The Wellington enterprise. [volume] (Wellington, Ohio) 1867-188?, 1880-05-13

found that it didn' work. and he leaned
over to shout to Edith to tighten her
end Of the cord so that the thrill of sound
might be greater.
Poor Davei poor mammal and poor
sorrowful little faces that stand about!
I see them all as l write, and my eyes
grow moist as I recall the scene.
: Dave had fallen from the fourth story
to the hail. They thought at frat that
he was dead, but piteous little cry
from the pale lips showed them that
there was life left. Then the children
went home, some of them sobbing, all
of them with heavy hearts, for Dave
was much loved by them all.
Now another picture rises before my
eyes. A silent chamber, an anxious
group about the bed where they have
laid the poor boy, father and mother
standing by with pale faces and lips
that tremble when they speak. A sur
geon's assistant goes quietly in and out,
bringing basins. preparing bandages,
and otherwise making ready for the
doctors examination. The doctor,
looking very grave and very wise,
passes his trained hands over Dave 8
body. laying his ear now and then close
over Dawes heart. And after it is all
done he answers the mothers anxious,
questioning look. with q faint 81 hope
so; but it Is very bad-very bad indeed.
Both legs and rib are broken, and !
fear there is some injury to the spine. "
Then everybody is shut out Of the
room except Dawes papa, who will
stay, and when the doctor goes away he
leaves Dave bandaged almost from
head to foot, and with only strength
enough to sigh when he feels the dread
full pains all over his body.
Oh, the anxious waiting days! Weeks
have gone by and Dave is able to talk a
little. Very family he speaks, but
sometimes he smiles when his mother
kisses him. At last there is q high fes-
tival in the house, for Dave is able to
sit up In bed. Father and mother know
now that he will live, but behind this
Joy is o great sorrow, for the doctor
thinks Dave will never be a6le to walk
again.
One day the doctor comes and Dave
asks:
"When shall be able to walk again,
doctorP"
"Not for long time. my boy" the
doctor answers.
"In q year?" asks Dave.
"It will be more than that"
I'm five yearsP
81 can't tell you. my child; but wei
do the best we can for you," and So the
doctor goes, and Dave is left alone with
his mother. He knows that the doctor
has not told him the worst, and he sees
that his mother, in spite of her effort to
hide her grief, is very sorrowful. He
reaches out the one arm that he car
use, puts it about her neck, and says:
Mother, it is pretty bad, but
should like to know the worst I'm moi
Q coward, you know. Tell me, does the
doctor think shall be able to walk
againw -
And then the mother, putting her
cheek close to her boys sobs aloud and
Oh, my poor boyl my poor, poo,
Dave"
And Dave knows what the doctor
thinks.
Don't cry, mother. It's pretty bad;
but maybe 1 can do some good lying
here 1t was lucky l didn't fall on
Cousin Edie, wasn't itP'
Now it is a settled thing in the house
that Dave is 70 be always a cripple.
The shadow is forever there, but some
how it falls everywhere darker than on
the boys heart. They all wonder that
he is SO cheerful. but, you see, every
night and many times day Dave prays,
.. Oh, Lord, help me to bear it, and
the good Lord, who is ever tender to
children, does help him to bear it.
When the winter comes on Dave is so
that he can bcIrolled about the house in an
invalid-chair, which he says. laughing
ly, "Does almost as well as walking
And he says to his mother many times,
" Well, don't see what boys do that
haven't any legs or any chair either;
that must be pretty tough" One day
it is bitter cold. and somebody comes to
see Dave and talks about the sufferings
of the poor, those who haven't fire or
clothes to warm them 1t is q kind
lady interested in the Children's Aid
Society and ever so many other sweet
charities, and she tells how even that
morning she has seen boys and girls, some
of them smaller than Dave, who hadn't
clothes enough to cover their poor little
half-starved, shivering bodies. She is
in the very midst of her story when
Dave cries out:
I. Why, here a chancei I've got lots
of trousers and haven't any legs to put
into 'em, and there's lots of boys that
have legs and haven't any trousers to
put onto 'em. Why didn't we think OF
it before, mothere Bring them all out
trousers, and shoes, and boots, and
skates, too-and let's send them right
off; and then I'll lie here and laugh to
think of a lot of boys running my trou-
sers about for me-" And Dave laughed
as heartily as if he had had the soundest
pair of legs in the world.
Then Dawes mother went to the bu.
reau where she had put all her boys
clothes, and brought them out by the
armful. Six pairs of trousers; hand
some trousers, too, and with such pock-
cts! Dave always was particular about
pockets And grand bundle is made
up, and off it goes to the House and
School of Industry; and so in course OF
time it came out in the report of con.
tributions: :. Little Dave; six pairs ol
pants for poor boys" And every time
Dave saw poor boy with good trouser!
on going by his window he said, MAY
be those are my trousers; and maybe
am doing some good. after all" Ant
he was.
Well, it isn't much of q story, Is itl
But it's only begun. The snap of it
like the snapper Of q whip. is on the enc
of it.
Now, that lady that told Dave and hi
mother about the poor boys had al
uncle, with whom she lived, and tn,
uncle had a million dollars and the
gout- He didn't enjoy either. He haG
magnificent house, and all he could d.
was to sit in oAe room of it and how
with pain. He had pictures, and stat
uary, and everything beautiful, but h
couldn't look at them, because the gou
had affected his eyes. When he walked
he hobbled; and though he might hav'
lived on caramels and ice-cream, SO ia
as getting them went, he couldn't ca
anything without wishing that he hat
eaten nothing. He used to sit and groal
and say:
:" Here I've got money, and houses
and lands, and pictures, and carriages
and they're no earthly use to me-
And he would have given no end o
- Ia