The Minneapolis journal. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn.) 1888-1939, 1903-02-28

DAY, lOOklHS STdyeE ana QuleLGT edCH
morning.
He came to the office mechanically and
attended mocha nically to the business that
mad to be transacted. He was dulled to a
strange and abnormal gentleness, both
there and at home. He thanked those
who performed the usual services for him
in the office with .punctilious polIteness.
The children at home went 5rTIeproved
by him. The chatter Of poor little Loulou
had ceased to irritate, although&its occa-
sionally gave him spasm of pain. They
were nothing to him, mere srnulacrunl Of
what had once power. to. please or dis
please. Even Stan did not come in for the
usual disapprobation on the dirty hands,
the slouching walk, or the uncouth ex-
pressions which characterized him. To
Mr.. Nichols his wife was the only real
person in the house, and there was but
one thought between them-the thought
of Quintilia.
The mother worked untiringly while
Miss Candy curled her hair, and wrote in
terminable reports, and stood in charming
professional attitudes when the doctor
was present, and sent the household, in
dividually and collectively for belated pre-
scriptions and bottles that were "just
| OUT and glycerin and boracic, acid and
| camphorated oil, and disinfectants and
! oiled silk and observation-disclosures and rub
Der water bag and absorbent cotton and
whisky and matted milk and biscuits and
candies and lime water and all the vari-
Gus foods SO chemically prepared that
they warranted to be retained by the
weakest stomach, and of which no invalid
can ever be persuaded to swallow more
/ than the first teaspoonful. The doctor
studied Miss Candy's reports - patiently
| com posed from mem ory-with an imper-
| turbable face, and questioned Mrs Nichols
closely afterWard. Mr.. Nichols, as NOR
| tai man, still derived a vague satisfaction
/ in her presence, although he spent his
tired evenings in going errandss for her;
she looked so pretty that he always felt
as If Quintilia must be better.
Sometimes he was allowed to sit by the
child while his wife took a short rest. He
knew most humbly, his deficiencies IN the
| sIckroom-by some Interior inf1u ence;
! when he moved fire irons fell over, bottles
4 broke. papers ratified, his shoes madeE a.!
i earthquake. whatever he touched creaked
4 He would sit in a rigidly quiet attitude
until his wife returned, with his head or
his hand. watching the little pfnched face
the half-closed eyes, listening to the
breathing, the rise and fall OF the little
chest. Oh, God, the hours by SICK
child!
A night came that was long to be re.
membered in the Nichols households
night of ringing bells and shutting doors
and hurried running up and down stairs
II with the scared children in their w hi te
nightgoWns peeping out Of the bedroom
door after their fearful prayers for little
sister.
In the small hours the doctors steady
tread could be-heard in the sickroon.@ OF
on the landing where he came to give
brief orders. Mr. Nichols sat on a coucl
in the wide hall outside the door. Some.
times his wife came from the sickroon
and sat down by him for few seconds
and they were together in an anguish O.
dreadful love. When she was gone HI
remained with his head on his breast
thinking.
He thought of the years Of happines.
they had had. He thought of the beloved
sleeping children around them and o
honest, clumsy Stan and troublesome, in
consequent Loulou with special tender
that had been his.
It was as If life were brought to close
and he humbly confessed to- himself tn
unfaithfulness of his own part in it, hi
faults of temper, his neglect Of opportuni
ties to make others happy. He Nigh
have been drowning. His gaze broiigh
back to land once more, questioned tIos
who passed him in the hall. Miss Cand
went by once with red eyes, her ca
pushed to side and her pretty hair a
out Of GU She did not even see him a
she passsssSr-
'Fathel DEAR
Ii He looked up. 1t was the little eldes
daughter OF the house. Christine. 4sFa