Harper's New Monthly Magazine, No. 22, March, 1852, Volume 4.
General
Harper's New Monthly Magazine, No. 22, March, 1852, Volume 4.
American literature -- Periodicals; Civilization -- Periodicals; Culture -- Periodicals
was going to bounce unceremoniously into the old lumber-room over the
lobby to regale my sight with the delightful confusion of his unarranged
accumulations, when he pulled me forcibly back by the coat-tail. “Not
there,” said Jack; “you can’t go there. Go into my snuggery.”
“And why not there?” said I, jealous of some new purchase which I was not
to see.
“Because there’s some body ill there; it is a bed-room now; a poor girl;
she wanted a place to die in, poor thing, and I put her in there.”
“Who is she?—a relative?”
“No; I never saw her till Monday last. Sit down, I’ll tell you how it was.
Set down the coffee, Mrs. Jones, and just look in upon the patient, will
you? Sugar and cream? You know my weakness for the dead-wall in
Lincoln’s-Inn-Fields.” (Jack never refuses a beggar backed by that wall,
for the love of Ben Jonson, who, he devoutly believes, had a hand in
building it.) “Well, I met with her there on Monday last. She asked for
nothing, but held out her hand, and as she did so the tears streamed from
her eyes on the pavement. The poor creature, it was plain enough, was then
dying; and I told her so. She said she knew it, but had no place to die in
but the parish workhouse, and hoped that I would not send her there.
What’s the use of talking? I brought her here, and put her to sleep on the
sofa while Jones cleared out the lumber-room and got up a bed. I sent for
Dr. H—— to look at her; he gave her a week or ten days at the farthest: I
don’t think she’ll last so long. The curate of St. —— comes every day to
see her, and I like to talk to her myself sometimes. Well, Mrs. Jones, how
goes she on?”
“She’s asleep,” said the housekeeper. “Would you like to look at her,
gentlemen?”
We entered the room together. It was as if some unaccountable presentiment
had forewarned me: there, upon a snow-white sheet, and pillowed by my
friend’s favorite eider-down squab, lay the wasted form of Ellen D——. She
slept soundly and breathed loudly; and Dr. H——, who entered while we stood
at the bedside, informed us that in all probability she would awake only
to die, or if to sleep again, then to wake no more. The latter was the
true prophecy. She awoke an hour or two after my departure, and passed
away that same night in a quiet slumber without a pang.
I never learned by what chain of circumstances she was driven to seek alms
in the public streets. I might have done so, perhaps, by inquiry, but to
what purpose? She died in peace, with friendly hands and friendly hearts
near her, and Jack buried her in his own grave in Highgate Cemetery, at
his own expense; and declares he is none the worse for it. I am of his
opinion.
MONTHLY RECORD OF CURRENT EVENTS.
United States.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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