Year: 1865

bear to return their visits. But woulC


like to have them come now," and Mt


small measure of pride was discernbIc


in the look Mr. Crawford cast around tht


room.


He carried the point as usual, and al


hour later Mrs. Crawford, in a neat ala


paca dress and velvet hood and furs, step


ped into the sleigh beside her husband
and in the merry jingling and exhilara


ton of the swift drive through the frosty


air, almost forgot the side, that first from


a catching spasm, had now settled down


into a steady ache that never forgot its


hold.


The old friends greeted them with


smiles and warm shakes of the hand, and


pleasant afternoon was spent in the


ample parlor Elsie Marshall played for


them on the piano, while younger sister


taught the visitor a new stitch in crochet


for coveted ornaments for her own par.


lor-table and Mrs. Marshall chatted
about her dairy and poultry and gave a


long history of her soldier son, who had
passed through the siege of Vicksburg
without even a scratch. While Mr..
Marshall was out doing chores, and his
wife and daughters were preparing tea,
Mr.. Crawford stood up, and with low
whistle tried the strength of the mantel,
and turned aside the curtains to see the
nicely Of the window joints, and declared
to his wife, that his parlor was finished
off fifty per cent. better than Mr.. Mar
shalrs; and she following her husbands
example, pried under the carpet and dis
covered it was not real Brussels; and
there was no book on their table, if they
did have so many knick -knacks, that were
not as elegant as their "History Of the
Rebellion"


After the tea, that did much honor to
the hostess, was over, ali parties gather
ed again into the parlor, and so pleasant
ly were the moments occupied, that the
hour Of eleven rang out loud and clear
from the dining-room clock before one
Of the company was ready to separate for
the night.


Mrs. Crawford shivered with the cold
as she passed out of the warm parlor in
to the cold hall, and up the stairs TO the
spare chamber, and her teeth fairly chat
tered as she crept between the cotton
sheets, that had been gathering damp.
ness for the last four weeks over the best
bed, and as hour after hour dragged by
before she could get warm enough TO
close her eyes in sleep, she mentally !
promised, for the tenth time, that if her
spare bed must be kept ready made for
visitors, she would undo it and air the
sheets before company should be thrown
into them TO suffer as in an ague fit.


Morning found Mrs. Crawford with
lull pain in her head, and sharp one in
ler side, and though she tried to chat
with a pleasant smile at the breakfast
able, and felt really grateful to her friends
or their kind urging to have her spend
he day, yet beneath all was the longing
lesire to curl up on the lounge at home
,lose by the stove, and warm herself
yi.h hot cup of ginger tea, and see if
he could not sleep off the pain that now
anne with respiration, as if each breath
vas sharp-edged knife.


1t was noon before they reached home,
nd Mrs. Crawford's lips were so blue
With the cold that her husband was fright [
ned, and only stopped to throw blanket
ver his heated beast, before he filed the
tove with kindlings and dry wood, and |
ad tea-kettle on, and his wife covered ,
eep with comforters on the lounge close c
y the fire.


After the chill was off, a burning fe. !
er came on, and the poor sufferer NUT S
cred incoherently, and threw off the b
lankets, and stared wildly at her hus> d
and; and he, trembling as if some name I
.ss terror was over him, called to pas Il
ng neighbor and sent him 10 the next 0
'wn for doctor in hot haste. 1t was a
idnight before Mrs. Crawford could be h
'othed into sleep, and even then her Il
lsband hung above her till morning, b
atching every breath, and counting her u
vered pulses, as if his cooler touch r r
'uld quiet ;heir restless throbbing. ii
The next day she was better, though b
e could not rise from the bed, but the 81
ill came on harder than ever the third u
orning, and the physician, though be b.
liked to his patient with cheerful smile, in
bered as he sat by the dining-room al
e, and after a little study of the Goals, a. a.
hung up his overcoat and bat, and the b,
1;o,,s b,sbapd vho had haan u,atob a.