Oxford Democrat. [volume] (Paris, Me.) 1833-1933, 1891-11-03
IN A HOSPITAL


aud Nsr, clean. Sometimes through the
open windows, on the heated air, there
cam. n strong scent from q small bel ~
mignoneiie which one ~ the nurse. had
foan time a. plant sni care for. IA
thi. fragsnc. came noating over the
cots, pale face. woald turn toward u
,ni tighten pli-oaslv.
\ llitl. girl, with her neck 90 bindsg-
81 that sh- se-mcl to have no neck, ~.
INK high up on the pillow, moanci a.
.hc smrllc,i the mlgnYne,ie.
"Oh. vish had i-st Que .prig. cot !
couli glt QUE .nir, = I usc ter"
The feeble plping voice made a nurs.
Who 1T a d-.k near by turn sud
look ~ the occupint 10 the cot. ilny.
log locked. shc r,.- sud walkci quickly
down the ward. lna moment she ~
iurnci. AMI hell sprsy 20 mlgnonsiir
~ the i.ony hand that reached out eager.
ly Tor H. Ihe fow.f va. warm With
the sunshine. sui We w w.. most ira
grant moud. The child held u tn her
fsc- and b-gsu to rry softly. The nurs.
i,cnt over and arranged the pillow. Tor
the restless head.
"tm ~ sryin' cause love " so,
aid the chlld. "NAs got um grusln'
le.t like ,hl. under the pantry wlnief.
Amt most got sellf Mat u moi
timc ~. ssut homeF'
Again the nurse moved ~" pillows,
snd this time there VAS mld below
her ryrs. Hos could she tell the gifl
that .hc woui never sgiln .cc the mlgn-
oDeti- un'l,f ~" pantry Nlndosf
IN. nurse friurn-i to her d..k. n.
ID. at down a familiar step sounded in
the couilor, aud the mitron entered
through the open door. Her klnd eve.
.as that th. child had fallen to sleep
With the flower against her cheek She
looked q, the hgur- a moment, then .he
turn-i to th. nurse aud aid
"ui,. lIond, lad la Morri. .ho, him
sslf Yesterday. They have ask-i per
mission 90 bring him here. VIII you
have your accident ward prepared for
hlmf"
II va. four o'clock - the same after
noon that the msiron came again aud
sald:
Your little boy ha. come, MI"
Rond."
The nur.s called the orderly aud sent
tn met the ussuom~r. Hut before she
h,d l-r the sari the girl called oai
gucrulou,ly:
boat you forg,t m. cause that boy.
come. gue.. h. ain't half 80 bad OF.
be. Nou come IA tell me what. hl.
name"
Outside, In the bot glare ~ the sun,
Michael. th. orderly. lifted slender boy
oi tselVr carefully In hl. arms ani
brought him a. th. nurse. They put
him 10 I'D aud knew we'll that he would
never leave the hospital. Hut they
scfr cheerful la appearance. The boy
bad bright eager Fac. that looked
.oInehos familiar to Mls. bond, bat la
the duiis. that followed Immediately .h.
could not tell Why the Fac. "a. familiar.
When the orderly hal gone, aud Tor
the ,ime everything hal b~.n done, q
man IA q much-.oilc,i working drc.. en-
tst,,l fui-ily aud leaned silently over
the bci. Trar. fell from hl. eyes.
'Thl. laiy'll bc real good TO you,
know, Charlie" b. aid. she'll give
you anything YOU want"
The hoy nodded. lIe dld not carr to
try "a speak.
sGoOd-byr. Charlie"
The man stopped ani kissed him aud
then walked hurricdly to the door. Then
d. .topI,cd aud bcckoned Ia th. nurse.
WHEN she came, he askol ho,rsely;
"lle aln't goln' Ia git up, !. heF
Ml.. Bond shook her head.
The big fellow trrmbled. lie twisted
hl. hand round hi. hat. lie tried twlcc
before h. could ask:
How. the g,l gr,,in' alongr'
"Thc girlf'' questioned the nurse.
"whlch ones There are several here.
II mean the one com. from Morris, n
Ia. got the awful neck"
"Oh, she. rather comfortable to-day.
DO YOU know herr
II gue.. do; she. mine. Her m,
said 1 must sure .ec her: but vow
can't bear IL! can't N Charlie Je.t
shot hisself."
Here the speaker turned hl. back
sguarely ON IA. nurse, Who waited In
silence. Presently be moved little
more towards her. Miss Bond glanced
down the wari 10 the cot where Charlie
lay very quietly. An attendant was
near him.
~. Charlie yours, tooy' .he asked.
"No; he come from '.ylum In New
York. lie look. lot like our folks.
iIe's been workln' for me. Nv. got q
market garden out Ia Morris. Hes ben
with me a month. Hes ben round; q
man he'd him In Plsinheld. but he didn't
hay. 'nough for him. lie VA. passed
on to somebody else, aud hem that
mans boy. didn't agree; so finally got
him. Hes good little feller, too. I've
got awful 'tached to him, u sos my
~ife. she'd ben up to-day. only shes
down With the chlil.. ~ shes wor-
ryin' all the time bout Nettie. DO you
think Nettie'. sny wor-ey' anxiously.
"what sh'll I tell my wifer'
"Tell her shes about the same," ans
wer-d the nurse.
"P'rap. you'd like to know how Char
lie got shotr'
Hut Mi.s bond could not stay. She
wss called away from him. lie fingered
about some time In the yard, the sun
beating its nays upon him. Two ar
three times he started to ask to see Net
tie. lie finally did AK, but was told
that she was sleeping so soundiy she
must not BE- awakened. Then he slowly
climbed Into q canyas-coyered wagon
aud drove down the dusty white road
out toward the country.
The sun went down In the pale blue
west. Instead of growing cooler, the air
-eetned tn grow hotter. The faint wind
died away completely.
Charlie lay ou his cot. Ills frcckle.i
ani tanned face Was moist with perspi.
ration. The matran and head nurse came
and talked with him. Mrs.. sh,ttuck
said she wanted him 10 feel al home
.he told him he was among friends. lie
said he guessed be WAS more at home N
he ever Was. lie hadn't got no home
he guessed it'd would be- ruther rough
on fellow to try to make berlieve Z
'.ylum was home, but he guessed they
ment all right to the 'sylun. Hut twa'nt
what a feller'd. call helm, to home. lie
didn't know how thet d seem, ANYWAY.
Hut they'd ben first-raie to him In hls last
place. First chop, they'd ben. liz
wouldn't be 80 mean ~ ter complain oi
then. N the bAby-they'd had an nav
ful nice baby there"
The voice Was low and faint. but
cheerful.