The Angel Ministers.

" I am so tired of this life , " she said to Dr . Herbert , "that I have scarcel y Avished you to be successful in raising me from this sick bed . I have almost hoped it would be my last earthly illness . " "I knoAv you ' ve been desponding ,

madam , " responded the doctor , " ancl this has been my greatest difficulty in treating your case—Avhich has been a very stubborn one at best . But I hope , Madam , " he added , you will now cheer up , for your disease has now given Avayand the present

, indications promise you a speedy restoration to life and health again . " " _ But , ah , Dr . Plerbert , " said the forlorn patient , you know I ' ve nothing now to encourage me back to life , save this poor , dear child" placing her Avhite bony hand

, on the head of the little darling , who was leaning affectionately over her pillow , with her eyes full of tears and catching the desponding Avords of her much loved mother . " She is all that is left me , " she added" of my once happy family . " The

, good Avoman evidently Avished to say more , but she had not the strength , and closing her eyes she looked as one really already dead . Her life vigour Avas indeed evidentl v

well-nigh spent , and Avhen she opened her eyes again , the big tears that SAvelled up in them told of the depth of the struggle Avithin . The night of her darkness Avas IIOAV only lit up by a single star , and the raven Avings of despair , Avhich for so many

weeks had been so threateningly flapping over her , made the Avhole Avorld seem to her as if life itself Avas but an idle mockery . It is , indeed , sorrowful enough to be sick , and hovering near death ' s door , even in the midst of kindred and friends , but

Avhen these evils come upon us intermingled Avith life ' s saddest bereavements , in a land of strangers , Avhere we have been thrown by the mysterious ancl relentless hand of a seeming relentless adversity , Avithout a friend and without a dollarand with onl

, y the promiscuous and personal attentions of hospital kindness , sensitiA'e minds often sink under such vicissitudes of adverse fortunes , as the cast off stone returns to its native bottom . They feel as if they Avere deserted by Providenceas if no

, mortal relations held them any longer in earthly guardiansMp . This Avas the sad condition of Mrs . Fitzgibbon . She had never known before what it Avas to Avant a friend . The sun of

her life had been bright ancl promising , and the horizon around her had ever been gilded Avith its golden tinsels . But within the last two short months she had lost her father , husband , and only son , ancl the painful excitement hadAvell-nigh broken

her life-spirit , and had thrown her into a fever , which had assumed the very worst type , and to still add to the darkness of her captivity , a gloomy hospital Avas the only receptacle of her sufferings and sorrow . "Until Avithin the last feAV clays , even the doctor himself had not learned Mrs .

Fitzgibbon ' s history , for she had only been his patient , and Avhere he had so many he but seldom ever learned anything of their antecedents or peculiar relations , unless it Avas forced upon him . It ivas his business to administer medicine , ancl he did not often stop to ask the life-story of those be attended .

In the hospital , more especially he left this to the Sisters of Charity , who were the angel ministers of the institution . They had , in this case , more than clone their duty to Mrs . Fitzgibbon , ancl though it Avas the first time iu her life that she had ever received any services at the hands of these Church recluses , she Avas full of admiration ancl gratitude for their constant devotion and watch-care over her ancl her

little daughter through all her long illness . During much of the time , it is true , she had been unconscious of all her surroundings , ancl she only lived in a sort of Avild dream-life of bufferings and mishaps . Her mind-wanderings had indeed been terrible ; and weary and bed-wornshe had

, for Aveebs hovered along the banks of the mysterious river , like some lost one AVIIO Avas only seeking entrance to the other shore . But the past feAV clays had lifted her soul out from the dark mists , and p laced her feet on the nearer shore again .

She began to realise at last that this Avas not her time to go on this long journey , and she submitted to the mysterious decision with grace and thankfulness , chiefly for her dear little Nettie ' s sake . Beautiful ancl sprightly this only remaining jewel of a once blissful family noAV chino- to her mother Avith a tenderness Avhich

kneAv no bounds . Her touching simplicity of spirit and action had been sympathisingly noticed by everyone , ancl she had been tenderly cared for as an only child plucked from the fire .