Iowa voter. [volume] (Knoxville, Iowa) 1867-1874, 1872-01-11
THE "LITTLE WIDOW"

"Well," said the good old doctor, with a
sigh OF satisfaction, 1--WE have disposed of
! the roast chicken without a single inter
ruption Now for the baked custards ~
| But as he spoke the office bell rang, and
! he rose instantly, the yet untasted custard
| in his hand.
Now, father exclaimed the young girl
| opposite him. his only companion mt the
! little dinncr-table, "why need YOU go
| Eat your custard. Whoever it is can wait
! Il few minutes"
"No, dear" he said. Pain finds il
hard to wait Whoever it is may be suf-
fcring. The custard can wait. I'll just
take it with me, and eat il at the first spare
moment So he passed from the dining
room into the office, and looked around
| for his visitor He had time to set the
/ custard.cup on the mantes shelf and lay
| the spoon across il, before he discovered
any one in the room, so completely did
1 the great lcather-covercd, stuffed easy
! chair hide the little form behindit. TWAS
| n small boy, very poorly clothed, but with
neat patches on knees and elbows, which
! spoke of mothcrly care. His face was
! pale with pain, but there was a resolute
! look in his brave eyes, which showed
! soul stronger than the pain
| "Ah, there he is ~ cried the doctor.
/ "Wcll, my little man, what can | do for
/ you - And he seated himself in the
| large chair, to bring himself more on a
level with the little pale face.
! Please sir my hand, he replied, com
/ ing in front of the doctor, and holding
! out his right hand, crushed and bleeding.
Why, why that's bad How did
! you do that, my boy -
al rrag trtsipn In b.lt, a tho .ynrr 4 .
Office, sir, and "a box slipped and hurt
mo -
The doctor went TO work al once with
| the utmost gentlcness to bind up the poor
! little hand but muttering, " Pshaw what
does the express Office want of such "a
| child? You ought to be at school,
/ % Bat must he earning something siI ;
| Pm a poor" -.--..---.---, ---~---
| "Pshaw ~ muttered the Doctor again,
"what should such n child earn = You
| ought to be at school, ! say. Who brought
| you here ~
Nobody, sir. | saw your sign out,
| and came over here myself. But, sir,
he continued in piteous tone, Z" can
not pay you. ] have no money. I'm a.
| poor"
All, well, no matter wen see to that"
| interrupted the doctor in CHEEKY voice.
| But the child continued.
Il haven't any money, I'm "a poor
widow, SIR" but bere.the doctor, who
| had just put on the last slip of plaster,
leaned back in his great chair and burst
| into II hearty laugh, to the surprise OF the
! little boy, who raised his large, sad eyes
| to the doctors face wonderingly. Just
then, young girls face peeped in at the
| open door, attracted by the unusual
| sound Of mirth in the office. See here,
daughter My boy, ten the lady what
! you are. y
"Tm poor widow, ma'am," repeated
! the child, innocently, and the doctor
| laughed again right merrily
Poor child p said the girl. 81 sup
pose he has heard his mother say that, and
thought he shared her lot in all things. A
| good. manly little fellow" she added push.
| ing the hair back from his forehead with
kindly touch, and she helped To bind up
| his poor hand with soft clean linen.
Then the "littlc widow" was set in the
| large arm chair and treated TO the doctors
nice custard When il was finished, the
doctor said /: "Now, my boy, the buggy
! il al the door, ! am going your way, and
| will take you home 10 yonr mother
| His mother was, indeed, "a poor widow, :"
and this was her only child. Under the
| doctors care the boy soon recovered the
use Of his hand Further prescriptions
| followed as TO schooling for the doctor
| had a way of administering TO peoples
misfOrtunes as well as 10 their bodily all
| ments and as time went on, the 'little
widow" as the good old man used to call
the child between himself and his daugh-
ter, became the doctors Office boy with
good prospects Of becoming his assistant
at last .--Congregationattst.