Cora and The Doctor; or, Revelations of A Physician's WifeLeslie, Madeline
General
Cora and The Doctor; or, Revelations of A Physician's Wife
Leslie, Madeline
Physicians -- Fiction
Emily came home early this morning, and has interested us much in her
account of Squire Lee. She says, it is hard for her to realize that he
is the same man who so cruelly spurned his innocent, trembling daughter
from his feet, so lovingly does he now speak to her.
At the usual hour for him to hear reading, Emily brought out the Bible
and began the story of Christ's sufferings and death. Chapter after
chapter was called for and listened to with breathless interest. When
Emily closed the book, he looked around as if missing something, and
sister saw his eye rest on a book of prayer. She arose and brought it to
him, not exactly understanding what was expected. He shook his head.
"Would you like to hear a prayer?" He bowed his assent, and turning to
the prayer for the day of the week, and kneeling near him, she read
aloud.
His right hand supported his head, and when sister arose, the tears were
trickling through his fingers and down upon his cheeks. Several times,
she heard him say, "poor Joseph, soul and body--lost by rum--God
forgive me." Many similar expressions fell from his lips.
Allen came in every day during Lucy's absence, and Emily thought that
the old gentleman received pleasure from his visits. He was a great
assistance to her in changing the position of the sufferer, whose left
side is so paralyzed as to render it impossible for him to raise himself
from the easy chair in which he sits.
One incident which occurred I must not omit. Squire Lee made a remark to
which Emily naturally replied, "from what I remember of Mrs. Lee, Lucy
very much resembles her mother."
This led to the mention of the portrait in the parlor. The old gentleman
sighed, for he remembered how touchingly his kneeling daughter had
appealed to it when he was last below. "I should think," said Emily,
"Lucy would have it hung there, where you can see it from your chair,"
pointing to a vacant place on the wall.
After a moment's pause, he replied, "since it has been changed to the
new frame I have not thought it as natural." Joseph had purchased and
brought from the city some years since massive and heavy frames, and the
sweet face so subdued and tender looked out of keeping with its
surroundings.
After a few moments, Emily called the attendants to remain with her
patient, and hastening to Mrs. Burns, asked if the old frames to the
portraits were in existence. Together they ascended to the garret, found
the very article for which they were searching, packed away with old
rubbish. Almost trembling at her own daring, she carried it below,
removed the picture from its massive frame with the ready assistance of
the house-keeper, and soon had it replaced in its old case. The question
now was how to get it into the room.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
Reviews
Reviews
No reviews yet
Be the first to share your thoughts on this work.
Elsewhere in the archive
Join the Discussion
Join the discussion
Sign in to leave a comment or review.
Sign InorCreate an account