The morning call., 1892-01-21
PEG

what his real name was, because ne was B
very little fellow when he first came out Of
the hospital and began TO stump about on
his wooden leg. Peg was a name the boys
gave him.
Three years ago there was a terrible
scourge Of yellow fever down in Florida
the smallest child who reads the Times will
remember about il. Hundreds OF people
died and hundreds Of little children were
left fatheresS. and motherless, and home
less. Ii was sad Christmas time IN Florida
three years ago.
Pegs father and mother lived in Jackson
vile. right in that part OF the city where
the fever was tile worst, and, seeing their
neighbOrs one by one carried out and buried,
they grew fl ghteued. for they thought
their turn might cone next 50 one night
they crept out of the city. and cotton train
bound for the uOTth-I0r Chicago. Peg
father was muS,c-teachar, ana he haI an
idea ihaJ in the great cry ne had reaU so
much about where there were so many
rch people. be would iud plenty Of work.
Anyway there was ne yellow fever IN Chl-
cRgn ann that was something. But they had
STAYED lp the South too long. Before the
tram was half way to its destination they
were both taken sick, and when twas whls-
pered about that they had come from Jack
s1nyiIe there was panic and the tram
was stopped In order that the sick ones
might be carried out
The instinct # seltpreservaton leads
people 10 do sc fish and cruel things some
times Surely il did In this instance, for
these poor people were left alone by the SIDE
Of the railroad track % die.
i happened in the night, and Peg, who
was fast asleep in tie corner OF the seat
with his fathers coat around him was over
looked by tie PEOPLE who were so anxious
20 get his sick parents out Of their way that
they never thought Of the child,
The train ratified on and on until IL was
morning and then Peg woke up. Poor little
Peg. be was o., alone. His father and
mother we're gone. " They got OF tie train
in the night" some one told HIM. Nobody
had the heart to tell him the truth and he
wouldn't have understood il they had, for
be was only years old. But he did under
stand that he was alone and that he was
hungry. So he began TO cry, just as any
little boy would have done under the same
circumstances. OF course the people were
sorry for Peg, but their fear Was stronger
than their compassion and they dared not
go near hun.
Tie conductor got him something to eat
and told him IN { when they got to Chicago
ne would send him 90 2 big house where
there we're lot OF children, and Peg began
to be comfortable for he was only baby,
You SEE, and coudl' I've expected 10 under
stand what @ sad plight BIZ was Ia.
On the seat O pos lie 10 Peg lay his fathers
violin, carefully done up in lis case. THIS
violin had always been his especial pride.
and tie little bow wondered how his father
could have forgotten Il. Anyway, il mast
not be left in The car, he thought 50 when
the train stopped and the conductor came to-
take him 10 his new home, Peg carried with
him the violin, and that was all he hal Ia
the world 10 wasn't much capital O. begin
life with ia q great city, was It2 But then,
you see ne didn't understand.
On his way from the train Peg lost sight
Of the conductor and while running about
trying 10 ind him lie slipped aud 1el. A
truck was passing with big uE0G sale upon
il, aud one Of the wheels rolled night over a
poor little leg that lay in us way Peg
didn't remember anything more until he
found himself % r BIZ room lying on little
white cot Around him were a lot Of other
cots, each with a child upon it, It was the
clIldTeu's ward 90 a charity hospital. Peg
wondered il this was the place the con-
dUctoT had told him about, and then he
wondered what made all the children so
pale, and why they were all In bed in the
daytime Suddenly he became conscious
that his tx was hurting dTeadfully. He
put his hand down % see what was the
matter and found only q stump with
bandaga about a. The leg was gone, a
Wtite-CauueI nurse was standing by, who
told hIm L- must lie quiet.
" Where's my .eE2' lie asked.
'Ihe doctor Lad 10 cut u of, because you
fell and @ wagon crushed it,
won't they put It back on agaiu?' asked
Peg.
The nurse did not smjle-she was too sorry
for Der poor little patient 10 do that. but she
had Il tell hiu, "No.'
But now can l wa.k?' asked the little
fellow pitfuIly
You Will have a nice wooden leg" said
the nurse. 'OI course, i wont be- quite Ike
real one, but Yen can walk, and now You
mustn't talk any more. Here is a nice bowl
Of broth fur you, and then you must take
your medicine and 20 to sleep"
There Eere many l0nEdays In the hospital
but al last the little boy was allowed 10 gel
up. 4 wooden peg was fastened 10 the
stump " ere bis leg had been, and he
learned IN a few days TO wa x upon it.
One day The little boy heard a haud-OrgRn
in the street 1t played a tune his father
used 70 play, and that reminded him Of the
violin. He asked about il, and the nurse
told him that lie had it tight IN bis arms
when they took him out from under tie
wheel that crushed ais leg, and that they
had saved il Tor him. Peg was glad. lie
was more fond Of the violin than any toy
he ever had owned. He could play a little.
After Peg left the hospital lie went to the
place the conductor had told him Of. A big
house 1ull Of boys and now Peg realized
for the first time what il was Ike not to
have any father Or mother The place was
called an orphans hons" but it wasn'ta
bit ike the home he remembered Some Of
Al4U ol5 IVY bCaSEtA Aitlls dAA lAulL HIM. anu
then called nIm baby because he cried
Peg had only been in tile home a feW
weeks when Christmas time came. The
boys had turkey for dinner that day, and
they seemed 10 think it a great treat but
Peg couldn't eat There was sOmefbiUp in
his throat that ch0ked him. All day long
he thought Of the little home away down in
Jacksonville. y 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 10 learn that home
without mother Is very foTloTn place in
deed
Pegs mother used to tell him stories on
Christmas night when they sat 10 front Of
the fire. In the southern houses there are
big fre-places where they burn pine logs,
and the best place in the world TO hear a
Christmas story Is in front Of a cracking
pine FIRE.
Peg tried to remember on this Christmas
eve, as be lay all alone n lis little hard bed
what II was that mother told him on the
night before Christmas last year. What a
long Time ago II seemed. BY aud by It came
back 70 him - the old, sweet story that
mothers have told their children on all the
Christmas ewes that ever have been or ever
vii! be. The story Of the little child that
lay in the mangeT away over in Bethlehem.
with the glory OF heaven about his head and
IN his heart love great enough to redeem
the " mole 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 a 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 fud the precious gift that God
had given the world. This was the first
Christmas day. and the gold ana silver and
jewels which the wise men brought to Law
al tie feet Of Jesus was the first Christmas
gifts that ever were given.
Peg lay and thought IL all over: he could
not 90 to sleep. a terrible feeling of lone
illness came over him. 1t wasn't bit like
Christmas. Ali the other boys were sound
asleep. Peg crapt out Of hislitlle bed and
h0bbled over to the window. He looked
away over tne city with It's thousands Of