The Worthington advance. [volume] (Worthington, Minn.) 1874-1908, 1886-11-11

tie bed. The dark eyes were bright
with happiness, and the pale cheeks
flushed q delicate pink, rivaling tho
roses on her beautiful gift. Pain and
sorrow were all forgotten in the de-
light OF her new possession.
She had evidently exercised all her
taste and skill in arranging her below.
ed ribbon to the best advantage, in
anticipation of the doctors visit. 1t
was looped and bowed aud festooned
IN a most graceful manner about her
head and form, for, all unknown to
herself, Maggie had inherited all the
taste and skill of the loving, gentle
little French mother who. deserted by
the one who should have been her pro-
tector, had died broken-hearted at the
birth OF her child.
IF she could but see how pretty she
looks!' the nurse said. softly.
The next day when, from tho capa.
cious pockets of his overcoat, DR.. Jay
brought forth a small hand-nirror,
and held it before the eyes of tho do
lighted child, her cup of happiness was
Overlooking.
Every nig ht the beloved gift was
carefully smoothed and folded IN
tissue paper. With one bunch ofroses
turned on the outside of the pack
age, and with q tender pressure of 1T
against her cheek, and q loving good
night kiss, Maggie would fall asleep,
her hand resting lovingly upon it's
soft, lustrous folds. At her first wax.
ing moments it was unrolled, and the
delight of manifold manipulations re-.
commenced, with ever fresh delight.
But there came a day when even
the possession of her hearts treasure
could not overcome the terrible pain
| which racked her slight frame.
For days she had been growing worse,
and the physicians saw no hope save
in an observation-disclosures and danger
Gus, one which if unsuccessful must
result fatally.
They had postponed it from week
to week, hoping for favorable results
without it. But one morning DR.. Jay
found Maggie lying so white and ex-
hausted from pain and sleeplessness,
he saw clearly that there was no
alternative.
She seemed Unconscious of his pres.
ence, even when he pressed the thin
white hand as he felt her pulse. The
pallid, pain-marked face, the
limp, wasted little form, appealed
most pathetically to his kind heart,
and bending over her he pressed g.
kiss OF fatherly tenderness on the
white forehead. Her large dark eyes
suddenly Enclosed, the warm blood
flushed the pale cheeks, and smile of
tender, loving delight flashed over her
face.
"Is the pain so hard to bear, dear
child?" he asked, sympathetically.
'1tis better now" was her low re-
All, how little DR.. Jay suspected, as
the dark eyes followed him with such
worshipful tenderness, that his kiss
was the first caress the poor child had
ever known! Kicks ana cuffs and
drunken oaths had often been show
cred upon her, but fathers kiss, q
mothers tender caress, poor Maggie
worse than orphaned never
known.
"There must be an operation with.
out delay" was DR.. jays decision,
after a brief consultation with the
house physicians. Tomorrow at
eleven at the very latest. She cannot
live over forty:eight hours in her pres.
ent condition."
Then to the head nurse whom he
had summoned, "You will please tell
her, Mrs. Hatch, sufficient to have
her understand the necessity Of the
operation. She seems unusually in
telligent, and 1t will save her from
fright and nervousness, and she needs
everything possible in her favor. Do
operation; let her sleep tonight if she
can under the opiate, without know
ing it,"
So at ten O'Clock next morning the
nurse, in the most tender manner
possible, explained to the child, so
far as she thought necessary, the
operation she was about to under.
go, concluding WITH
1--WE hope to make you strong and
we'll again."
"Will they hurt me very much?"
Maggie asked, her lip quivering not
outstanding her brave efforts at self.
control.
mot very much, and you will know
nothing about it; they will give you
something to put you to sleep until it
is all over"
"Who will do it?"
CDR. Jay"
''Oh, it's all right thenp' with glad
smile of loving confidence; che will
save me for sure, if anybody can, and
know he won't hurt me-"
When the hour arrived, without a
murmur Of dread or shrinking on her
part, the little frail, emaciated form
was laid upon the operating table,
her hand tightly clasping the beloved
ribbon even in that dread hour.
She glanced from one to another of
the grave faces of nurses and physi-
clans who stood around, looking in
vain for DR.. Jay, who, delayed by pa
TENTS, had but just arrived. She call
ed his name softly, and Fastening to
her side, he bent over her with kind
~, reassuring smile. The thin, wasted
little hands were eagerly outstretched
to him, and the face lighted up with a
smile of loving tenderness as she said,
softly
"Pm not afraid if you do it-you'll
save me if you can, l know-but
If should die''-she hesitated, STOP
ped, looking up appealinely into the
kind face above her.
"What is il, dear?" he asked reas-
suringly:
"Would you mind-would you care
|-if-1'-her voice sank lower and low
er, as she hesitated, her eyes
still wearing that appealing look
-"would you-let me kiss you-lust
once-before l go to sleep? l might
not wake up, you know, and you've
been so good to me-" Still lower al
most whisper, mo one ever kissed
me before you did,"
Did DR.. Jay think of his own petted
darling at home-his only child-to
whom life had been one long caress?
and did he feel the contrast between
her and this poor homeless little wait,
to whom caresses were unknown lux
uries?
Perhaps so. There certainly were
! L.