Iron County register. [volume] (Ironton, Iron County, Mo.) 1867-1965, 1891-12-24

mornins' an sum afternoons, but it
don't AXE SO rery, daddy, not so Gerry.
the docktur he sez ez uh woulden leg
don no how ter axe, wish he'd wun.
Eff yer amt peggin' l>ud yer kun an
smooth my har an gimme nh drink,
jest wun drink? l CESS they don't
never celebrate hear coz they all axe
so, only my leg don't hurt so Gerry daddy.
frum Sonny"
Pete could not see the last words He
took off his glasses slowly. Then he
sat very still for long time thinking.
At last the slow smile began to creep
over Petes careworn face and he
brought his hand down on his knee as
he said aloud:
yes thet'll be the way. Then Son
nv 'ull hev uh chance, sure"
While Pete was slowly spelling out
Sonny's words, DIR. Gilbert sat in his
Office reading the following letter:
CHICAGO, Ill.-Dear Brother: Your
welcome letter came to me last week.
1 thunk you for your continued inter-
est in my hospital work, and 1 am
pleased that you have been able to
make it the means of interesting your
CulluTtL III III ing W III iCSh % AAoeAS
some lives less happy than their own.
Your former patient, little Sonny. now
sits up part of the day, and gets about
the ward in wheel chair.
He suffers constant pain, but is very
patient and accomplishing. We can
all learn a lesson in patience and I'M
selfshness from Sonny. The doctors
expect to amputate his leg next week.
If he rallies, as we hope he will, a
sight of daddy" as he calls him,
would do our brave little patient much
good. l 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 Sonnys bed at the hospital The
amputation had taken place some
weeks before The child was asleep
now. When Sonny opened hisawistful
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 Ike
ter hev daddy an celebrate, 1 '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
lSele brate'7
When Sonny opened his eyes as the
| light of Christmas day walked in
through the window, there in a chair
| by the bedside was, well. what do you
suppose?
1t was a brand new little wooden
| leg that 'kud 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: ''Oh. Oh. If only daddy kud
see, Just then there was noise at the
foot of the bed. Up popped another
Christmas present. 1t was daddy.
You may be sure daddy and Sonny
"kele brated' to their hearts content.
The nurse wrapped Sonny in blank
cts and PUT him in wheel chair. Son.
ny, with SHINING eyes, his wooden leg
clasped tightly in his thin little arms,
and a lap full of firecrackers was
wheeled to sunny window by daddy's
own hands.
Daddy fastened the frecrackers to
the end of long stick SO that SpREy
could shoot them off himself.
After awhile DR.. Gilbert came with
his sister on his arm, to watch the
''kela bratin.
AS Pete smiled and gently slnoothed
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 stili held fast in his arms,
JENNY FAIRMAN SMITH.
1t is rule for Christmas to come