Shiner gazette. [volume] (Shiner, Tex.) 1893-current, 1897-09-15

H6nt last month, and this morning he
went over to Crawford and got drunk.
He was coming home again, when he
stumbled somehow, and fell under a
hay cart. He's badly hurt. think
the wheels went over his breast. I
suppose, bad as he is, wen have to
nurse him"
And bad as he was, tyrant, torment-
or and traitor, the new patient thus
thrown upon my hands was nursed as
tenderly as if he had been both low
ing and beloved. Out of her heavy
dependency, throwing self aside, Mrs.
Raynor developed her charitable, for
giving nature in the weeks OF illness
that followed her husbands injuries,
fatal from the first l believe sho
would have kept him in life If by an
self-sacrifce it had been possible, BIZ,
she could only make smoother the pas
sage to the grave.
had thought her own tenure of lifa
but frail, but in her devotion she grew
stronger. She gained sleep by actual
physical exhaustion, and calmness by
the consciousness of duty performed.
Susan, by my advice, provided food
that was nourlshing in small quantities
and as the injured man passed toward
the portals of eternity, we kept his
wife from throwing her own life away
by our united efforts. .
l would like, for humanity's sake, ia
write that the reprobate reformed, on
even showed common gratitude for tho
care lavished upon him, but he died as
he had lived, sinking into stupor for
days before the end came and ever,
Susan assured me, bestowing ono word
Of thanks upon his gentle, tender
nurse.
1t was a small funeral cortege that
left Fern Cottage to take the remains
Of John Raynor to his New York home.
I insisted upon escorting the widow,
and left her with an aunt who was
sympathizing and kind but evidently
spoke from her heart when she said
to me:
THANK the Lord, he is dead this
time!"
scarcely expected Fern Cottage to
be occupied soon again, but Mrs. Ray
nor returned in a few weeks, working
again busily, for her boy, she told me-;
content to bear some further separas
ton, as he was gaining greatly by the
German treatment. But the desolate
yearning was gone from the large, dark
eyes, and health came back slowly in
the winter months, when my advice
was followed, and Susan guarded my
patient against overwork. The piano
ceased to wall and sob, and the slen-
der fingers found tasks in weaving
gladder strains.
A year passed, and one evening, just
before the Christmas time, l opened
the cottage door. Upon my stortled
ears fell the sounds of song Meyer
had heard Mrs Raynors rich, r'olrd-
ious voice in song before, and I clscd,
astonished, as Susan whispered;
"Her boy is coming home for Christ
mas. Mr.. Duchesne is bringing him,
and we expect them any day. And
Harold Is perfectly cured"
I did not go in. Such joy as that
I felt should have no witness.
They came, these eagerly expec Il
travellers, Just before the Christi IS
bells rang out their joyful peals. TIN
slender handsome hoy had his moth
er's face, and was evidently cured and
on the way to noble manhood
And of his companion l can only say
that have no truer or more valued
friend than Frank Duchesne. who
comes every summer with his beautis
full wife and pretty children to spend
the hot months at Fern Cottage.-N.