Friday, October 20th.
The Doctor called yesterday to see whether his patient had suffered from the excitement of the previous day. Lucy was requested by her father to leave the room, when he asked Frank to tell him plainly how long he should probably live. The Doctor replied that he might linger some weeks; but it would not surprise him, if he did not live many days, and he advised him to set his house and his soul in order to meet the solemn event. Squire Lee thanked him, and said, "I have much to do; I must delay no longer."
Encouraged by his calmness, Frank had a very interesting conversation with him, and was rejoiced to find him in a humble, penitent frame of mind, with a trembling hope of forgiveness through the blood of Christ.
"He wept; he trembled; cast his eyes around,
To find a worse than he; but none he found.
He felt his sins, and wonder'd, he should feel,
Grace made the wound, and grace alone could heal."
When the Doctor called again to see his patient, Mrs. Burns said that the Squire had sent the porter out for a man who was then engaged with him, and that she believed them to be making a will, as she had answered the bell, and had taken into the chamber paper, pens and other apparatus for writing; and when doing so she had heard her master, in a feeble voice say something in which she clearly distinguished the words "legal instrument."
The Doctor told her not to interrupt them, and assured her that he would call again. Not long after, Jacob, the porter, came in haste for him to go back, saying that he had been twice to the office in the village to find him.
Frank met him on the road and instantly returned with him. On the way, he was told a lawyer had been sent for who soon went out and returned with two other men. After they all retired, Lucy hastened to the room, fearing the effect of this unusual excitement upon her father. But as he lay perfectly quiet, she supposed him to be sleeping. She sat by his side, when perceiving that he remained for a long time in exactly the same position, she became alarmed and began to chafe his temples and hands. But as he still remained unconscious, she called Allen and sent for the Doctor. When Frank entered the chamber, he found him slightly revived, but unable to speak. He will not probably survive many hours. Lucy is very anxious for the Doctor to remain through the night, and he sent me word that he had consented to do so.