an pleased tae think that ye he'd kept
deith frae anither hame. Can We M
think O somethin' tae help Annie
and gle her back tae her man and bair,
nies2n and Tammas searched the doo,
tors face in the cold, weird light
aye medina plead WI me, Tammasr
to dae the best a can for yir wife. Mar
a. kent her lang afore We ever luven
her; a. brocht her intae the warld, an
a saw her through the fever when So
was bit lassilSie; a closed her mid
er's cen, and IL ives me he'd To tell lnh
she Yves an orphan, an nae man wss
better pleased when she got gusc'
husband and a. helpit her wi her fowu
BARNS. Ave naithcr wife nor bairit
O. ma own. an o. coont n the faule e
the glen ma family. Div ye thinltu
wudna save Annie IL | cud? IL theei
yves man in Muirtown at cud dra
Enair for her, ad have him this verse
picht, but a. the doctors in Perthslh q
are helpless for this tribble. q
"Tammas, ma puir fallow II it corei
avail, a tell We n wud lay down dor
auld worn-oot ruclSle o a body o nlinr
juist tae see We bath sittin' at the aci
side, an the BARNS round yc, cow !
an canty again; but it's nae tae
Tammas, it's nae tac be-" u
ITS Gods wull an maun be bor q
but lisa snir wull for me. an am -
ungratefu' tae you, doctor, for n yen
ducn and what yc said the NIGHT, tct
Tammas went back 10 sit with Anor
for the last time. !"
jess picked her way through the Dbl
snow 10 the main road, with n sen
that came with long experience, sac
the doctor held converse with her. Fay
"Eh. Jess wumman, yon ives ig,
hardest wark n haze tae face anil !
wud rather hae ta'en ma chance li,
nnither row In Glen Urtach drift Zig
- tell Tammas Mitchell his wife Fhc