Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1906-09-08

| other patients, she dismissed the thought
of Sandy until the doctors arrival.
! Maud had never yet in her life seen any
| to whom that great white Presence"
| which we call death has drawn near. but
now when she looked at this bed and the
| face of the man who lay in it she knew
| that the supreme moment was nearly
come. Sandy. the gillie. she had known SO
WELL with whom she had passed so many
sunny and pleasant days on the moor or
| by the river, was barely recognizable: a
white, pallid mask, with skin drawn tight
| over the bones of the face so that 1t was
| scarcely human, was all that was left Of
\ him. Both upper and lower lips, already
| growing blush in tinge, were urawn back
SO that in both Jaws his teeth were ex-
posed and his eyes. bright and dry, looked
piteously this way and that, and the soul,
| frightened at this dark and lonely journey
on which none could be Its companion.
| sought for comfort and measurement, but
Of fever that made those eyes SO bright; it
| was fear and dumb appeal. His hands.
| thin and white. lay outside the coverlet,
and they. too, were active, picking at 1t.
| what it meant, and he quickly pulled
chair close to the bedside, leaving Maud
| standing.
Maud looked from that mask on the pill
| low to the man who sat by the bed, and IL
| the one face was dark with the shadow of
death that already lay over it, the other
thought that inspired the words. Yet
though the evening was cool the beads Of
| perspiration already stood on his forehead.
Then Cochran closed his eyes from the
CLASSY, tortured face OF his patient and
| said quietly and earnestly, God loves you
and will heal you Sandy, do not fear. He
is the strength and the rock Of your de-
! fence now. You do not need to suffer-
| Then. sitting down, he began his silent
prayer. Without once raising his eyes for
nearly an hour. Cochran knew silently and
1 xI,.< - -
destroyed.
Sandy soon began to sleep in a quiet,
gentle way, and after watching him for
| few minutes in silence Cochran slowly re-
! peated the 91st Psalm aloud
| To Maud this new understanding of God
| and life filled her with surprise and won
derment. AS she watched Sandy pass from
his delirium into sweet sleep. hope filed
| her with the buoyant thought that this
prayer was being answered now, and that
| the last enemy had been met and destroyed
Cochran got up without another word
and in silence they left the room. At the
| door Maud looked back. Sandy was lying
quite quiet, with closed eyes and mouth
| just slightly parted
The nurse was moving about from bed to
bed in the big ward, and as they went
| through Maud stopped to speak to her.
SANDY is ever much better" she said
HE has gone to sleep. think. You won't
| disturb him again tonight, will your
Not it,. tn, Dr. symes esq, comes; my lady. she
| to be done by disturbing him.
Cochran was standing by, and it seemed
to Maud as if it was her duty to bear wit
ness here and now to what she had seen,
| to what she believed
There is no need for Dr. Symes to come
at ALL" she said. Sandy is getting we'll
have not sent for him. and I shall not -
! lence, then went swiftly to the door of the
| room where Sandy lay, opened it and looked
In. After moment she came out again,
and closed it softly behind her.
ha'c e1o
she said, land he hasn't slept for the last
three nights: of1course. 1 won't disturb
him. Yet his temperature came down to
| below normal from high fever in couple
| Of hours. Or could have made mis-
| take2' --'-s--. g. ,---s
| Cochran smiled at her.
Eyes, nurse, I think there has been a
mistake somewhere" he said. but it is
all right now, isn't 1T? Good night Sandy
won't wake for twelve hours or more I
| think" ;
The two went downstairs again. Thurso
was still up in his bed room. and they stood
! for a long moment in silence. Then Maud
suddenly looked up at Cochran
II don't understand, she said.
you did just now" he said, when you
| told Sandy the truth was making him well.
It's just the simplest and truest thing in
the world. But I'll go now, Lady Maud.
Twelve got more to do"
| Maud felt fearfully excited; all her emo
tons. all her beliefs and aspirations, had
she had seen Notng seemed to her m
possible at the moment: = -
"Ah. make them all WELL. she cried
"Skop this dreadful false idea Of suffering
and illness. since YOU say it is false
He made a gesture OF dissent which she
understood. -
mo, I don't mean that you can stop II
yourself" she said. but, Oh, can't you
get God to make them all know what
Sandy knows nowy
He put out his hand to her.
Don't you think that He is doing that?'
he asked. you see there has been no
fresh case for two days."
'sYou mean 1t Is stopping?" she asked.
''oh. yes. Of course it is! Good night.
Lady Maud"