Wheeling register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1878-1935, 1897-11-18
THE LAST CONFESSION.
BY HALL GAME,
Author The Scapegoat' Bondma' "The Deems Be-
nRightsRe ervedo
By HALL GAME,
(An Rights Reserved.)

conquered. Some day it would return
with awful virulence. To meet that
terror wrought by day and night. No
slave ever toiled so hard. denied
myself rest, curtailed my sleep, and
stole from tranquil reflection and re-
pose half hours and quarter hours
spent in the carriage going from pa
tient to patient. The attack might
come suddenly, and must be prepared.
1 was working against time.
You know what happened. The at
tack did not come; my boy continued
well, but my name became known and
my discovery established. The weak
ness of my child had given the bent to
my studies. If had mastered my sub
ject it was my absorbing love of my
little one that gave me the impulse
and direction.
But l had paid my penalty. My
health was a wreck, and l must leave
everything behind me. If it had been
possible to take my wife and boy along
with me, how different the end might
have been! Should | be lying here
nowhere on this bed-with you,
Father, you
We spent our boys birthday with
what cheer we could command. For my
urifo If coop,od r., Tho n dow Of uuiet hon
piness, followed by precious memories
the dearest and most delicious that
ever mother ever knew-of the baby
hood of her boy-his pretty lisp, his
foolish prattle, his funny little ways
and sayings-and sweeteneG by the anti
cipation of the health that was to re-
turn to me as the result of rest and
change. The child himself was bright
and gamesome, and for my part gave
way to some reckless and noisy jollity.
Thus the hours passed until bedtime,
and then, as saw the little fellow tuck
ed up in his crib, it crossed my mind for
a moment that he Looked less we'll than
usual. Such fancies were common to
me, and l knew from long experience
that it was folly tc give way to them.
20 do so at that time must have been
weakness too pitiful for my manhood
l had already gone far enough for my
own self-respect. To my colleague and
fellow student, Granville Wenman,
had given elaborate instructions for all
possible contingencies.
If this happened he was to do that; if
that happened he was to- do this. In
case Of serious need he was to commuui-
cite with me by TIA swiftest means
available, for neither the width of the
earth nor the wealth of the world, nor
the loss of all chances of health or yet
life, should keep me from fastening
home if the one hope of my heart was III
peril. Wenman had smiled a little as if
in pity CT the morbidity that ran out to
meet SO many dangers. l did not heed
his good-natured compassion or con-
tempt, whatever it was, for | knew he
had no children. / had reconciled my
self in some measure to my absence from
home, and before my little man was
awake in the morning was gone from
the house.
1t had been arranged that l should So
to Morocco. Wenman had suggested
that country out of regard to the fresh
ness of its life and people.
The East in the West, the cos
tunes of Arabia, the faiths of Moham-
med and of Moses, primitive form Of
government, and social life that
might have been proper to the land of
Canaan in the days of Abraham-such
had seemed to him and others to be an
atmosphere of novelty that was likely
to bring spring and elasticity to the
overstretched mind and nerves of VIC
tim of the civilization of our tumultu-
Gus century. But not in all the world
could fate have ferreted out for me a
scene more certain to develop the
fever and fret of my natural tempera-
ment. Had the choice fallen on any
other place, any dead or dying country,
any corner of Gods earth but that
blighted and desolate land
All, bear with me, bear with me.
| sailed to Gibraltar by P. & O..
steamer from Tilbury, and the tender
that TOOK my wife back to the railway
pier left little in my new condition to
interest me. You know what it is to
leave England in search of health. If
hope is before you, regret is behind
When l stood on the upper deck that
night alone, and watched the light Of
the Eddystone dying down over the
dark waters, it seemed to me that sue
cess had no solace, and fame no balm,
and riches no safety or content. One
reflection alone sufficed 10 reconcile me
to where l was-the work that had
brought me there was done neither for
fame nor for riches, but at the prompt
ing of the best of all earthly passions,
or what seemed to be the best