The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1903-01-28
WALTER BLOOMFIELD

fdIelN IGluIuCu ~ y
infant charge. a handsome. bright-eyed.
intelligent boy of exceeding vivacity.
happily ignorant Of his mothers fate
and his fathers danger. The little
stranger. instead Of being regarded as
an unwelcome addition to my uncle's
family, as might not ~unreasonably
have been expected. was received ny
aunt Gertrude with the tenderest o n
s~ideration, and everything needful for
his well-being was provided. BY sun
dry Apparently trivial but really pro-
foundly significant words and acts
aunt Gertrude soon showed that the
newcomer had found q place no less In
her heart than in her house. Though
nv uncle was informed Of the arrival
Of the boy the doctors for the present
forbade the child being presented to
their patient. The nature Of my un-
cle's business was such that 1t neces-
sarily came to a standstill rs soon as
his direction of 1t ceased-a direction
which hitherto he had never failed to
exercise, personally when in New York
City, and Geographically when absent
therefrom. Mr.. Fisk was regular In
his attendance every morning at my
uncle's house, and never failed to re-
port the patients condition to a host OF
his inquiring friends.
And thus November and the greater
part Of December passed away. the
spirits Of the little household In East
Thirty-fourth street being raised one
day only to be dashed the next. accord
ING to the changeable condition OF the
patient, whose malady once or twice
touched a point Of extreme danger. But
at the near approach Of Christmas.
when New York City lay covered with
a thick mantle of snow and the SKY
was none the less clear because the
temperature was extremely cold and
icicles Of prodigious length depended
from parapet and easement, the pa
tient took q very decided turn for the
better. He talked less and more ra-
tionally, and was generally caimer.
and he slept better and partook OF
more nourishment.
Though my uncle's medical advisers
were not. ut the first appearance OF
these signs, assured they portended a
favorable issue. they did not hesitate
to recognize in the good symptoms. af-
ter they had endured for some days un'
abated, the beginning Of complex. re-,
covery.
And SO. indeed. It appeared. By the
middle Of January uncle Sam had 80
far recovered that he was permitted to
sit by the fire in his room. and there
one day he dispassionately discussed
with me the tragedy which to quote
his own words. had thrown him on
his balance" His wife's loving care
of the boy Familiarity known as 1.-THE
cardinal" occasioned him much satis-
faction, which he gratefully acknowi-
edged in various way. and 1t is to that
circumstance / have always attributed,
more than to all else besides. his COM
plete recovery. At this juncture the
cardinal" was taken every morning by
aunt Gertrude into the patients room.
where he was permitted to frIsk about
like q spaniel at his fathers feet, and
his gambols and his pertinent replies
TO questions which he could not posi-
NV understand amused and delighted
everybody present.
In the early stages Of the patients
convalescence 1t was customary FOR
Connie and me to read to him In turn.
The reading was always selected by
uncle Sam, and consisted for b most
part Of the daily papers and current
fiction. One day I ventured to inquire
II he would care to listen to some lit
erature Of a higher s~tandard-a choice
work by one Of the great poets. for In
stance.
mo. no." said uncle Sam, mot for
the world. I like poetry o well"
I confessed my inability to under
stand this reply.
Poets" remarked uncle Sam. ARE a
pitiable handful Of creatures. Their
divine gifts are compensated by pow
e~rlessness to cope with the manifold
t%reacheries Of mankind. and consequent
starvation and misery. and though by
some strange accident one Of the tribe
not long ago slipped into the House OF
Lords, that was a blunder which will
not be repeated; the majority gravitate
quite naturally to the workhouse. l
love poetry. but a never read 1t with
out my heart aching for Inc poor
wretch who expended his brain power
In proftlessly weaving 1t. No. no, En-
nest: open the Trumpeter and tell me
| whether the Rothschilds have succeed
| ed In floating that loan for the Aus
TRAN Government"
Slowly but surely the patient re-
| gained strength. but February was a.
most spent before the doctors would
| sanction his removal to Newport. Not
until after he was able to go about the
| house unaided did the permanent
changes wrought in him by the Illness
through which he had passed become
fully apparent. and then 1t was seen
that his once light brown hair had be-
come almost entirely grey. that there
were lines In his face which had not
been observed before his illness. and
that his step was a trife slower and
less elastic than Of old. I thought his
cheerfulness and his frank cynicism
had escaped unaffected until he sur.
prised me m morning by informing
his friend. Mr.. Rosenberg. In nv pres