The Washington weekly post., 1900-04-24

| and men mufieTed clumstiy:
I'm al right"
That's nice = said the boy, and becam.
unconscious ssain.
The sailor did not abuse anything any
more just then. but lay groaning. and
every now and again when the little nurse
slipped by In the shadow, he called to hsr
softly, and the first time he said:
| Pretty little chap"
The nurse nodded and smiled, and ths
sailor smiled back and, until morning
| came at last. he only groaned and watch.
ed the child. and did not curse at all. but
every time the nurse came TO wipe his
brow. or TO give him a drink. he wnisper-
ed to her TO lock at the boy
Pretty chap-he thought / was his
dad he said. and would have laughed
only his pain made him groan instead
Again he caught the nurses hand.
said it was nice, he did. Cute. amt
her and then his face was twisted In
pain.
Now it will not be good to talk much of
tne next few terrible weeks. because the
doctors were very, very busy, and the
poor nurses quite worn out. But the
rough man and the little boy still lay in
cots next each other. and for long time
neither knew where they wers, and they
J talked OF many things which had nothing
10 do With their surro Irdings, 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-
biz. but neither could be removed. and the
ooy was much distressed at his father
and mother not being with him. Then
4 tho HffIa x.ffb Aaa +alI
him that 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 God would surely let the mother
come 10 meet the pretty child when it was
time for him TO go. And the doctors
| brought him wonderful presents every
day in their pockets. and told the ma
| tron 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 hack always-and so the
boy grew reeonciled to waiting for his
father and mother to come to him.
But neither could the sailor rise from
his back, and neither could the sailor hope
to sail the sea again, for he was in the
same case with the child, and both were
slowly dying. At first sometimes the big
brown man would forget himself in his
pain, and the nurses would shut their
ears, terrified, and the matrou would
| threaten to move him to a room by HIM
self, and that frightened him to silence,
| for ever since the accident he had great
love for the child. The child would look
at MS huge friend in surprise when he
fell in one OF his RACES, and say:
| "Ohf John fhat'S rot nice IS
And John would bite his lips at once
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 Ii was in the mornings, when Toe
seemed always first awake, and ready
TO have his hands and face washed iy
| the nurse. He could not turn about to
see the other patients, but he learned all
| their names and as soon as he heard
! them moving. he always asked very TO-
litely:
How do you feel, Mr.. Smith,"
And Mr.. Smith would always answer
because it pleased the child:
| First rate, Joe"
That's NICE" said Joe, and so ne would
| ask each in turn and to each answer, al
ways the same, he would reply cheer
| fully: That's nice"
And when they asked him how II went
with him, he always said, though some
times with an effort, I'm pretty well,
thank you" Then everybody world say
with real pleasure, That's nice joe"
But after a while the patients went
away, one by one, shaking hands with
Joe, and only the sailor and Joe rem aimed,
and became very fond of each other The
sailor became so good, as he grew weaker
and weaker, that the matron allowed Their
cots to be drawn together so close that
they could touch each others hand. if
they woke at night, and so be comforted.
The sailor did not think very much Of his
own troubles, it seemed, but grew quite
anxious to amuse Joe, and had consuita-
tions almost every day with the matron
which resulted in the expressman often
stopping to deliver wonderful packages
for the child, who soon had picture
books and toy ponies and all sorts Of
things to delight him.
who was nice to send me them, John?"
said Joe.
Il guess your NANNY" said John, with
a pleased smile.
But nobody sends anything to you,
JOhn-poor Johnr'
II amt good enough, Joe"
But you're nice John" said the child.
In the long. lonely days and evenings
the boy would ask for stories, and John
would tell wonderful things of strange
CT
the dim of the nightlamp, Joe would tell
John stories, all very strange and wonder
ful to the sailor, of fairies and angels and
stars Very often, when the child, out of
pain, fell asleep after telling "A story.
John would lie awake, so that the little
nurse coming round in the night would
find him looking out Of the window at the
night, Joe's little hani in his. and tears.
salt as the seas, upon the sailors checks.
Joe would not go TO sleep without first
saying his prayers and at first John was
dre2dfully worried when the matron
came at nightfall to hear the child re-
peat them, and ask for blessings Ipon
father and mother and the natron and
the nurses and all sick people and dear
Joha. But one night when they were
Both very weak, John asked Joe 10 give
him his hand while he prayed
Il never was taught 70 pray myself
mum, he whispered to the matron. "but
| want to be counted In"
So the summer went on, and very few
patients came to the little hospital, and
John and Joe were all alone save for the
nurses who grew to dread the time that
was soon TO part the friends
AT last they tolG the sailor that there
was 10 hope at all for hiul-a clergyman
came to prepare him. He took the news
very calmly but instantly whispered:
And the little fellow, Joeg'
Don't tell him." said the minister. che
is so innocent he needs no preparation.
But ycuT'
For days the poor sailor was in much
trouble, and one night he whispered 10
tis little c0mpanion:
Joe. say YOU was rich as Vanderbilt |
and was goins long sail, would YOU
leave me behirdT'
mo, John. said the child, very earn /
es. IN. 4 would want Vou IN coroa toe -