The Monitor-register., 1896-07-31
NJ
ON DUTY.
BY PRISCILLA LEONARD.

him through. We shall know before to-
morrow night one way or the other. AS
for yourself. Miss Mary. you're hardly fit
to nurse him; you're tired out. Do you
think you can stand the strain to night 9''
Mary's lips frightened little. 81 can
stand it, Doctor" she said, in the tone
that woman uses when she knows that
she is on her last reserve of strength, and
resents any ones else knowledge of it.
81 doubt it," said the doctor. He
admired Miss Mary, and he was sorry for
her. He paused at the door as he went
out. Look here, Miss Mary, don't kill
yourself over this case. It's burning
shame you have to do it at ALL"
Something in Mary's eyes stopped him
there. 1t was not anger 80 much as a
hurt snd beseeching pride. "Well,
well," he said, ''you understand what to
do-the stimulant and the medicine and
the nourishment-it will keep you busy
every half-hour through the night. am
coming round early Ia the morning, for l
have another case in the neighborhood;
young Ford, you know-splendid young
fellow, only son, the very apple of their
eyesl He'll fight it through, l think,
tho; he has two chances where your
brother-in-law-well, We'll hope for the
best!' and the talkative old doctor went
off on his rounds, leaving Mary to go
back to her patient.
1t was before the days of trained
nurses, and she WAS nursing the case
alone. She was tired out. She felt it as
she dragged herself up the stairs. She
felt it anew as she entered the darkened
sick-room, and shrapk almost with
shiver from the feverish, unseeing gaze
Of her patient, as she took her place by
the bedside az ain, 30 tired out that she
could not summon sympathy or hope to
strengthen her in her watching. The
foundations seemed to be giving way
under her, soul and body, at the thought
of the long hours before her.
The patient stirred uneasily upon his
pillows. He was large, strong, hand
some man, with heavily nodded features,
whose fiorid coloring was heightened by
fever. Herbert Waters was counted
fine. looking fellow. but his sisterin-law
had no pleasant associations with his
flushed face. as she sat there and looked
at 1t.
1t only brought back to her the long
succession of trouble, neglect, sordid
quarrel and brutal self indulgence that
had followed steadily since his marriage
to Helen, fifteen years ago. Now, Helen
was well nigh helpless invalid, off at
rest cure when this illness struck her
husband down, and too weak and frail to
be allowed to come back, or even be told
fully of his condition. The tears came
up into the sisters eyes as she thought of
Helen and the two little ones. Helen, SO
brave, so sweet, so forgiving, so infinitely
patient, yet worn. out, wearied pushed
past patience and forbearance, at last,
into an exhausted acceptance of acknow l.
edged defeat. And the ohildren,-frail,
tender little creatures, needing many
things which their fathers selfishness
made impossible in the family life. "He
does not even care for the childrenl'' had
been their mothers saddest cry, when
she had broken down in the struggle.
The two women were old fashioned In
their bringing up, trained in bygone
tenets of strict, unquestioning righteous
ness; it had never come within the view
of their minds that divorce could be
right. The wife had never mentioned
such a possibility, the sister had never
suggested it. Yet now, another posi-
bility, wider, deeper in separation than
any earthly one, had come; and do what
she might, Mary could not Danish the
thought of what infinite relief might be In
its event. Would he die ? nay, the fear
was not there; but rather-would he live?
The sick man stirred uneasily; his
nurse glanced at her watch. Ten min
utes yet before the medicine should be
given. Every minute seemed to lag, and
hang upon her like a weight; and the
night was but just begun. When the
drug was measured aud given, the patient
murmured fretfully. He did not recog-
uize her; but he rebelled against control,
as he always had and always would, she
thought, sadly. How this reckless oon-
tempt of guidance had dissipated his
fortune and theirs, only these patient
women knew. Even now they were
Strengthened. It had taken much of her
own small income to send her sister
away; he had been oontemptuous of the
idea of cure. Helen was always COM
planning, he said; let her stay at home
with the children and keep quiet, and
she was as we'll off there az anywhere.
Il was hard thing for a man to be
burdened with a sickly, helpless wife;
only healthy women should marry-as if
Helen had not been blooming, sparkling
girl fifteen years ago, when she gave her.
self and her little ali into his careless
keeping. OF his own property, no one
knew how much was left; it was doubtful
If he himself did. Gambling and drink
were melting it away quickly and surely.
If no lived, few more years would see
them ruined. except for the small property
which Mary held in her own right, and
for whose control her brother-in-law was
already scheming and quarreling.
If he lived ! The mookery of it all
Here she was, straining every nerve.
keeping vigil night and day, aching with
fatigue, weak from loss of sleep, fighting
Death hour after hour for life not only
worthless, but hurtful. Better, far bet
ter for him to be dead than alive Better
for Helen to be free from such hateful
perversion of the marriage bondP Better
for the children to remember their father
as vague, childish memory, than to
grow up recognizing what he was, and
being warped by his evil influence.
What folly to be at hand-grips with
Death for such life, Why not cease
the tense, exhausting struggle 1t was
easy enough to call up the servant to
take her place for half the night, while
she took the rest which every nerve in
her body called out for; easy, after all,
to fling off the responsibility which was
not really hers. Would this man have 80
much as nursed his wife for an hour
Nay, when her life had hovered in the