Vermont watchman and State journal. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1836-1883, 1871-09-06
Fnr the 1gnung.
Little Pats Accident.

oor lltte rat lhere ne ls, lying OF MS
little bed, with his leg all bandaged up and
his pale face wearing such a weary look. |
dare say he is very tired Of suffering For
six long weeks he has lain on this hard bed
IN the same position, enduring great deal
Of pain; and the doctor says he must stay
there till the bright spring days come round
again. Would you like to know, children,
how Pat happened to break his eg2 Well,
I'll tell you.
Pats father whose name was Mike, work
ed in distllery, and little Pat used to stay
about the place good deal and make him.
self very useful Just as little boy Of eleven
can do when he is strong and willing. One
day Pat was standing in the room where the
machinery was and one Of the workmen, who
ought to have known great deal better than
to have made such a request Of child, said
Pat, boy will you pull that band of the
large wheel for me, PLACE ?"
The wheel was going round and round very
fast, and it made a whizzing noise which
seemed to Pat to say, Little boy, if you
come near me, | will crush you to death /.
take care-take care !" and so Pat drew back
and said
"l'm afraid III get hurt, Jake; and be-
sides, daddy's always forbid me going near
the machinery"
Jake was angry, and called out
90 Pat, you coward Shure boy Of your
size ougbtn't to be afraid ofgeting his fingers
pinched little"
At this, Pat was ashamed of what he
thought, perhaps, was cowardly in him. and,
forgetting his fathers caution, put out his
hand towards the machinery. In a moment
his poor little fingers were caught between
the wheel and the band, and Pat was whired
up and dashed against the ceiling, and as the
wheel completed its revolution, he was crush
ed against the floor, where he lay with his head
bleeding, his hand bruised, aud his leg broken
Just above the ancle. lie dindt utter a
groan. He was perfectly sensible, and though
suffering an amount Of agony which would,
fancy, have drawn from any of US the most
narrowing cries, he lay silent and motionless
Soon the workmen crowded round, and hi,
father was summoned to his side. Children
how do you suppose that father acted wher
he saw his little son lying there all bruised
and bleeding? One of you will say, "Why
reckon the poor old man burst into tear
and knelt down by his boy, and, with word
Of pity and affection, tried to comfort him.
ASother will say, " suppose the fathe
called to some Of the men to run for tn
Doctor, quick, and then sent word to hi
mother that her little boy was hurt" No
children, aud fancy if you were to CUES
: all day not one of you could imagine hoy
that father acted. Instead of his heart fill
ing up with pity at the sight, it seemed t
swell with rage. He swore such dreadfu
oaths, that poor little Pats face grew 5
white the meu thought he was sinking away
and one of them turned to the cruel fsthe
exclaiming,
! why, Mike, man, have your senses clea
4 forsook you, that you could speak thus to
dying child, and he your own son ? Sham
; shame on ye!"
But the old mans face evnced neither so
= row nor shame, as he replied:
Manys the time I've bid the boy no 3
near that machinery to medde wi it. 1t
only two years ago come spring since Pi
had his foot crushed by the cars, and it toe
i near months wages then to pay the Do
,. tors bill; and what will it tax now, thir
II ye, from poor mans pocket?'
> Every word that his father uttered hi
y been heard by poor little Pat, who turned h
eyes on the old man with piteous look al
= walled out
e "Oh daddy, daddy. if I'd only died Il
e last time-if I'd only died the last time :"
y They lifted him very carefully from I
E. hard floor and placed him on a mattress, al
le it was Jake who, with great tears of pi
1t rolling over his cheeks, pleaded hardest
10 help carry the little helpless burden hon
ID Any one who looked on that pale, suferi
as face, as they bore him slowly along, ov
IT which each moment a spasm Of pain wou
g pass, distorting the features and increasi
IN their death-like pallor, could not wonder
le the fortitude of a child so young, who cou
IL bear that great agony without 50 much
as giving expression to his suffering in sing
groan or tear. | believe if Pat had be
rs suffering only pain in his body, he wou
IN have cried out but, Oh he was suffer-
en- great pain in his heart aud that kept h
Is silent.
sh "Couldna' you shed few tears, Pa
10 Wouldna' you be the better Of weeping, boy
IN said poor Jake, whose heart, too, felt V,
no heavy.
IL NO, no, replied Pat feebly, tears wo
Is do me sma good. Oh, if I'd only died
time ~
er They carried him into the little, mea
SC furnished house which was his home
ie, there his poor mother, who loved Pat tender
u, and who was almost wild with grief, laid
a' on his little bed, and bathed his blood-stair
, ,in face, and spoke kind, soothing words,
nc tried to comfort him.
= Soon the Doctor came, and the little brol
- leg was set, and the crushed hand bound
be and some soothing medicine given, and q
the little sufferer slept. But for days
g, weeks he has lain on that hard bed not a
+ :, to turn; and endures, at times, pain so te
- bic that he wishes God would take him uT
A. heaven, away from all the sad things in
no weary world. His cheeks have become so Il
,oo and his eyes look so sunken, and his hands
~ so white, that sometimes when he's asleep,
~ might almost fancy God had taken his ii
az, spirit out Of the poor, little frail, emacia
-. body lying there. But the Doctor says
H., will be strong and well again, and will pre-
~ bly, live to be man.
~ L Jake comes to see Pat very often,
"a sometimes he brings him oranges, and one,
f,r brought him lovely little pot of gerani
~ which he placed on the window-shelf just l
the head Of Pats bed.
One evening, about week after Pats
cident, Jake was sitting by his bedside. wa
ing the poor little pale sufferer, when sud'
our ly covering his face with his hands, he b
I'VE into violent weeping, and hiding his hea
rye the bedclothes, sobbed out, I" o Pat
our think it was me brought all this troubl
mas ye, lad. May the good Lord forgive
err aud help ye to forgive me, but shure
cry never forgive myself" and he wept loud
is bitterly, and his large frame shook with e
'ns, tion.
MT Pat turned his eyes full of tears on ia
'ho " I'm mo- inclined to blame you, Jake,
wn: what was all my own fault. Shure, ha
OF daddy warned me Of that wheel, and did
and clean disobey him ? 1t has taught \
rts' lesson, jake which I'll never forget,
the live till hundred"
use That night when little Pat was sleep
ap- his father stole softly into the room and L
ing ed down tenderly upon the little care-w
en- face, and heaving great sigh stopped
CkB L.a.al Dotfa co.akaaA toptlx IN.