Wanderings of French EdRené, J. Adelard (Joseph Adelard)
History
Wanderings of French Ed
René, J. Adelard (Joseph Adelard)
French Canadians -- Fiction; United States -- History -- 19th century -- Fiction
Edward did not appear to realize that he was in a new place, and
remained the same careless and helpless being, with the difference
that he stayed in bed a great part of his time, while at Goodnow's
home Grace used to make him take long strolls on the ranch. She was
still his faithful friend, and every day she brought him flowers, and
now and then she read to him as she used to.
After he had been in the hospital two or three weeks, a new sister
came, and took charge of Edward, among her other patients. Her name
was Sister Mary, and a sweeter face had never worn a hood. From the
first time she came in Edward's room her voice seemed to have a
peculiar effect upon him, and while she was near him his eyes always
followed her, which fact was rather strange considering that he had,
ever since his illness, paid no attention to any one. The doctor
noticed this fact and jokingly told Sister Mary that she had come in
time to save his patient.
One day, Sister Mary was surprised to hear her patient ask her to
sing, and as she looked at him, he said: "Please, Nellie, sing that
old song, won't you?"
Sister Mary turned pale and would have fallen to the floor, had the
doctor not happened to be coming in.
"Please, Nellie--sing, only once, won't you?" Edward was imploringly
repeating.
"Still wanting his old mare Nellie to sing for him," said the doctor,
before he noticed Sister Mary; then seeing her reeling and ready to
fall, he said:
"What's the matter, sister? Are you sick?" and held her up.
"Please help me out of this room, doctor," was all she said, and to
the doctor's questions later, she answered that her name used to be
Nellie, and that she used to sing, and she added. "I used to know
him."
The doctor saw at once that there was a romance somewhere, and in his
anxiety to experiment, he begged sister Mary to come back to the room
of his patient and sing for him.
"It may be the key that will open his brain to let in the rays of
intelligence," he pleaded, and at last Sister Mary consented to go
back and sing.
"Edward, Nellie will sing for you," said the doctor to his patient,
watching carefully the expression of his face.
"Good!" said Edward, clapping his poor bony hands together, and
showing evidence of great satisfaction upon his face.
At the foot of the bed, facing the invalid, stood Sister Mary. Her
face was pale and her lips were trembling, but by a supreme effort
she sang:
"Rendez-moi ma patrie,
Ou laissez-moi mourrir,
Rendez moi mon pays
Ou laissez-moi mourrir."
At the first sound of the sweet voice, Edward sat up in bed, and
watching eagerly the face of the singer, his eyes filled with tears.
When the voice ceased he fell back saying, "My God! Nellie!"
"I have killed him," said Sister Mary.
"No, you have saved him!" answered the doctor, bending over his
patient, whose face was covered with cold sweat, and every nerve
twitching.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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