But He bade me go far and find them, “go seek them with zeal and pain;
  The hand is most welcome to me that brings me mine own again;
  And those who follow them farthest, with faithful searching and sight,
  Are brought with joy to my presence, and sit at my feet all night.”

  So, hither and thither walking, I gather them broadly cast;
  Where yonder young face doth sicken, it may be the best and last. 
  In no void or vague of duty I come to his aid to-day;
  I bring God’s love to his bed-side, and carry God’s gift away.

MR. AXTELL.

PART V.

“Miss Anna!  Miss Anna!  Doctor Percival is waiting for you,” were the opening words of the next day’s life.  Its bells had had no influence in restoring me to consciousness of existence.  I never have liked metallic commanders.  Now Jeffy’s Ethiopian tones were inspiriting, and to their music I began the mystic march of another day.

Doctor Percival was not out of patience, it seemed, with waiting; for, as I went in, he was so engrossed with a morning paper that he did not even look up, or notice me, until I made myself vocal, and then only to say,—­

“Ring for breakfast, Anna; I shall have done by the time it comes.”

“It is here, father”; and he dropped the newspaper, turned his chair to the table, leaned his arms upon it, covered his precious face with two thin, quivering hands, and remained thus, whilst I prepared coffee, and lingered as long as possible in the seeming occupation.

Jeffy—­and I suspect that the mischievous African designed the act—­overturned the coffee in handing it to my father, who is not endowed with the most equable temper ever consigned to mortals; but this morning he did not give Jeffy even a severe look, for his eyes were full of tender pity, such as I had never seen in them in all the past.

“How is your patient?” I asked.

“Better, thank God!” he replied.

“Were you with him all night?”

“Yes, all night.  I must go out this morning to see some patients.  I’ll send up a nurse from the hospital on my way.  I don’t think the delirium will return before mid-day; can you watch him till then, Anna?”—­and he asked with a seeming doubt either of my willingness or my ability, perhaps a mingling of both.

I did not like to recount my serious failures with Miss Axtell, but I answered,—­

“I will try.”

Before he went, he took me in to the place of my watching.  The gentleman was asleep.  The housekeeper was quite willing to relinquish her office.  The good physician gave me orders concerning the febrifuge to be administered in case of increase of febrile symptoms, and saying that “it wouldn’t be long ere some one came to relieve me,” he bent over the sleeping patient for an instant, and the next was gone.