Christian life -- Fiction; Conduct of life -- Fiction; Domestic fiction
"He will not die, little flower, thy brother will live; you must go to
him, and I will go with you. You must not go alone to a great city."
"Oh Louis!" I said, "he had only just begun to love me when he went
away, and now if he dies, what shall I do without him? Prayers have but
little weight, they ought to have saved him, I have prayed so long, so
hard, Louis, for his safety. But I must tell mother." And when she heard
me, and I said I must go to him, she sat down as if in despair; but a
moment after looked almost cheerful as she said:
"You must start to-night, my dear, and I must get all the little
medicines I can think of ready for you to take, and as soon as he is
able he must come home. If it is a fever, I fear for his lungs."
Clara waited until our talk was over, and then came and said Louis must
go with me; put into my hands a well filled purse, and said:
"Bring the brother back, dear cousin; don't wait for him to get well;
bring him back on a bed if necessary; he will never get well among
strangers."
When father came he was pained beyond expression, and his first thought
was for means to do all that must be done.
"Clara has provided that, father," and he was too thankful to reply.
Everything was ready; Louis and I said "good-bye" to all, and drove
rapidly away, for in order to reach the station below ours, where we
could take a night train West, we must ride thirty miles. The train was
due at eight-forty-five, and it was four o'clock when we started; a
neighboring farmer (Mr. Graves), who had a span of fleet horses took us,
and we dashed over the ground rapidly, having full five minutes to
breathe in at the depot ere we took the train. No luxurious palace cars
in those days, you know, just the cushioned seats, but that was enough
for me; I thought I could have sat on a hard wooden seat, or on anything
if I only could reach that suffering boy. Louis tried to arrange our
baggage so that I could sleep.
"Sleep will not come to my eyelids to-night, Louis, I shall not sleep
until I see Halbert, and know how he is and is to be."
"Now, Miss Emily," he said as he took my hand in his, "I say you must
sleep. Watching will do him no good until we get there, and more than
this, it may do him much harm, for if you get so tired, you will be ill
yourself when you arrive and then he will have no sister. For Hal's
sake, Miss Emily, you shall go to sleep; lean on my shoulder, and I
believe I can help your nerves to become quiet."
I knew he was right, and yielded myself to the strong control he
possessed over me, and I slept I know not how long. When I awoke Louis
said we were getting along at good speed.
"Day will break soon, and then comes a change of cars, and in a little
while we shall see the great city."
I was for a few moments at a loss to realize everything; when I did I
said:
"Selfish girl to sleep so long, and you have sat here watching me, and
now you are so tired."
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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