86 THE POOR WOODCUTTER.

 

fever, and his pulses yet beat quickly and
irregularly. He had little more strength
than a child. The excitement caused by
this sudden and unexpected appearance,
was too much for him, and he fell back, on
making this almost wildly uttered appeal,
so exhausted that he panted like a fright-
ened child who had shrunk trembling upon
its mother’s bosom.

Mr. Edgar, for he was the visiter, felt
deeply moved by what he saw and heard.
Sitting down by the bedside, and speaking
a word of encouragement to the poor man
in order to quiet his mind, he proceeded to
make inquiries of the wife as to their cir-
cumstances and the causes which had led
to their present destitution. The narra-
tive affected him much.

“No, no,” said he, after the wife had
finished her relation, which ended with a
reference to her husband’s wish to go out
and look for work on that day, “he must
remain in bed, and I will send him a phy-
siclan. Here is more than he could earn ;”