Clarke courier. [volume] (Berryville, Va.) 1869-1997, 1900-09-12
"SPANxtNG; p. r. NJ, 81"
An Order That Was Posted In tn
Boys Hospital Ward

An Order That Was Posted I'm tho
Boys Hospital Ward
The chief OF the hospital stan OF sur
0eons one evening on his rounds en-
t&rsd ward 2, whsch is devoted to the
cure OF childreu's injuries, and glanced
In perfunctory way at the orders
postal by attending surgeons on the
previous night BE opened his eyes
wide when he saw thfs order, signed
by a physician:
spanking: +. II. N, 27.'
Turning to the nurse In attendance,
the surgeon asked what ''2y'' meant.
1t meant that 81 children had been
spanked In that ward on the night be-
fore
well, that is the most remarkable
order l have ever seen In the hospi-
tai" said the official, and he asked the
nurse how IL came about. "P. X. ""
stood for pro re nata, ito meet the
emergency" II was the other part he
wanted 10 have explained.
1T began with the throwing of a
shoe" the nurse said, land II was aft
or all OF the patients were IN bed and
tucked up for tho night. supposed
that the boys with broken legs and
plaster casts on them and the other
boys with broken arms and fractured
noses were disposed Of safely. Then n
shoe from somewhere went sailing
across the ward. narrowly missing the
head Of that Italian boy, who has had
bis skull trepanned. The shoe was
Ike match to barrel OF gunpowder.
A crutch few over my head and hit
the window. The boys with plaster OF
paris on their legs wriggled out of
their cots, hobbled to their near neigh
boB and pulled them out on the floor.
Those who wanted TO be quiet were
poked and plagued and forced to get
out and join IN the rumpus. There
were half dozen pillow fights in prog
ress in as many places at once before 1
could say 'Scstv
lust as the pandemonium was at
Its height the doctor came In on his
rounds and protested BE said that
there was so much noise the patients
In the wards near by were complain
Ing The boys must stop. II they
would not stop, they must be made to
stop. Why not spank them7
u ventured to say that the task OF
spanking 81 boys, hand running. as II
were, was no child's play. He said
that 1 must do il, and then he wrote
the order. OF course IL had to be done
then. The doctor did not wait TO see
what l would do, and he looked rather
amused as he turned and went out Of
the ward.
We'll, gave out the order to the
children, but they did not mind me in
the least. / did not want 10 spank
them, for they probably for the first
time In their lives had their stomachs
full, and their animal spirits were
high. They had had enough misfor-
tune in the accidents that had brought
them 10 the institution So / Just
warned them that they were up TO a
spank down. AS the boys say, 'Nitr
They just winked at me and kept on
worse than ever Then I started after
them. They limped. hobbled and wrlg-
gled back to their cots as fast as their
legs would carry them. turned down
the upper sheet OF the cot OF the first
boy that came to and laid IL on good.
Then there was change. A chorus
OF dry bowls went up to the ceiling fol-
lowing the walls of the first victim.
Down the rows Of cots l proceeded,
slowly and conscientiously, and, II do
say it, there was In my wake a lot of
chastened souls
TIL make a note OF this order as a
remarkable one" said the official He
did, and that is how IL came out
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