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��The Doctor's Granddaughter.
��CHAPTER III. Susanna had noticed for some time that Mrs. Pendexter seemed feeble : she had a sharp, dry cough, and com- plained of a pain in her side. As the weather grew cold in the fall, Mrs. Pen- dexter grew worse. Once Susanna said to her grandfather, " Mrs. Pendexter is very poorly ; can't you give her some- thing to help her? She has been doc- toring herself, but she grows worse." — "Yes," said the doctor, "I can give her something to loosen her cough; but Mrs. Pendexter has been ailing for a good while. She belongs to a con- sumptive family." As the weather grew colder, Mrs. Pendexter was confined to the house. John wrote cheerful letters, and Susanna tried to keep the failing health of his mother from him. Su- sanna was with Mrs. Pendexter a great deal this long winter. She tried to tempt her failing appetite with little delicacies, but the flattering disease kept gaining every day. The fever spots came, her eyes grew bright, and her cough dry. Dr. Carwin gave her medicines to strengthen her; but she said, " Doctor, it's no use, you can't help me : my course is almost run. I told Mr. Bostwick yesterday that I was ready, I only waited my summons. I have had one hard struggle, and that was about John. Poor boy ! How he will miss his mother when he gets back to the old home ! But I have fought the battle, and I can say, * Thy will be done.' "
One bright winter day Susanna was sitting with Mrs. Pendexter, and the latter was very comfortable. They had talked of John, and Mrs. Pendexter had worried about his condition. Susanna took the part of comforter, and with cheerful words soothed Mrs. Pendexter wonderfully.
��The sick woman leaned back in her low, rind-bottomed chair, and said, " Su- sanna, a flock of snow-birds just flew by the window. Has Amos thrown out the hay-seed? John always did, and the little birds expect it. In about three days we shall have a snow-storm. I wonder if I shall live to see it." Susanna said, " Oh, yes ! You seem real bright to-day ; and you know the winter is going, and you will feel better when the weather is warmer, I hope." Mrs. Pendexter shook her head slowly, and said, " Not much longer. I could never climb ' May Hill ' any way ; but I shall go before that. Here comes Mr. Bostwick. He is a good man, but his idea of heaven is so cold." Su- sanna opened the door, and invited the minister in, and told him, in answer to his inquiry, "that Mrs. Pendexter was quite comfortable." She passed into the room, and placed a chair by the fire for the caller. After he had warmed his hands before the crackling fire, he took the fever-parched hand of Mrs. Pendexter, and said, " How are you to-day? Susanna thinks you are quite comfortable." — "Yes," she said, " for now I am, but somehow I think I shall have a hard night." Susanna left the two alone, and went into the kitch- en to see about something tempting for Mrs. Pendextet's supper. "Who sits up to-night, Catherine?" she asked of the woman who lived with Mrs. Pen- dexter. " One of the Alden girls and Jane Burrows. Y"ou go home, Miss Susanna : you are most tired out, and we shall need you more." — "No, I shall stay to-night. She is very feeble, her breath is short, and she hasn't coughed any to-day."
The short winter day was waning when Mr. Bostwick left the sick wo- man. He felt as if she had looked into
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