Page:Meda - a tale of the future.djvu/321

Rh I felt one night as if I were half asleep and half awake. I thought I heard voices whispering: I thought I felt a kindly hand bathing my brow; and I thought some one was feeling my pulse. I heard a woman's voice say, 'Doctor, he is better; do say my darling is better,' And then I heard a strong, kindly voice say: 'Yes, the crisis is past, I can now give you some hope, but the greatest prudence must be exercised, a relapse would have terrible results. You must now go to bed, and leave the nurse to attend to the patient.'

"'But I cannot leave my darling, doctor,' the voice pleaded.

"'I insist on your doing so,' was the reply. And then I listened and thought I heard them retiring. Where had I heard that woman's voice before? It was quite familiar to me, I knew it; yes, it was my first dear wife Mary's voice. I was sure of this; how could it be, though? She has been dead more than three thousand years. What has become of me? No, it is not her voice. I tried to open my