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

| undertaking employment which would
bring disgrace not only on himself but
| on all connected with i'm. Vishnu had
sorrowfully acquieeced in the sentence
of degradation, comforting himself
| merely by repeating now and again;
Twenty rupees a month and all my
clothes given me- 1t was marvel
lousy soacing, reflection and the only
one that appealed to the poor, half
starved little wife, who watched him
with reverent eyes. Next morning
Vishnu had left the house in the cool
silence of dawn, and midday found
him at his post at the plague hospital.
In his hut the apothecary was read
ing letter received by the mornings
post from friend, an accountant by
profession; the contents were as fol-
lows:
Il have been ill and am now recov-
ering; there is some wonderful native
medicine given me principally for pain
in my side, the drug to be taken once
has reduced pain in my side by about
one-seventh. 1t was at first thought
that l had the evil sickness of the
plague, but it was not so, and I hope
to be cured soon by His Grace" Then
followed more to the same effect.
BAH" calculated the apothecary
scornfully--he was q small sleek, very
fat Goanese-" nowadays men are, so
frightened they think every pain Is go
ing to turn to plague. They have no
courage none at all; now if | was ner-
vous about such things how should I
have taken this appointment" He pat
ted himself complacently and looked
across at the empty hospital. At the
door sat Vishnu looking out over the
sea. Il don't believe that boy will stay
if we get a case he thought, and
shook his head sorrowfuly in anticipa-
ton Of the lads detection
''Ah. there are not many such brave
men in the world as ]" and again he
stroked his pompous little person in a
congratulatory way. Inside the hos
pital it was cool, dark and still; out
eide the glare and heat were intense,
but the only sounds were those of the
crows cawing and the copper bird with
its one monotonous note, 'Too-hoo,'
"Too-hoo'' ''Too-hoo. Presently
Vishnu's head dropped forward on his
knees and he fell asleep
For ten whole days the hospital re-
manned absolutely empty. Every
morning Vishnu swept and busted the
wards, after having first performed
his own additions, above all the teeth
cleaning which is an essential part of
a Brahmn's observances. The apothe-
cary in his little hut grew visibly fat
ter and oilier, and was almost jocular
on the subject of the plague, from
which they seemed indeed to have a
wonderful immunity. There was very
little to be done all day but to eat and
sleep and ask questions of the few
people from the outer world who Wis
tied the hospital Now and again an
English Sahib would come accom-
panied by the doctor and, after see
ing round the place, express satisfac-
ton at all the arrangements therein.
Vishnu was part of the arrangements
and therefore included in the general
satisfactoriness The natives who
came occasionally to sell sweet meats
or the barber who squatted beside
Vishnu under tree at the back of the
apothecary's house to shave him-for
no Brahmin will shave himself
brought accounts of what was hap
pening in the city; the latest news of !
the plague, the price of grain, and the |
possibility of rise or fall in the rates, |
and the number Of bodies burned at |
the principal burning CHAT Of the city; |
such information was impaired in brief !
oracular sentences. On the leventh day |
a patient was brought to the hospital,
almost the first indication of his ar |
rival being the sudden departure OF |
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