gruel, and retired early to rest.

About twelve o'clock my father came into my bedroom to awake me, and
desired me to rise immediately, take my horse, and go for the family
apothecary, who lived at a distance of about five miles. I, who was
accustomed to rise at a moment's warning, jumped out of bed, and with the
greatest haste performed the sad office. I accompanied the apothecary to
her bedside before two o'clock, for I had made my poney almost fly thither
and back. We found my poor father, who had been anxiously attending the
progress of her disorder, in great distress. She had no sooner gone to bed
than she was seized with cold chills, which continued, with alternate
fever, the paroxysms of which had increased with such violence that she
was already partially delirious. The next day Dr. Barvis[7], from Devizes,
attended her and pronounced her in considerable danger. I mounted my
poney, rode back with him, and soon returned again with the medicine he
had prescribed; but my mother's disorder baffled all their skill and
attention. My poor father was distracted; he never quitted her bedside for
a moment; all his large farming concerns were left to the care of the
servants; he desired me to go to them on the Monday morning, the day after
my mother was taken ill, and to request them all to do their best in each
of their separate departments, and they were left entirely to themselves;
every other thought but what was directed to the attention and care of my
mother was abandoned; my father, whom I had never known to neglect seeing
all his servants once a day at least, and who suffered nothing to be done
unless it was under his immediate direction, would not now listen even to
an inquiry about his business; his whole soul was wrapped up in his
attention to my mother, whose illness he had anticipated with a presaging
spirit, even before it came upon her. I was incessantly employed in going
too and from the medical attendants, and assisting to wait upon my mother;
and from the time of her first attack she took nothing but from the hand