Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1927-12-20
WORLD FAMOUS STORIES
BY CHARLES DICKENS.
THE CLOWNS DEATH

shed, with one story above it. in the
back room of which lay the object of
my search.
A notwithstanding woman, the
mans wife. met me on the stairs, and
telling me that he had just fallen into
kind of doze. led me softly in, and
placed a chair for me at the bedside
The sick man was lying with his face
toward the wall; and as he took no
heed of my presence. ] had leisure to
observe the place in which l found
myself.
He was lying on an old bedstead
which turned up during the day. The
tattered remains of checked cur.
tain were drawn around the beds
head to exclude the wind. which. how.
ever. made its way into the comfort.
less room through the numerous
chinks in the door, and blew it to
and fro every instant There was a
low cinder fire in a rusty unfixed
CRATE; and an old three-cornered
stained table, with some medicine
bottles. a broken glass and a few
other domestic articles. was drawn
out before it. A little child was sleep
ing on q temporary bed which had
been made for it on the floor, and the
woman sat on chair by its side.
There were a couple of shelves. with
a few plates and cups and saucers.
and pair of stage shoes and a couple
of foils hung beneath them.
/ had had time to note these little
particulars. and to mark the heavy
breathing and feverish startings of
the sick man. before he was aware
of my presence. In his restless at.
tempts to procure some easy resting.
Iv.lo e., l.. L 4 L..
out of the bed and it fell on mine.
He started up and stared eagerly in
my face.
"Ah." he said. don't leave me
don't leave me. old fellow Shell
murder mel know she will"
He seemed delirious. but later
discovered that he was really obsessed
with the notion that his wife would
he happy To be rid Of him. He re
membered that he had always squan
dered his earnings for drink. and he
knew that if his wife cherished re
sentiment against him for the times
he had deprived her and perhaps &C
tually beaten her she was entirely
| justified. He had hardly treated his
family well. and he had even mis-
treated them for years-and now hi
| was worried lest they seek a natura
| revenge.
Yes, yes" said l. "She shall no.
| hurt you"
| Il tell you what" said the man
in low voice. "She does hurt me
| There's something i'm her eyes wake.
such dreadful fear In my heart. hel
large staring eyes and pale face
something that drives me mad. She
must he an evil spirit-a devil. Hush
l know she is. If she had been ;
woman she would have died long ago
/ No woman could have borne what she
has"
| sickened at the thought of tn,
long course Of cruelty and neglec
that must have occurred to produce
such an impression on such a man.
could say nothing in reply merel,
| indicated to the woman. who hat
risen, that she could do nothing fo
him.
came again the next night. an,
listened this time to the rawlings,
knew. Of a dying man. I saw tn
wasted limbs. which a day or s.
before had been distorted for tn
writhing under the tOrtures of a burn
ing fever 7 heard the clowns shril
laugh. blending with the low mul
murings of the dying man.
1t is a touching thing to hear tn
mind reverting to the ordinary occu
nations and pursuits of health. whel
the body lies before you weak An,
helpless. But when those occupation
are of A character the most strongl
opposed TO anything we associate wit
grave or solemn ideas, the impressio
produced is infinitely more powerful
At last he was wrenched with
final DaroXysm He extended hi
arm--there was a short stified grua
and he fell back dead