Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1908-10-06

AS they neared the stricken city to
which they were bound, they beheld,
extending for miles, camps Of the refu-
gees who had no means to flee further
and who were dwelling precariously in
tents or collections of hastily erected
huts, and as they drew closer the pc
culiar stencil of the disease which per-
vaded the air was heavy and sickening.
Upon the silent streets Of deserted
houses they met only carts carrying
the dead bands of marauding negroes
Drawing the fever in search of plunder,
or, solitary and solemn, an intrepid
Catholic priest passing from one death
bed to another, ministering the offices
Of his religion.
From many windows hung black or
red cloths as signals and cautions Of
the pestilence within; while here and
there were scattered the charred re-
mains of the fires lighted at night to
indicate by their lurid smoke those hab-
itations where death had entered, and
which served at once as weird warn
ings to the living and as calls to those
whose office it was to bury the dead
The two doctors had but little diff
Guilty in entering upon their melancholy
task, for though all unacclimated SER
vices had hitherto been rejected, the
need had become too sore for the re-
80 on1 tho
regulations of these gentlemen were
too celebrated not to be welcome pass
ports.
They took joint possession Of an Of
fee whose former possessor had fallen
martyr to the same cause, and were
almost Immediately besieged by crowds
imploring their assistance; and, though
they went out each day with a long
list of visits prepared which would fill
every moment Of systemized time, yet
their hearts were constantly wrung by
being obliged to refuse appeals which
beset them at every step Of their la
Dor.
A day or two after his arrival, An
thon made the strange discovery that
Constance Paget and her father were
dwellers in the same city, and little
inquiry elected the information that,
after the death of the son, they had
removed thither: and, both having had
the fever years before, were among the
very few who had remained to partici-
pate in good works, the father being
an active member of the Howard as
sociation. Only the long and severe
apprenticeship to sternest duty through
which he had come to conquer the i'm
pulses of selfhood, prevented him from
the charge he had undertaken, and fly
ing from possible chances of meeting;
for though he had learned Of their pres
ence-of their fearless and constant
devotion to the smitten-there were
some things he could not know as he
carried amid his dreadful labor an al
| most heart-rending shrinking from any
contact with those two. He could not
know that the many bygone years had
| dimmed the memory Of this dead sor
and brother, as inexorable Time always
does dull the recollection of and grief
for the nearest and dearest; that, af-
ter the first ireful and vengeful feel
| ings had passed, his father, who was
q man of much sense and strong spir-
it of Justice, had reflected that there
must have been provocation to his
doom: that, even in the midst Of the
greatest sorrow, parent and daughter
had been aware, without a word spoK'
en- between them on the subject. tha
her heart had been bestowed on hin
whose hand was stained with thi!
kindred blood, and could never be Civ
en- to another.
This tragedy in their lives had drawn
them very close to each other; ou
while the father had almost ceased Il
| dwell upon it in his thoughts, th'
i daughter after experiencing every gra
! dation of mental suffering, had ye
never ceased to cherish the image ant
remembrance of her first and only love
He could not know all this; so hi
heart was heavy with his own private
cares as we'll as with the general dis
tress: but his physicians instinct KEEP
him steadfast and wise in the duty n
had set before him.
Very soon after he had heard thes'
tidings. there entered into a sick-roon