The National tribune., 1898-09-29
CHAPTER XVIII.


tackled with an intermittent fever. which
in few days carried him of.
? My Anna and 1 shed abundance o
l tears. for we both loved Henry with the
warmest affection. erected simple
tomb for him near the door OF the church
and for several months Jala-Jala was O
place OF grief and mourning.
/ We had scarcely begun not indeed to
console ourselves, but rather to bear with
resignation the loss we had experienced
when q new dispcnsatiOn of fate came ia
strike me to the earth.
On my arrival in the Philippines, and
while resided at CavIte, i formed close
connection with Malvilain, a native of st.
Malo, and mate OF ship from that port
During several years which he spent at
Cavlte our friendship was most intimate.
One day as ! was walking on deck
waiting for a boat to take me on boa ID
Malvilain's s ship 1 saw his crew at work
in regulating one OF the masts, when a
rope suddenly snapped. and the mast fell
with Il fnghtful crash on the deck in the
midst OF the men, amongst whom Nal
villain was standing. My feelings were
| worked to the highest pitch of anguish
and alarm; l could not control myself: !
Jumped into the water and swan to his
| ship, where had the pleasure of finding
him uniniured. although considerably
stunned by the danger from which he had
escaped
| One day a mass of black and thick
clouds was gathered close over the point
OF Cavite, and frightful-that is, trOpi-
| cal-storm burst. The claps OF thunder
| followed each other from minute to minute,
and before each clap the lightning, in
long, serpent like lines OF fire, darted from
| the clouds, and drove on to the point of
Cavite, where it tore up the ground Of the
little plain situated at the extremity, and
near which the ships were moOred.
Notwithstanding the storm was going
to see Malvilain, and was almost in the
act OF placing my foot on the deck OF his
vessel, when the lightning fell into the
sea SO near to me that lost my breath
Instantly l felt an acute pain in the bac
as if burning torch had been LAID be-
tween my shouldersi The pain was 50
violent that the moment recovered my
self uttered sharp'scream.
Malvlain, who was within few PAGES
of me. felt very sensibly the electric shock
which had struck me. d on hearing my
cry imagined that ! was dangerously
hurt. He rushed towards me and held me
in his arms until was able to give every
assurance oil my recovery. The electric
fluid had graZed me but without causing
any positive injury.
have related these two slight anecdotes
tn show the intimacy that subsisted be-
tween US. and how afterwards suffered
IN my dearest affections.
| Some DAYS before the terrible scOurge
OF cholera broke out in the Philippines
MaivIldin ship set sail for France. With
heau, oppressed with grief we separated
after p:OmIsIng each that we should meet
jugain. but, alasi fate had ordained it
otherwise. Malvilan returned home
went I" Nantes to take the command OF a
ship. and there became acquainted with
my eldest sister, and married her.
After his marriage Malvilain continued
to SAIL tom the port Of Nantes. His noble
/ N md bic Ia
hts duties caused him to be highly es-
teemeh by the leading merchants. His
allan. were in state sufficiently good as
not 10 require him to expose himself longer
TO tho dangers OF the sea, and he was on
his iast voyage when, at the Maurtius
he was attacked by an illness which car
ned bin off. leaving my sister moons oil
able. and with three very young girls to
lament him..
Th, fresh and irreparable loss, the
news OF which had then reached me, add
Ell TO my grief for the sad death OF nv
poo. brother Every calamity seemed to
"rp'esa me After some years of happi-
nes, saa by little and little disappear
fion tins aorld the persons on whom !
hsa ooactattated my dearest affection s..
ANOTHER LOSS.
saw with pleasue my boy was enjoy
-lg the best health. and that he was daily
increasing in strength. My beloved Anna
u.
ty day was growing weaker.
had gathered in my sugar-cane crop
"hich was most abundant, and my plant
atlons were finished when, wishing to
Procure some amusement tor my wife, |
ti'posed to go and spend some time at
the house OF her sister Josephine for
WON she entertained the warmest affec
t'Co She, with great pleasure, agreed to
% SO. we look up our quarters with nv
bfotheT-In-law, Don Julian Calderon, then
fsIding in pretty country house on the
banks OF the River Pasig. hall a league
rom Manila. OF the three sisters of nv
vile, Josephine was the one for whom
had the most affection.
soon, TO my grief saw that Anna was
growing worse than ever. sent for the only
medical man In Manila in whom had
confidence, my friend Genu He came
Iiequentiy to see her, and after six weeks
OF constant attention, he advised me to
take her back to my residence near the
iake, where persons attacked with the
same mdiady as my wife had often re-
covered. no
A commodious boat, with good rowers
was ready Tor us on the -Pasig, at the end
20, my brother-in-iaw's garden, and a
numerous assemblage Of our friends ac
companied us to the wafer's edge.
Painiul adieus and the sufferings of nv
wife caused the trip, which we had often
previously made with the greatest gaietv
to be melancholy and silent. / had NV
poor patient placedein bed and did not
quit her room, hoping by my continual
care to afford her some relief in her suffer
ings. But, alas, from 6day to day the
maiady made fearful progress.
Fifty days-longer to me than century,
had scarcely elapsed since our return to
Jala- -Jala than all MY hopes vanished
Death was approaching with rapid strides.
She preserved her senses to the last, and
saw my profound melancholy, and INV
features altered by grief, and finding her
iast hour was near she called me to her
and said "Adieu. my beloved Paul
adieu- Console thyself-we shall meet
again in Heaven. Preserve thyself for the
sake OF our dear boy. When l shall be no
more return home to thy own country to
see thy aged mother. Never marry again
except IN France. if thy mother requires
thee to do so. Do not marry in the Philin |
pines, Tor thou wilt never find a comDan
ION here to love thee as l have loved "
lhese words were the last which this
good and gentle angel spoke.
IN THE MIDST OF TROUBLE.
1t required absolute force to tear mo
from the precious remains which ! press
cd against my heart, and to draw me into
a neigh boring room where my son was
While | pressed him cOnvulsively to NV
breast wished to weep, but my ewes
were fearless and was insensible to the
caresSes even OF my poor child.
The strongest constitution cannot rc
slst tho fatigue OF 50 days Of constant