The farmer and mechanic. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 18??-19??, 1900-04-24
IN THE LITTLE HOSPITAL
he Way Joe and the Big Navy Sailed To-
gether, Leaving Pain and TROUBLE
Behind Them.
BY P. Y. BLACK.

I'm all right"
That's nice said the boy. and be-
came unconscious again.
The sailor did not abuse anything
more just then, but lay grooming, and
every now and then when the little
nurse slipped by in the shadows, he
called to her softly and the first time
he said:
pretty little chap"
The nurse nodded and smiled and
the sailor smiled back and, until
morning came at last, he only groan-
ed and watched the child, and did not
curse at all. but every time the nurse
came to wipe his brow, or give him a
drink. lie whispered to her to look at
the boy.
Pretty chap-he thought | was his
dad he said, and would have laugh
ed. only his pain made him groan in
stead. Again he caught the nurses
hand.
Said it was nice, he did. Cute, amt
heo" and then his face was twisted in
pain.
Now it will not be good to talk
much Of the next few terrible weeks,
because the doctors were very, very
busy, and the poor nurses quite worn
out. But the rough MAJ and the lit
tie boy still lay in cots next each 9TH
er, and for a long time neither knew
where they were. and they talked OF
MANY things which had nothing to
do with their surroundings. the sailor
Of the ships and seas and shores. and
the child of playmates in a land far,
far away from the little hospital.
Then at last they both became sensi-
bic. but neither could be removed.
,,.l H., lp,r r,. p,1,nh ]icfracSnl 1T
his father and mother not being with
him. Then the little nurses, with
good hearts. told him hat his mother
had been hurt too, and his father,
but they would come for him soon.
This they said believing, for they
whispered to each other that the good
Good would surely let the mother
come to meet the pretty child when
it was time for him to go. And the
doctors brought him wonderful pres
ents every day in their pockets, and
told the matron that the boy could
not last long. The matron would kiss
him every night in his cot, and tuck
him,in-he had to lie still on his back
always-and SO the boy rev recon
ciled to waiting for his father and
mother to come to him.
But neither could the sailor rise
iIolH llJS DtGh, dlii lltltlltl 0ouNl IL
sailor hope to sail the sea again, for
he was in the same case with the
child. and both were slowly dying.
1t first sometimes the big brown
man would forget himself in his pain.
and the nurses would shut their ears.
terrified, and the matron, would
threaten to move him to a room by
himself, and that frightened him to
silence, for ever since the accident he
had a great love for the chitd. The
child would look at his huge friend
in surprise when he fell into one of his
RACES and say:
"Oh, John, that's not nice"
And John would bite his lips 1T
ono and be patient. Then the child
would say:
How do you feel, John?"
And the sailor would answer:
First rate, joe"
That's nice little Joe would say,
and they would lie quiet and look out
of the window at the river and beyond
where the big hills purpled to the
skies, and were always looking up.
SO it was in the morning, when Joe
seemed always first to wake and
ready to nave his hands and face
washed by the nurse. He could not
turn about to see the other patients,
but he earned all their names, and as
soon as he heard them moving, he al
ways asked very politely:
How do you feel Mr.. Smith,"
And Mr.. Smith would ALWAYS an
swer, because it pleased the child.
First rate, joe"
That's NICE said Joe, and so he
would ask Zach in turn and to each
answer always the same. he would
reply cheerfuIly: That's nice"
And when they asked him how it
went with him, he always said.
though sometimes with an effort,
I'm pretty we'll, thank YOU Then
everybody would say with real pleas
ure, That's nice, joe
But after awhile the patients went
away, one by one, shaking hands with
Joe and only h sailor and Joe re-
manned, and became very fond of each
Other. The sailor became SO good. as
he grew weaker and weaker. i:lnt H..
matron allowed their cots to he s.r,vn
together so close that they could
touch each others hand when they
woke at night, and so be comforted.