Omaha daily bee., 1888-05-27
A WEE BOY in DISTRESS.
A Touching Case Which Occurred in
the Glasgow Royal lnhrmary.

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From the Christian Leader: The
other day a poor little waif of a boy,
ten or eleven years of age, greatly
emaciated and exhausted by long-stand-
ing disease, was brought up in the hoist
to the operating theater of the Royal
I%nfirmary, in Glasgow, to undergo an
operation which, it was thought, might
possibly have the effect of ~prolonging
the boys life. His condition, however,
was so low and unsatisfactory that there
was some fear not only that the opera
ton might not be successful in its re-
suits, but that during or Immediately
following the operation the boys
strength might give way and his spirit
pass away. After reaching the theater,
which is seated like the gallery of a
church, and while the operating table
was being got ready, the little fellow
was seated on u cushioned seat, and,
looking up toward some students who
were there to witness the operation with
a pitiful, tremulous voice he said: "Will
one of you gentlemen put up just a wee
prayer for a wee boy-I am in great
trouble and distrcss-iust a e prayer
The surgeon, patting him on the
shoulder, spoke kindly to him, but as he
heard no prayer and saw probably only
a plying smile on the faces of
some of the students, he turned his
head away and in childish tones and
words, which were sufficiently audible
to those around him, he asked Jesus,
friend, 1.-The friend of wee boys who
loved him." to be with him-to have
mercy on him in his distress. And,
while the young doctor was putting the
boy under chioroform so hat he might
feel no pain during the operation, SO
long as he was conscious the voice of
the boy was still heard in words of
prayer. The surgeon, as he stood by
the table on which the boy lay, knowing
that he had to perform an operation re-
curing some GOODNESS and calmness and
delicacy of touch, felt just a little over
come. There was a lump in his throat
which rather disturbed him. Soon,
however, he heard the words from the
assistant who was administering the
chloroform, doctor, the boy is ready"
and taking the knife in his hand, lump
or no lump, had to begin the operation.
Soon the surgeon was conscious that the
prayer which the little boy had offered
up for himself had included in it's
answer someone else, for the GOODNESS of
head, steadiness of hand and delicacv
of ouch all came as they were needed,
and the operation was completed with
more than usual ease, deXterity and
success.
On tho following morning, the sur
geon going round his ward from bed to
bad. and coming to that on which the
little boy lay, saw from the placid, COM
portable look on his face that his suffer-
g had been relieved, aud that all was
well with him. Going up to the head
of the bed and taking the little wasted
hand, which seemed no larger than that
of a baZar doll, the surgeon whispered
into his ear, "The good Jesus heard
your prayer yesterday" A bright
happy and contented look lit upon the
boys face, and with a feeble yet dis
tinct pressure of the little hand, he
locked up in the DOCTORS face and7said:
Il kent He would.n And then he
added: "You, doctor, were guide to
me, too" But apparently thinking
that the doctor was on a different plat
form and required something tangible
for his care and trouble, IN IL plaintive
voice he said: but | hac nothing to
gle you" and then a bright thought
came into his mind, and with a little
cheer in his tone, he added, II will Just
pray to Jesus for you, doctor" The
surgeon, before leaving the ward. in
bidding the boy goodbye for the day:
asked him whore he cans ircm and
wnere ne learned SO much about Jesus
and tG love him so dearly. He answered:
Il come frae ~Berrheld." And you
were in "a Sabbath school there?'
"Oh. yes, in the Bourock school" Our
readers will be pleased to learn that the
boy made successful recovery, and is
now at home.