The record-union., 1899-11-12
THE WARD BOY.

Required. ward boy for q newly
erected hospital: Apply for partieu-
| lars to &',
The advertisement was read out OF
one of the local papers by friend.
Vishnu Bulwunt listening attentively
He was thin, lanky, loose limbed boy
about eighteen years of age, clad IN
| the usual native costume of the "Dho-
tie" or waistcloth and close cut jack
ct; his head was destitute of hair save
for little tuft at the top surmounted
| by a small red cap.
"Wah il! I wonder if they would
take me if applied?" he said eagerly.
"You'-his companion looked at him
with amazement-"a Brahmin, demean.
yourself by such employment. What
are you think of? You will lose caste
| forever!"
vishnu spread out his palms with a
deprecatory gesture.
What matter?' he said; who can it
affect but myself, and to one without
sons what can anything matter in this
world? If 1 die who will perform the
sacred ceremonies necessary to rescue
my soul from hell? Besides, I am
poor man and cannot live without
| HUI, IL tIlcy pay IllC w ClA Wa
take the place.
"A Brahmin is a mighty god" per-
sisted his companion.
Il tell you,' answered Vishnu impa-
tiently, II am poor, poor, and if
cannot earn something my family and
I will die of hunger in these bad times. =
What must be must" assented the
other, at last persuaded of the futility
of argument and with the usual ORR
entail Indifference.
II am applying for an appointment
myself he continued presently, pro-
ducing a sheet of paper. Listen to
this-what do you think of my letter?
1t was written for me by the writer
in the Suddha 'Bazar.' Listen" He
read slowly, translating word by word;
the original, in English, ran as follows:
please will you let me know if you
have any vacancies? Allow me to in
form you that 1 am Offering my serv-
ices in spite of the bubonic plague. am
plain, honest and simple hearted, and
will take the greatest pleasure in OBJ
liging you, and, being no new hand in
any position, you will shortly find you
have no chance of dismissing me-
'Shabash" said Vishnu, admiringly.
"That is indeed a clever letter, and
will assuredly obtain a reward; for my
self, I am not frightened either, and
I shall apply for the place tonight"
When a few hours later Vishnu Bull
wunt, redolent of oil and brushed from
head to foot, stood before the doctor Of
| the plague hospital, he was met with
exactly the same queries as those his
friend had put to him in the morn
ing. For a Brahmin to apply for such
mental employment was extremely I'M
usual, but he accounted for this, as be-
fore, as more or less obligatory by rea-
son of poverty. The question of dam
ger from nursing plague patients he
waved aside with the same reply. 'I
am poor, and the poor man cannot
choose his lot" he said epigrammat-
ically. Though / have never done
such work before, yet I have several
| times been i'll in hospital and have
seen how other ward boys do" he add
ed, anxiously, fearing lest the quail
fication should not be deemed sufficient.
The wages offered were high, and di-
verted his thoughts from all else. After
a few more inquiries the doctor salts
fled himself that the boy would suit
| { it was not easy to get any volunteers
for such service), and it was according
ly arranged for him to commence his
duties on the following day.
The hospital had been opened a short
time previously by a large public body
for the use of any employees who might
be attacked with the bubonic plague,
then raging in their midst. 1t was
long low mud and thatch building,
erected on a piece of reclamation
ground some two miles up the harbor,
the waters of which lay spread before
it, Far across on the further side
could be seen the hills of the Kolaba
coast, blue green in the distance by
day. when the fierce glare of the sun
was on them; soft pink and gray in the
misty evening light. Immediately be-
hind the hospital, to which it formed
a background, rose a plateau fringed
with cocoanut palms, showing in clear,
dark outline against the sky. Their
roots in places overhung the semicircu-
lar hollow caused by recent excavation,
the crimson soil of which, especially
with the glow of sunset resting on it,
presented the appearance of a still gap
ing, bleeding wound inflicted on nature
! by the wanton hand of man. Great
1 boulders of purple rock lay scattered
around, adding to the wild picturesque
ness of the spot-it was very silent and
sequestered, hidden more or less from
sights and sounds of the outside world
and approached by a beaten track
which wound round the foot of the
ridge. Inside the hospital was arranged
a row of low iron bedsteads; these
formed the sole furniture of the ward,
but all was clean and fresh, ready for
occupation. In small hut close by
lived the native apothecary in charge,
while the ward boy sat crouched on his
launches, his chin resting on the palms
of his hands, the sole living being in
the hospital itself.
1t was midday, and the air was still
and hot. Vishnu sat looking across the
harbor, thinking over the events of the
| previous evening, when, after having
signed an agreement with the doctor,
he had returned to relate the joyful
news of his appointment to the few
remaining relatives he possessed. His
child wife had said very little. but her
eyes cleaned happily at the idea of
| the small fortune they would possess
| when Vishnu should receive the munifi-
cent income of 20 rupees a month "And
| all my Clothes" he had added as a
browning surprise. The naked brown
baby in his wife's arms was very thin,
and Vishnu looked at it compassionate
ly, though, of course, being only a GIRL
| it could never expect either affection