Wessington Springs herald. (Wessington Springs, Aurora County, Dakota [S.D.]) 1883-1891, 1889-04-05

tracted mother, brothers, and sisters
walked the floor and cried; they could
do nothing bus wait. But Lilies father
never left her side, though it was agony
for him to see his precious child suffer
SO terribly.
Five, ten, twenty minutes passed
slowly away, and still no signs Of life.
Lllas father bowed his head, and his
strong frame shook, while the tears ran
down his face like rain. Even the doc
tors feared the worst.
Then, all of sudden, DR.. johnson,
who bent over her listening intently.
and watching for the slightest change,
commenced quickly to cover the open
wound with plasters. and said, Call
her mother; she lives"
AS soon as Mrs. Gates appeared, the
Doctor placed little Lila in her arms,
then finished putting on the bandages.
There was great rejoicing among the
brothers and sisters when little Lila
was pronounced out of danger.
For many weeks she could be fed
only chicken-broth and beef-broth and
different things that she could drink,
but nothing to eat until her throat was
entirely we'll.
She would tease for something to
eat SO pitifully: "P'ease div title Lila
somefin to eat"
She could not understand why she
could not have it, but thought they
were all so selfish to eat everything ur
and give her none, and would make the
tears come to her mothers eyes by
begging for just "crust of bread, II
(which would, of course, be the very
worst thing she could have. Still she
was 80 hungry that she thought q
crust" would taste good if they
couldn't spare anything else.
one beautiful day, not quite two
weeks after the accident, there was
company visiting at the house and
they We're all sitting in the parlor talk
ing. Little Lila sat in her Aunt
Louise's lap, when all Of sudden she
commenced teasing for something to
eat. She wanted cracker.
"Just let her hold one in her hand
to quiet her, said her aunt; "I'll watch,
and see that she doesn't eat it,"
After considerable persuasion on the
aunt's part Lila was given cracker
"just to hold" and then everything was
serene.
For a while her aunt watched he1
very closely, then, growing interested
in the conversation, she forgot all
about the cracker, and the next thing
she knew somebody screamed:
"Oh, look at that child!"
Then everybody jumped up ani
made rush to get the cracker, which
was fast disappearing forever.
Lila slid out of her aunt's lap on tt
the floor, and with both little hand.
pushed the cracker into her mouth
Oh, how good it tasted, and how sh,
struggled to swallow it. At the sam,
time how everybody struggled to get i
away from her.
| But they didn't get it, not bit of it
! for Lila had swallowed it almost whole
The excitement was terrible. Every
body talked at once, and tried to tel
how it happened, while Lila's mothe
clasped her darling in her arms an,
cried as if her heart would break.
Somebody went post-haste for D1
johnson; then they all waited, in fea
and trembling, for him to come, long
ing, vet dreading, to hear what
would say.
On his arrival he looked very gray
J indeed, and proceeded at once to e,
anime Lila's little white throat, bot
inside and out, then he smiled-ye
actually laughed aloud.
"There is no harm done,' he sait
"and after this you may give her wha
ever she wants to eat" Then the kin
; old doctor gave little Lila kiss, ticl
ling her nose with his big mustach
and took his departure.
After that Lila was very happy, fc
she had all she wanted to eat, an
wasn't that enough to make hungr
little girl happy?
As I said before, this all happene
many, many years ago, and is "reall
true' story.
Little Lila is woman now and
grandmother.
Listen, Bright-Eyes, while I tell 20
that 1 know her we'll, love her dearl
} and call her-"mother."
Yes, It's perfectly true. little Lila
is my mother, and the scar still show
on her white throat, just below wher
!, the collar fastens.
There is moral to this story, dea
little people, and good one for you Al
to remember:
Don't put pins and buttons and sue
things into your mouth. In fact, m
advice is. don't put anything into you
mouth unless it is Something good t
eat;" then you will be quite sa e fro1
such terrible accident as befell littl
Lila.
CHICAGO, Ill.