The San Francisco call., 1896-01-24
A Romance of Natoma Street
and the Children'S
Hospital.
FLAYED FOR a BABY SISTER,
Little Elnor Moore, a Black. Eyed
Rogue, Bravely Beats the Skin.
Grating Record.

California street has woven as beautiful a
little story of childish heroism and nobility
as ever charmed a human ear or bettered
human heart.
The hero is little Elnor Moore, aged 7
years, who lies in one of the snowy cots in
one of the clean white wards out there,
because he volunteered to let the doctors
cut great strips of skin eight inches IN
length from down the front of both his
vigorous little legs, that his baby sister,
who was terribly scalded few weeks ago,
might stop crying at the pain of her
almost hopeless wounds and not be a
cripple for life.
It's down on Natoma street between
Sixth and Seventh that the Moores live.
Since nine years ago four children have
come to Mr.. and Mrs. Andrew Moore
Next to the Oldest is Elnor, and next to
the youngest is Josie, who will be years
old in May.
Josie is the thin, wan, wasted little
thing that now lies in one position week
after week in the hospital. wearily crying
when her wounds are dressed, and often
between times. Three months ago she
was a chubby baby, nearly as tall and as
heavy as her 9-year-old sister, and as full
of gay romping as any baby.
Ten weeks ago she was suddenly taken
i'll. There was the usual excitement. The
baby was put in little bathtub, but some
body, in the excitement, picked up the
wrong kettle and poured boiling water over
the child. It's side and portion of the
back, including one leg, were terribly
scalded. For two or three weeks a doctor
attended the case at the home, but the
burns healed slowly and other compiica-
tlons set in, including symptoms of pneu-
mn q 70 tnT z0rn 10
hopeless unless it was taken to the Chill
dren's Hospital, and few weeks ago little
Josie went there with small prospect of
reaching her fourth birthday.
A large portion Of the scalded surface
refused TO heal.
Skin grating was the only remedy, but
the baby was so sick otherwise that it
could not be safely resorted to until ten
days ago.
The mother, who walked out to see her
baby on visitors days, was told that some
body would have to be found to supply
the needed skin, and she offered herself
but she was told that it should be a
younger person. They were talking about
it at home without any thought of the
children there when Elnor said:
why, mamma, they can have me. I
amt afraid"
The boy is a black-eyed little fellow
with roguish styIe, and at school, at
home and among the neighbors he is ever
lastingly getting into trouble. He
often makes the women scowl with
despairing impatience, and he has to
endure being called ''holy terror' some.
times-but he went out to the Children s
Hospital ten days ago.
He eagerly went in to see his little sister,
who frightened up bit, and then they
took him away, kept him out of mischief
for day and gave him three baths. The
nv rf0 III l.
terday. One OF the nurses picked up the
frail little sufferer from her cot and car
rled her into an operating-room and laid
her down on a leather-covered operating
table, with queer cranks and things about it.
Then little Elnor came in and they un-
dressed him and fixed him on another
operating table. The mother was not al
lowed 10 be present.
But EInor Moore was manly, serious
and obedient, and there was not hesita-
ton or whimper. They were honest
with him, and explained just how big
would be the patches OF skin they would
cut from his legs, and he understood what
it was Ior, and that he would not know
what was going on after he breathed some
thing that smelt funny, and if he had
wanted to back out at the last moment he
could have done so.
The nurse that had been taking care of
little Jessie for weeks stayed in the ward
Tney told the boy hero that if he would
just shut his eyes and breathe through
the sponge he would go to sleep and sleep
until 1t was all oyer, and he composedly
shut his eyes and resigned himself to the
sacrifice fer the little sister near his side,
When the operation was over they had
deity shaved from the front OF the bows
legs several strips of skin one inch wide
and eight inches long, and when the boy
woke up ne was a patient himself and he
lay on his back, with bandages and sooth-
ing preparations where the knife had
been. The baby girl was a long time re-
covering consciousness, but several hours
later she opened her eyes feebly.
She faced her brother as she Law, and
she seemed pleased and quieted at seeing
him so near.
Little Elnor was delighted at the report
that everything was all right and that his
sister wonld get well now. Two or three
days ago he heard that it was possible that
little more skin might be needed for his
sisters wound and he promptly said that
if they wanted more he would go through
it again.
The doctors who know all about the case
say that little Josie will get we'll and that
she will be able to walk before great
many weeks.
Elnor is so nearly we'll that it is hard to
keep him in his cot now ana he expects to
go home on Sunday. His legs don't hurt
him now and he is trife irrepressible in
his anxiety to get little fun out of his