Custer weekly chronicle. [volume] (Custer City, S.D.) 1890-1931, 1892-12-24
,,ch, ~ tho conductor. and while rum

sight of the conductor. and while rum
ming about trying to find him he slip
ped and fell. A truck was passing
with a big iron safe upon it, and one
of the wheels rolled right over poor
little leg that lay in its way. Peg
didn't remember anything more until
he found himself in a big room lying
on little white cot Around him
were a lot of other cots. each with a
child upon It, 1t was the children's
ward in a charity hospital. Peg won
dered il this was the place tho con-
ductor had told him about, and then
he wondered what made all the child
rem so pale. and why they were all in
bed In the daytime. Suddenly he be-
came conscious that his leg was hurt
ing dreadfplly. He put his hand down
to see what was the matter and found
only stump with bandage about IL.
The leg was gone. A whitc-capped
nurse was standing by, who told him
he must be quiet
"Where's my leg?" he asked.
"The doctor had to cut It of, be-
cause you fell and a wagon crushed
it,"
won't they put it back sgainP"
asked Peg.
The nurse did not smi.e--she was
too sorry for her little patient 10 do
that. but she had to tell him "No."
"But how can | walk?" asked the
little fellow pitifully.
"You will have nice wooden leg
said the nurse. "Of course it won't be
quite like real one, but you can
walk, and now you mustn't talk any
more. Here is nice bowl of broth
for you, and then you must take your
medicine and 90 to sleep"
There were many long days In the
hospital, but at last the little boy was
allowed TO get up. A wooden peg was
fastened to the stump where his leg
had been, and he learned in a few days
TO walk upon il.
One day the little boy heard hand
organ In the street. 1t played tune
his father used to play, and that re-
minded him Of the violin. He asked
| about il, and the nurse told him that
he had it tight in his arms when they
took him out from under the wheel
that crushed his leg, and that they
had saved it for him. Peg was glad.
| He was more fond of the violin than
any toy he ever owned. He could
play little.
After Peg left the hospital he went
to the place the conductor had told
him of. A big house full of boys, and
now Peg began to realize for the first
! time what it was like not TO have any
father and mother The place was
called an orphans home" but 1t
wasn't bit like the home he remem-
bered. Some Of the big boys teased
| him and hurt him. and then called
him "baby" because he cried.
Peg had only been in the home a
few weeks when Christmas came. The
boys had turkey for dinner that day.
and they seemed to think it great
treat, hut Peg couldn't eat. There
was something in his throat that
choked him. All day long he thought
of the little home away down in Jack
sonville. IT wasn't a splendid home at
all, for Pegs parents were poor, but
there was mother in it, and the poor
little boy was just beginning to learn
that a home without mother IL very
forlorn place indeed.
Pegs mother used to tell him stories
on Christmas night when they sat in
front Of the fire. In the southern
houses there are big fireplaces where
they burn pine logs, and the best place
in the world TO hear Christmas story
is in front Of cracking pine fire.
Peg tried 10 remember on this Christ
mas eve, rs he lay all alone in his
little hard bed, what it was that his
mother told him on the night before
Christmas last year. What long
time ago it seemed. BY and hy it
came back to him. The old sweet
story that mothers have told their
children on all the Christmas ewes that
ever had been or ever will be. The
story of the little child that lay in the
'"adgci away over IN DetnicfIruI, with
the glory OF heaven about his head.
aud in his heart love great enough
to redeem the whole world from its
sin. The prettiest part of the story as
Peg remembered it was that over on
the hills among the stars host OF
angels sang TO the shepherds song OF
peace and good will and blessing, and
that one OF the stars, so much brighter
than the others that it seemed to light
the whole world, came down out of
the sky and guided the wise men to
the place where they might find the
precious gift that God had given the
world. This was the first Christmas
day, and the gold and silver and Jewels
which the wise men brought to lay NJ