R 4 t J-, ft j i ; r , f , " ft'. ; , ,.' . ,W Kip 1 InT 'Mr ?lrwr,i ! ' , AN' ; INDEPENDl NT FAMILY NEWSPAPER. . . ' ! Vol. VI. Nqw BloomfloldPn., Tuesday, Jaiumry 23, 1873. iSol '4. jt Ijloomfitltr inws. IS PUniJHlIKD EVIRT TUESDAY MORNING, BT ' FBANK MORTIMER & CO., At New Bloomfleld, Terry Co., Ta. Bolus; provided with Steam Power, nnd large (Minder and Job Presses, wo are prepared to do all kinds of Job l'rliitlnn In good style and at Low Prices. ADVEKTISING KATES I Trantient 8 Cents per line for one insertion. 18 " " . two Insertions 15 " " "three Insertions, business Notices In Local Column 10 Cents pW line. Notices of Marriages or Deaths Inserted free. Tributes of Respect, &c., Ton cents per line. YEAKLY ADVKHTI8BMBNTB. ' Ten Mnes Nonpareil one year Jlo.OO Twenty lines " " " ' 1H U0 M. For Imiirer yearly ndv'ts tonus will be given upon application. Dr. Grafton's Experiment. A COLD, wintry day (altogether too cold for so early in tbo season, pcoplo sagoly said it was) was drawing toward nightfall, nnd hurrying clouds and sharp, driving winds foretold a still more tempes tuous night, when, as Dr. Grafton, having made his round of professional visits, turn ed into his office entry, bo found awaiting him a note containiag these words: "Will Dr. Grafton call upon Mrs. Vaughn, at No. 47 Hotel as soon as convenient, and sco a nick person, a stranger in the eity." . .The handwriting was that of a lady, and the confidence thus reposed in him by a trangcr was flattering; and the tired doctor, adding a few more wrap to defend bim solf from the increasing cold, sallied forth, and turned wearily back upon this new mUsion. It was a long walk, for the hotel indica ted was at the opposite end of the city and the streets were already white with the first snow of the season. Beaching the hotel ho was shown, at his roqucKt, to No. 47, whore bo was met by an elegant woman of mlddlo ago, who re volved him with ease, and introduced her self as the writer of the noto. "We aro traveling, Dr. Grafton," sho said, "and my daughter having become alarmingly ill, wo have bad to make a longer stay here than we intended; and thinking it necessary to call in medical aid, I have been advised to send for you." The doctor bowed silently, and the lady went on: "My daughter is, I fear, threatened with fevor. 8ho is of a nervous temperament, ban mot with severe family bereavements, and is very excitable; indeed, she had a brain fover some eighteen months ago, and I am sadly apprehensive or a recur rence of it. I have thought it beBt to tell you this in advance, as yon will find Iter nervous system is very much unstrung, But you can form your own judgment bet ter when you have seen her. ' Will you follow me, if you please ?" Crossing an intermediate passage, the lady went into the sick-room. The apart ment was so dark that at first the doctor could see only that a respectable-looking alck-nurse glided from her post of duty by tho invalid's pillow. But Mrs. Vaughn noiselessly approached tho window, and drawing back the curtain, let a little light full upon the bed, disclosing a young and handsome female, who, with wildly up tossed arms, dishevelled - hair, flushed cheeks, nnd quick, gasping breath, was sleeping the uneasy, broken slumber of fe vor oi delirium. " Bertha, my child," said the elderly .lady, tending tenderly over the sleeper "Bertha, my daugbtberl" The sloopcr started up with low moan of pain, and opened her eyes with a wild, Jrigbtened gsKO upon the doctor. "This Is the doctor, dearest," said Mrs, Vaughn, soothingly, promised to send for Grafton, Bertha." "Don't you know I bim? This is Dr. " Can ho do anything for me ?" murmur ed the patient, laying her whlto hand, aa be spoke, upon her brow, from which the loose curia bad been carelessly brushed back. " Is the pain In your bead very severe V Aed the doctor soothingly. " Torturing I" algbed the invalid, briefly . Dr. Grafton took the aeat the mother had Moved toward him, lifted the hand of the patient tenderly from ber burning temple, ' and laid his own cool on In ite plaoa, while laid the Angers of bla other band lightly upon lier wrist. Tor ft' 'moment she was quiet, as if tho steady pressure of his hand upon her brow was mesmeric. Then sud denly springing up, sho dashed his hand aside, and fixing her wild eyes upon his face, " Doctor, doctor 1" sho said, excitedly, "can you help mo ? Can you give mo any thing to strengthen me? I must get up I I can not lie here) I bavo business that must bo attended to, and they will not let me go. Can you give mo bark,wino, opium, brandy any, thing, any tiling to give mo strength ? I must got up; I : must go to the Exhibition. I mutt I will 1" , i "Hush, Bortha darling," said tho mother, soothingly; " you shall go as soon as you areable to." . . , . , , The sick woman snatched herself away from her mother's hands with the quick ir ritation and fictitious strength of fevor. " You have been telling mo that for a week nnd more," sho said, bittorly, "and you will not let me go. Oh 1 doetor,doctor!" and she caught tho doctor's hands in both her own "you look good and kind and sensible; will you help mo? Oh I if you knew how much depends upon it, you would help ma if you could I am sure you would." I think I can help you decidedly," said the doctor, cheerily. " But I always ex pect my patients to do as I-say. If you want mo to euro you up quick, you must lie down and take a composing draught that I shall give you, and try to sleep; that's tho only way to do, and then you can go out just when you want to.", , A look of gratitude and hope passed over tho beautiful features of the invalid. "I will do just what you tell mo to," she said, as she lay wearily back upon her pillows. There, mother ! See, tho doctor says I may go out." In a few moments tho composing draught was mixed and given, a cooling wash to bathe tho flushed cheeks and beating tem ples was prepared, and tho medicine for the night, and careful directions to the nurse had been given. ; " I shall look in upon you again in tho morning, said the doctor, encouragingly; and if you only mind my directions, I am suro to find you better." And the patient smiled drowsily as she held out her hand to bim. "What do you think of hor, doctor?" asked tho mothor, cagorly, when they had returned to the sitting-room. "Ia sho very ill?" "No, I think not," said tho doctor, re flectively. " She is a stranger to mo, you kuow, and of course I can not form a cor rect judgment of tho case as if I knew my patient better. She is, as you say, evident ly laboring under strong mental excitement. I should judge that her powers of mind and body had both been overstated to great degree. If I can reduce this excite ment, I do not apprehend much from the feverishncss. I think that is probably the result, not the cause of the excitement; but I can form a tetter opinion In the morn Ing. Keep her very quiet. Do not let hor talk if you can help it; but,above all things, do not rouse her by opposition. I have given her a strong opiate, and if she Bleeps, as I think she will, I trust to find her much better in the morning;" and shaking hands with the relieved mother, Dr. Grafton bow ed himself away. Night had gathered iu with storm and darkness when the doctor cmergod into the street again, and, tired and cold and hun gry, he deeided not to return to his olllco, but to go directly to his home, which was a well-managed, comfortable bachelor es tablishment. It was dark and Intensely cold; the wind ' was howling furiously a fierce northeast wintry wind, that seemed to chill the very marrow to his bones; and ho was half blinded by the sharp, cutting sleet, and stifling snow that drifted into his face and eyes, and almost choked his very breath, as, stumbling, plunging, flounder ing on, ue mauo ins slow, uncertain way through the streets, "Thank Heaven !" he said, as he reached his own home, and panting and breathless, mounted the steps and pulled open with strong bauds the outer vestibule door, al ready obstructed by the fast-gathering bur. den of drifted snow heaped against it. ' " I don't think I could have walked half a mile farther without losing by breath." As, latch-key In band, be rapidly mount ed the innet steps, thankful for even the shelter thus afforded him from the f rim night and lashing wind, he aaw by the dim, flickering light of the wind-shaken street lamp behind him a dark,' ahapelesa bundle lying npon one of the outer steps, and half unconsciously, In bla haste to enter, the doctor gave tlia bundle a slight push out of tho way with his foot. Good ' gracious 1 It moved, it wriggled. It was alive ! " Oh, thunder I" said the astonished doc tor; "here's a pretty to do i A stray baby loft at my door ! There, It's come at last ! I'vo been dreading it; I knewit would; I've been'cxpecting it ever since I . went to housekeeping. And now what's to be done? What comes next, I wonder ? Turn out in all this tempest and hunt up a wet-nurse, for the 'interesting stranger,' I suppose. I'll be hanged if I ' do. ' Lord ! I'm wet enough to fill tho office myself, if that was all (I should say it would bo hard to find a dry ono to-night). And then? Well, then, como coral and bells, silver mug, and knife, fork, and spoon in prospective, I suppose; ogrecablo prospect for a snng,singlo gentle man not yet forty-flvo certainly! But first let us see who and what it Is ho or she, black or white. Come now, my young friend, own up, what arc you !" And as ho spoke the doctor stooped down and laid his hnnil lightly upon tho bundle. . Only a maps of long, loose, wet hnir met his touch. "Bless my soul ! By all that's good, only a dog, nfter all !" said tho doctor, laughing but slightly recoiling, for he did not very much fancy tho ennino race. And ns ho spoko, tho doctor cautiously poked tho in truder slichtly with tho point of his umbrella.' But instead or tho hark or growl, enmo tho unexpected response, "You get out! What you 'bout? Let a fellow alone, can't you?" ; , j... , i. . . i Tho doctor nearly jumped backward down the steps in his astonishment. Then, doxtrously grasping tho unknown with a firm grip in one hand, he flung open the door with the other, and springing into tho entry, closed the door, and dropped bis burden upon tbo entry mat, under tho full blazo of tho hall gas. A confused mass of wet rags, of no par. ticular shape or color and involved iu them in somo strango, inoxplicablo way, rather than clothed by them, a child a boy of possibly eight years of ago but such a very mite, so small, so emaciate, so pinch. cd and starved and thin and shrunken, ho might have well passed for five or six at the most. As Dr. Grafton set bim down right side up on the mat, the bright gaslight seemed to awaken him nt once, and thoroughly, And tossing back bis wet hair, and lifting his eyebrows with strango, comic action, he darlcd a quick glance nt his captor from a pair of bright dark eyes, that seemed preternnturally largo and sharp in his littlo peaked face a glance of mingled intolli. genco and bravado; and placing his hand upon his hips, stood watchful!, still and silent. " Well !" said tho doctor, wailing for him to speak. , . " And well, sir 1" retorted tho unknown, with a perfect sang-froid. What were you doing on my doorstop, sir?" said tho doctor. "What business bad you to be there, and what the devil are you?" he said, hastily. The boy aaw bis advantage, and improved it. " I wouldn't awenr governor," ho said, with a comio air of grave rebuke wouldn t swear if I was you; it is not gen tlemanly." V I agree with you fully," said Dr. Graf ton; " it is not. But tell me if you please, what are you ?" said the doctor. . " And, pray I don't know, sir." "You don't?, Well that's singular, any how. I suppose you've got a namo, have you not?" " You have not told me what yours is yet; and it would be good manners to let you speak first." "Oh 1 is that it? Very well, then; mine is Percy Grafton Dr. Grafton. Did you ever hear It before ?" ( ' "No," said the boy, reflectively; don't know that I ever did." " And now yours?" "Oh ! mine has not got any such nieo handle to it m yours has ; it'a Franco ?" "Frankie?" said the doctor " Frankio What?" ;" ' "No, sir! not Frankie Franco," said the Iwy, gravely. " At, well, much : tho same ; Franco what?" ' ' Again the child hesitated, and then said, timidly. ' Franco Bturdovant." ' By this time the doctor had thrown off his great coat, many wraps, and overshoes and, opening the door of the sitting-room, motioned tie child to enter ' For a little while there waa alienee, Dr. Grafton stood leaning bla elbow ' upon the mantle piece, and watching? the child, with bia unnaturally bright eyes fixed, aa in sort of mute worship, upon the leapln ruddy blaze ; then, as tho shivers and tho steam grew less and less, the boy looked ' What are you going to do to me, sir?' he asked, suddenly. " Warm you nnd dry you first, and then give you some supper," said Dr. Grafton. " You don't say so ! That's nico 1 - " Ave you lruugry?'! " Awful I" said tho small stiangor, sig nificantly laying his littlo skeleton hand npon a certain concavity, which should have been a convexity., "But it seems too good to bo true. Doctor I you you" He hesitated. 1 Speak out," said tho doctor ; " What Is it ?" " Well, then, you sec, all this is very nice, you know ; but I hope you do not mean to finish o(T by making an anatomy of me, Buch as you gentleman keep in closets', do you ?" And as ho spoko ho roso to his feet, dropped his hands with bis fingers hanging looslcy at his side, his head bent forward, let bis undcr-jaw fall, and standing with loose-jointed, and knock kneed limbs and expressionless face, with quick, cllective, immitahlo art, no repre sented a prepared (skeleton. , ' , " Lord bless you, child, no I" replied he laughing. "You are only too much liko that already." All right," sold tho littlo mimic springing into life and action in a moment. You will excuse me, sir ; only I thought I would just give you a hint that that sort of thing would not bo agreeable to me. And now wbon is that supper you wore talking about likely to come off?" "At once," said the doctor, ringing the bell as ho spoko. " Tell Mrs.' Jones," he said, " to send up supper for two as quick. ley as sue can ; and tell tier not to spare for plenty of hot toast, bread and butter and cold meat." ' - "And pickles?" suggested tho stranger in modeBt tones. "And picklos," repeated rlio amused host. " Is there anything else you would like to suggest?" "Something hot to drink would bo nice ; don't you think bo?" "To drink of what sort?" apprclien sivcly questioned tho doctor, rather " tak en aback" by tho last proposition. "Oil, tca or cofloe or shells which over you liko. I am not particular, if it is only hot," said the child, calmly, but still shivering from head to foot. " Oh, yes ! plenty of tea, of course," said tho doctor, much relieved ; and the servant withdrew. " That's bully 1" said the boy, drawing nearer to the fire again. The doctor opened the door to an adjoining closet, and camo back with a large, thick. tweed shawl and a woollen scarf. " Sup pose," he said, "yon take off the wettest of your clothes, and wrap yourself up in these." The boy obeyed instantly. But as he drew off his miserable rags piecemeal the doctor looked and shuddered at bis ex. treme emaciation. The hollow-chest ; the hatchet-like shoulder-blades ; the ghastly protruding ribs and collar-bones ; the skel eton arms, scarce larger than those ' of a new-born child, but with the joints stand ing out in knotty projection.' Only in the dissecting room never on any living sub ject had his professional eyes rested npon such limbs before. In a few moments the supper waa sent np, and tho strangly assorted'pair sat down to It together. The doctor helped the gueBt at once and bountifully, fully expecting to see him full upon his food like somo raven. ous beast of prey; but, to his astonishment tho boy.though evidently famished, ato with avidity, but witli perfect propriety.recog- nizlng all tho littlo conventionalities of the tablo, and eating with evident relish, , but without greediness or rude haste. " When did you dine, my boy ?" asked tho doctor, as the child drew buck bla plate, declining any further supplies. ' ' " I had a handful of peanuts at noon, aaid the boy, quietly. ' ' ' "And what else?" ' ' " Nothing elso to-day, sir." ', "Good Heavens! Is it possible?" said the doctor. ' " A hanful of peanuts on such a day as this?" The boy smiled, lifted bla thin shoulders in a quiet, expressive shrug, but aid noth "Now tell me, child," said Dr. GraTton, aa they left the tablo and returned to the fire, the doctor lighting bit cigar to dispel the not over agreeable steam from tha boy, wet clothing "Oh, by the way, jron don' mind a cigar, do you r ' "Not In the least," said tho boy, gravely. "I never smoke myself, but I rather like it than otherwise." And again came that strange, quick contortion of lip and brow, which had already caught tho observant cyo of tho doctor. I have certainly seen that look before, but where ?" questioned tho doctor, mon- tally. I'lam suro I have seen it. I can not fix it, but I know he looks liko soma i ono I have seen before ; but when and where, I am suro I can not tell ; the like ness evades as much as it puzzles mo." !Now, thon, my young man," he began again, wncn lie naa seated mmsoit in ma own especial fireside chair, and bis cigar was drawing just as It should do, whilo bia ' diminutive guest sat perched upon another chair, dangling his purple diumsticks of legs, and holding out bis littlo red feet to the genial warmth " now, then, I want to know soniething about you; and, in tho first place, what wcro youVoing to do in my vestibule? Tell mo tho truth." "Sleep there," said tho boy, quietly. "That was all." "Sleep there? What! all night, do you mean? on thoso etono steps this bitter night 1 Why child you might have frozen to death before morning." Oh, no, I guess not," answered tho boy, calmly ; there was a mat under me, and it seemed real cozy. I did not feel so very cold." " But why in tho world did you not go homer" Tho child looked wondoringly'at him for a momont, as if doubtful he had beard the question rightly ; then lifting his facile brows with a quick grimace, answered gravely, " I did uot kuow the way, Bir." "Then why did you not ask a policeman to take you home?" questioned the gentle man. " Policeman are not ovcrfond of boys, as a general thing ; and, besides," he aaid, with another strange facial contortion, " I couldn't give him my address; I hadn't my i cards about me." " Do you mean that you had no home to- goto?" "Something considerably liko it, sir. ' " And where do you sleep generally ?" " Whore I can, sir ; out of doors in sum mer, but the nights are getting rather chilly now." Auothei grimace and shrug of the shoulders. . Tell mo how you live. Have you no father?" "No," said the boy; "entirely out of that ai ticlo ; never had any on band that I know of." "No mother either?" The littlo follow'a bright dark eyes were suddenly filled with tears, and bis mocking voice choked and grew tender, as he falter ed out, "I do not know, sir." "You do not know?" questioned the doctor, sternly. , . i "No, sir ; I don't know, indoed. I nevev bad a father, but I did have a mother and a home once; but I have lost tbem both I" " Lost them ; in what way ? Tell me." , " But I can't toll you, sir, for I do not know it myself. I only know that I did ' have them onoe, but I bavo got nothing now." '.,.'.:'' " That is very Btrango, certainly," said the doctor. " Tell me about your mothor, thon. What was sho like ?" . ' "Oh, mamma? she waa quality!" said the boy, drawing himself up proudly. " I did not know it then, but I know it now." " And bow do you know it ?" " Oh, becaubo I see such woman get out of the carriage at Stewart's door every day, and the boys say they are quality folks j" and aa be spoke the boy slipped from bia chair, drew the thick shawl around him with one hand, and gathering up its long, trailing fold gracefully behind him with the other, with head erect, and dignified but gliding steps, he crossed the room in life-like imitation of the air and manner of a well-dressed, stylish woman,1 who "car ried herself ! delicately," aa did Queen Esther. "But mamma never cornea to Stewart's," he aaid, aadly, as he returned to his aoat with drooping bead and tearful eyes ; " I have watched for her there for boors and hours, but she never cornea." "Poor little fellow I" aaid tho kindly doctor, touched by the real pathos of the child'a look and voioe. "Tell mo all yon can remember about your mother and your borne,' and possibly I may help yon to find them." " "' " , ' , ; " Yea, air ; there waa mamma and grand ma, and old Ponto, and the rooklng-horne,' and I : there waa not anybody elso that 1 remember; but the aervanta." ! ' ' ' 1 ' " Yea, but how cams you to leava themT" COXCICDKD OH SCOHD FAOB.) i
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