Year: 1876




told himself. with a monster of de.
formity so hideous that she hid her.
self from all the world; yet often he
caught himself dreaming of her wit,
her intelligence, her varied informa-
ton, the sweet tones of her voice,
and thinking sadly of her infirmities
and of how sweet such intercourse OF
mind would be for life. only to pom
der again sadly of the affiiction that
so isolated her.


1t was the heart of summer, when
the air was heavy with heat, and ma
ture was in holiday dress and mood,
when, one morning, Mr.. Greynaught
drove to Doctor Murrell's office door.


'Effie is sick. Can you come at
once?'


Not five minutes later they were
driving to Myrtle Hill.


What is the trouble?' asked the
doctor.


She has been week and languid for
days past, but to-day has had fainting
fits in a quick succession that alarms
u.s.. She knows you are coming, and
to our surprise, makes no objection to
it,


The patient lay upon wide lounge
when Doctor Murrell entered the
room, and all but her face was COW
cred by a snowy counterpane; but
the face, once seen, never forgotten,
was the fair vision he had seen at the
window, but now white and still, the
violet eyes closed, and the sweet
mouth partly open as If the breath
came painfully and troubled.


/ am not writing medical treatise,
so it will suffice to say that the pres
ent illness proved of no great mo-
ment, an exhaustion from the intense
heat and a weakness of constitution !;
but the barrier once passed, Effie no
longer secluded herself from the doc
tor, and he learned something of her
affliction.


He knew before that she had stud.
led far more than even the average of
male intellect undertakes, but even
then he was surprised when he saw
her room. Evidences of her taste
and love of beauty were scattered
everywhere. The choice library, the
grand piano, he was prepared for:
but the dainty trifles of needlework,
the exquisite little fancy articles, the
pretty feminine pursuits he had not
to find.


1t was but few days before the i'll
ness for which he had been called in
yielded to his remedies, and Etfie was
in her usual health.


Then be saw the deformity, a con-
traction of the muscles that drew the
figure into a sitting posture. For
seventeen years the poor girl had not
stood upright, though, looking in her
face it was hard to believe twenty-five
summers had passed over her head.


Gradually, cautiously the doctor
questioned her, and became convinced
that, terrible as the deformity was, 1t
was not incurable, yet he shrank from
the thought of the suffering that
must precede the cure. Day by day
the struggle in his mind grew more
painful, till he could bear it no longer,
and he spoke to her father.


The old gentleman shook his head.
I have Promised to Iy no more ezpe-
rim ents, he said, sadly.


Mr.. Greynaught,' said the doctor,
I will be very frank with you. There
must be months of suffering, of con-
slant care, of loving ministrations,
but / am convinced it will end iu a
cure. The long cramped limbs can be
through much suffering.
In these months your child will need
loving, skillful care, such as only
He paused, then said, hurrledly: y
love her! l love her! Give her to
me, and trust her cure to a husbands
devotion and care. Day
and night l will watch her, that the
strain of pain may not be too severe;
no pains that love may take, no re-
sources that science may afford. shall
De neglected. Oh, sir, she is dearer to
ne than my own life! Give her to
ne, and, God helping me, 1 will cure
ler y


This was not all. I cannot write
he long pleading that won him his
bride, for Effie refused to so
burden his life, until by the guidance
If her own love she understood his.
She had loved him so hopelessly that
ihe did not dream it was love that
him so closely in her heart,
md, when she thought of a lifetime
passed by his side, she dared not grasp
he blessing, for the very love that
orOade her to burden any other life
~ her infirmity. Yet in her own
love she read his heart,
md knew that even were his hopes
he would be happier as
Ter nurse aud husband than alone and
rec.


1t was very quiet wedding, and |
My when another physician was in
tailed in Webster were the young
ouple united.


The same day they left Myrtle Hill
nd the little village, left New York,
90, a week later, and sailed for
ome In Florence.


Winter came and passed. Spring,
ummer sped away, and another win
er was before them, when. one morn
1g, Doctor Murrell came into his
7ife's room with papers in his hands.
Was it Effie who sprang to meet
i'm? Effie! That slight, graceful
CURE. straight as his own that face
adiant with health and love? Were