The Redwood gazette. [volume] (Redwood Falls, Minn.) 1873-1940, 1880-05-13

| 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 great sorrow, for the doctor
thinks Dave will never be able to walk
again.
One day the doctor comes and Dave
asks:
"When shall be able to walk again,
doctor?'
"Not for long time, my boy" the
doctor answers.
elm year?' asks Dave.
cit will be more than that.'
Z" In five years?''
~ can't tell you, my child; but Wen
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 can
use, puts it about her neck, and says:
Mother, it is pretty bad, but !
should like to know the worst. I'm not
| a coward, you know. Tell me, does the
doctor think l shall be able to walk
againp''
And then the mother, putting her
cheek close to her boys sobs aloud and
says:
"Oh, my poor boy! my poor, poor
And Dave knows what the doctor
thinks.
"Don't cry, mother. It's pretty bad;
but maybe can do some good lying
here 1t was lucky 1 didn't fall on
Cousin Edie, wasn't it?'
Now it is a settled thing in the house
that Dave is TO 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 bel ROLLED about the house in an
invalid-chair, which he says, laughing
ly, '.Does almost as we'll as walKing.9'
And he says to his mother many times,
We'll, l 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. It is 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:
"Why, here's a chance! 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, mother? 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 of
pants for poor boys And every time
Dave saw poor boy with good trousers
on going by his window he said, MAY
be those are my trousers; and maybe
am doing some good. after ALL" And
he was.
Well, it isn't much of a story, is itP
But it's only begun. The snap of it,
like the snapper Of whip, is on the end
of it.
Now, that lady that told Dave and his
mother about the poor boys had an
uncle, with whom she lived, and the
uncle had million dollars and the
govt. He didn't enjoy either. He had
a magnificent house. and all he could do
was to sit in one room of it and howl
with pain. He had pictures, and stat
uary, and everything beautiful, but he
couldn't look at them, because the gout
had affected his eyes. When he walked
he hobbled; and though he might have
lived on caramels and ice-cream, SO far
as getting them went, he couldn't eat
anything without wishing that he had
eaten nothing. He used to sit and groan
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 of
money to have had a sound pair of legs
and the vigor of the poorest et-boy.
He was awfully cross and grabbed.
The servants hardly dared come into
the room where he was because he was
given to shying teacups apd books, and
beating them with his crutches. His
niece used to talk to him a good deal.
and tried hard to tighten his splendid
misery, but he was cross to her some-
times. She often thought that she
would like to ask him for some of his
money for her poor, but she dared not
do it, for he had been hard man at
money-getting, and all his life had never
given anything away.
The day that Dave gave away his
trousers she came into his room, and
found him in rather better humor than
usual; 50 she sat down and told him all
about Dave, and ended up by saying:
"Oh. uncle, -you would have laughed to
have heard him-the funny little way
that he said. 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 ON 'em.
I'll just he here and laugh TO think Of
lots q boys running my trousers about