Barton County democrat. [volume] (Great Bend, Kan.) 1885-1915, 1891-12-24

mornins' an sum afternoons, but it
! don't AXE so Gerry, daddy, not SO very.
the dOcktur he seq ez uh woulden leg
don no how ter axe, wish he'd wun.
Eff yer amt peggin' kud yer kun an
smooth my har an gimme uh drink,
jest wun drink? I CESS they don't
never celebrate hear COZ they all axe
so, only my leg don't hurt so ceay daddy.
frum Sonny"
Pete could not see the last words He
took off his glasses slowly. Then he
sat very still for a long time thinking.
At last the slow smile began to creep
| over Pete's careworn face and he
brought his hand down on his knee as
he said aloud:
Eyes, thet'n be the way. Then Som
ny 'ull hev uh chance, sure
While Pete was slowly spelling out
Sonny's words, DR.. Gilbert sat in his
Office reading the following letter:
CHICAGO, IlL-Dear Brother: Your
welcome letter came to me last week.
thunk you for your continued inter.
est in my hospital work, and I am
pleased that you have been able to
make it the means of interesting your
children in trying to brighten a little
some lives less happy than their OWL
Your former patient. little Sonny, now
sits up part of the day, and gets about
the ward in a wheel chair.
He suffers constant pain, but is very
patient and accomplishing. We can
all learn IL sson in patience and un-
selfishness from Sonny. The doctors
expect to amputate his leg next week.
If he rallies, as we hope he will, q
sight of daddy" as he calls him.
would do our brave little patient much
good. leave you to tell his father Of
Sonny s.condition. Yours, with love,
ELIZABETH G. PORTER.
| A few days before Christmas two
doctors stood talking in low tones be-
side Sonny's bed at the hospital. The
| amputation had taken place some
weeks before. The child was asleep
now. When Sonny opened hisswistful
blue eyes there stood his kind friend,
DR.. Gilbert Very glad Sonny was to
| see him. The doctor said cheerfully:
"Well, Sonny, how are you to-day.
and what are you going to do to have
a good time on Christmas?"
Sonny said longingly: 81 'ud like
ter hev daddy an kelebrate, 'ud like
| ter ever So"
| Long before light on Christmas
morning a man with his arms full OF
bundles stood at the door of the hos
pitaL
Sonny had turned his hot pillow over
and over again on Christmas eve and
laid his tired little head down with a
homesick longing ter see daddy an
lzelebrate."
When Sonny opened his eyes as the
light of Christmas day walked in
! through the window, there in a chair
| hof 10
suppose?
It was brand new little wooden
leg that sskud never larn how ter AXE, +"
as Sonny ioyfully said That was not
all. Between the toes of the wooden
foot some one had put some firecrackers-
Sonny laughed, rubbed his eyes, and
said: .sOh! Oh. If only daddy kud
see! Just then there was noise at the
foot of the bed. Up popped another
Christmas presen t. 1t was daddy.
You may be sure daddy and Sonny
"kele brated" to their hearts content
The nurse wrapped Sonny in blank.
cts and Tut him in a wheel chair. Son-
ny, with shining eyes, his wooden leg
clasped tightly in his thin little arms.
and lap full of firecrackers was
wheeled to a sunny window by daddy 6
own hands.
Daddy fastened the frecrackers to
the end of a long stick so that Sonny
could shoot them off himself.
After awhile DIR. Gilbert caEae with
his sister on his. arm, to watch the
stkelabratin."
/ AS Pete smiled and gently smoothed
back Sonny's hair. he whispered to the
doctor that ''mebbe Sonny kud git his
chance now"
And Pete pointed to the wooden leg
that Sonny still held fast in his arms
JENNY FAIRNAN SAITH.
| 1t is a rule for Christmas to come
i hut is cd H,lllf