The San Francisco call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1895-1913, 1898-10-02

he hopes with the intensity OF q child
ish heart that his father will come to
see him.
Once or twice, while out in the hos
pital yard Lester saw his father driv-
ing team on Sacramento street, and
waved at him with his handkerchief
The father answered the mute token
OF recognition, and since then the more
than orphaned boy watches for the
passing teams with a usefulness that
is touching, and says: Il would rather.
see him that far away than not at ALL
His father has married again and
has children by his second wife to
claim his attention: but the hapless
child does not know this, and defends
him with these words: II guess my
father is too tired when he gets through
work or he would come
If Lester lies back to rest during the
day it is to wish and at night to dream
that his father will come TO see him
soon.
This poor little stray was never 80
comfortable anywhere as in the Chill
dren's Home. Wearing the rags; eff
charity, i'll fitting as thew are, he shows
his gratitude by Gevoting his hours to
study while the other children play.
He sits in his chair and dreams of the
time when he VIII have bright colored
paints and brushes for his material, in
stead of the, coiored paper and scissors
now supplied him by the nurses. He
; dreams of the future which will bring
j him health tools for his art and the
return of his fathers love. .
Unlike the childish treble, his voice
is low and pathetic, and he tells his
story in a tone so plaintive, yet ten
der, that it goes straight to. the heart
of the listener. my mother" he be-
gan and was passively silent for 50
long that 1 thought r had forgotten
my question, my mother only abused
me once, but she neglected me-, Some
ina ba loft nj nj
dry bread to eat and no water, and
sometimes 1 didn't always have dry
bread"
His speech is slow and hesitating as
If trying to recall in detail the men,
DRY of some unpleasant dream.
She liked my brother best because
he wasn't a cripple like me. He had
nice straight back and could walk so
far without getting tired, and l.
couldn't. Nobody likes crippled boys
as we'll as strong ones. l guess that
was why she didn't take me along. One
time when my mother left me, got
dry and tried TO get a drink fell
and hurt myself and cried so hard that.
policeman came in and took me away
in Van." =
Suddenly he quit talking and looked
out of the window quite a while after
that, until heard a dry little sob and
turned to see the tears splashed from
those great blue eyes. He bent his
head that 1 might not see his emotion
while his little hand fumbled in his.
spacious pocket for a rag Of a hand
kerchief to dry his, wet cheeks His
voice trembled and his lips quivered;
then he said, I've got very bad
cold. Z"
Brave little heart yours is the kind
that beats in the breast of the hero.
Casting about him for love and find
ing his affections thrown back upon
himself, this, elf-child like true ge-
MUS, has created a world of his own.
and has peopled 1t with beings who
care for him and he calls this world
1.-The world of make-believe.
1.-The kind people of ake-belieVe
land only come when the night is
dark so Lester says, "or when put
my head under the bed clothes, then.
they come and talk to me and tell me
to be brave when 1 am discouraged and
to be good little boy, and that | wifi.
be a great artist some day. Yhen my
back hurts so hard sometimes | have
to cry, and then they come and put
their hands on me and make me feel
so strong and Just like / could walk il
/ tried. 1 make believe go with them
to Berkeley some times and to San Jose,
where I used to live, and to the toy
shops and to ever so many places that
have seen. and once went to see my
father with these people. He was
asleep and when said Hello to; him
=
me. er,I IS
'"These make believe people are so
kind and never scOld me. Their voices
haven't any sound, but hear them tell
me how to cut my pictures and what
shall make. They say that can model
in clay after awhile, but not here, be-
cause it would make too much dirt for
the nurses to clean up and that
wouldn't be right. They say 1 am go
ing away from here. Some one is go
ing to give me a home just as soon as
they see my pictures in the paper. and
I'll have all the paints want TO use,
nice warm clothes to wear and good
things to eat.
II don't know where my new home
will be yet and I don't know where my
father Island 1 wonder how III let
him know where to come to see me"
Something of Testers uncanny
knowledge has taken possession of me
something Of his faith in these In
visible friends and I wonder who will
give him this home and what his future
will be?