The daily morning journal and courier. [volume] (New Haven, Conn.) 1894-1907, 1899-11-06
THE WARD BOY.


Continued from Tenth Page.)
the apothecary, who had prayed daily
and fervently that his services might
not be required. The sick man was
laid on one of the narrow iron bed
steads-his wife had come to tend him
and held a baby at the breast-it was
the great attrac ton of the hospital
that patients might bring their own re-
lations to feed and nurse them, and sc
run no risk of pollution by the touch
of any one belonging to a different
caste.
h, Vishnu set about his work cheerfully
and did it well. The case was a Serious
one, but, having been taken in time,
not hopeless. In a few days the pa
| tient was pronounced out of danger,
/ but in the mean time two other cases
had been admitted. Another apothe-
cary, far better type of man, had
been appointed, and the doctor paid
his visits regularly three times a day
and once at night. He was also a
Goanese, a clever and not unlcindly
man. The time passed more quickly
with so much to be done. and Vishnu
counted triumphantly that he had
IpW Worked SlNleeH udyS lOWdIu Inc
attainment of his months wages. True
one rupee and a few odd annas had
been advanced him 70 r food; these
must be deducted the balance owing
to him had to be carefully reckoned on
his fingers. He had worked faithfully
and well for this, and had earned the
praise Of both doctor and apothecary.
Not that Vishnu cared much for
words. but still If thrown in together
with other good and substantial things
they might be taken as not altogether
Worthless, An instinct of common hui
manity had led him to be attentive
and patient with the sick men, who
generally lay rolled up like so many
motionless mummies, unless the de-
lirium was on them, during which it
would require sometimes absolute
force to hold them in their beds. There
was one poor fellow to whom Vishnu
was particularly drawn by the fact of
his being the only patient whose re-
latives had not attended him to the
hospital, Moreover the man was weak
and suffered during his convalescence
from fainting fits, which had once or
twice sent Vishnu running wildly
across for help thinking him to be
dead The doctor duly recorded the
fact in the official report as follows:
Suffers from fainting Ats; It is
common occurrence during recovery
among those affected with weak
hearts, In spite of the fits" the man
was recovering, and bade fair to be
discharged cured. Vishnu had confid-
ed to him the great salary he was to
draw, and had been pleased at seeing
his companion duly impressed
One evening Vishnu sat outside
waiting for his dinner which was he
ing prepared by one of the women be-
longing to a patient Brahmin like
himself 1t had been a very depress-
ing day, with two deaths in the hos
pital the bodies had been removed TO
a burning CHAT not far distant The
CHAT was hidden from the hospital bv
the plateau but Viehnu could see the
flames leapng into the air in the dis
tanc>; tree covered with white bios
SONS which stood near and appeared
Mt the end of the ridge was dyed blood
red over head the moon was shining
brightly in a cloudless sky, the wind
had risen and blew in from the sea
disturbing the vuehes on the bank
among which the frogs were croaking
loudly, rustling the dry leaves on the
matched roof of the hospital and
touching the tops of the palm trees
along the ridge. 1t was a cold wind
and Vishnu shivered impatiently. He
had hurt his leg a afew nights pre-
viouely crossing the ground in the
dark and the wound was sore and
painful--he had not thought of having
it attended to. Inside the hospital
patient was screaming wildly In de-
lirium outside a screech owl settled
among the boughs of the tree behind
the apothecary's hut, and ioined with
the frogs in making night hfdeous with
their noises. on any ordinary occa
sion Vishnu would not have noticed
such common, everyday sounds. but he
was tired and depi essed and could not
get the calculation of his wages right
He had eaten very little food that