The Argosy — page 183: what you’re looking at

Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.

166 Isabel Clifford, M.D. scenes, Isabel was as acutely pained as ever at the sight of the suffering of the poverty-stricken. Her one consolation was that she was so often able to bring relier. She knelt by the child who lay on a heap of rags on the floor. “Her throat is sore, my lady, and she has pains lke the rheumatics. I wish she was in the hospital too, only the neighbours told me they wouldn’t take her in if tt Was fever.” “She ought to have been sent before,” said Isabel. ‘“‘ We cannot move her now.” Scarlet fever was fully developed, she told the mother; and great care must be taken, for it was in a dangerous form. She gave some directions and then went away to find a nursing-sister who would help the mother to take the needful watching in turn. The next day and the next she visited the little patient, each time bringing something to make her more comfortable. A soft mattress replaced the bed of rags, and as her mother laid her upon it, the child said: ‘Now please bring the gentleman.” ‘Whom does she want ?” asked Isabel. “Tt’s the clergyman, ma’am. He came here a few weeks ago and ever since she’s begging me to bring him again. He told her a story and it’s been running in her head ever since. I think she was just beginning to be bad that day, and she wanders like about it now.” “T want the gentleman,” murmured the child again ; and then, as if repeating his words, she said, with a happy smile: ‘‘ He put His arms around ’em and He wouldn’t let ’em be sent away.” ‘She never asks for nothing but that,” said the poor woman, look- ing sadly down on the flushed face of her child. ‘‘ But I don’t like to trouble the gentleman.” “T think he would be glad to come if you ask him,” said Isabel. ‘But you must tell him that it is scarlet fever.” Next day she found the small patient decidedly worse. She had been delirious in the night and had been pleading for ‘the story” that her friend had told her. “So I saw his housekeeper this morning and asked her to tell him. He needn’t come now unless he likes,” said the mother, who evidently had small faith in clergymen. But this clergyman came. Isabel had hardly left the alley when he entered it and found his way to the little room. The child recognised him at once and he said a few simple words that soothed her and that helped her mother also. When he went away he promised to come again on the morrow; but when the morrow came, little Maggie was no longer within reach of his words. ‘The mother thanked him with a few silent tears and said as he was going down the staircase : ‘““T’d never have made bold to ask you, sir, but Miss Clifford said I might.” He turned quickly and said: ‘‘ Has Miss Clifford been here ?” Gomichbooks.co mn