The Camden chronicle. (Camden, Tenn.) 1890-current, 1902-04-04

by EIlzabeth Mccracllen.


She began to read her second letter
Il was from a distant friend. who said
IN 1t: Father says your cousin. Dg.
Buney Harriston. Is doing such a fine
piece Of work this summer. with his
Fresh Air Hospital for poor children.
DO tell me about It and let me HELM n
can. / suppose you are absorbed IN
it. What kind Of children are they
Irish or italian? How much It will
mean to them! And how unsolnsh of
your cousini remember seeing him
once at college Is he as nice as he
used TO be?"
Mary sat- with her chin In her hands
gazing into space Absorbed I'm IT,.
I've never even seen it. / suppose I
shall have to or. Grace win think am
a heartless wretch. Perhaps l am;
but-Burney is so exasperating!"
Her third letter had fallen to the
MOOR she sayagoly pulled IL from It's
envelope. L was, as she knew, from
her cousin, DR. Burney Harrlston-
who was so eyasperatlng.
My dear Mistress Mary quite con-
trary)' (Burney is getting more hor
ria every day" commented Mistress
Mary) Wont you come down AMI
see my garden grow" before You 60
away? I know you win see how val
liable all lives are if you will Just see
and know some that are different from
yours. You judge too much in the
light of your own theories" C"The
audacity of the boy!" exclaimed tho
tAeorist) you don't realize that the
poorest smallest human life is a part
OF the plan of the world, and cant be
disregarded or forgotten
You'll come down on Thursday,
won't you? Please do. When are you
going to California;"
Mary slowly put the letter in the en-
velore.
Perhaps | haven't been very nice to
Burney He is trying to do good, but
he is carried away by enthusiasm. /
don't know much about slum people,
but [ do know how they live. They
are just like animals; they have no
higher natures. They don't have any
ideals
Mary pulled out Burney's letter and
read it for the second time.
I'll go Thursday. l might as well;
and Grace wants to hear about it,"
She went upstairs to her room and
wrote a note to BWney. In the post
script she said, Il am not yet abso-
iutely certain that l shall go to Cali
fcrnia If 1 do it will be next week"
DIR. Burney Hawiston's Fresh Air
Hospital for children was merely a
large house, very near the sea and not
lar from the city, and it had room for
twenty children Interested and gen
erous friends had provided Burney
with funds for the work, and five or
six nurses, who expected no summer
employment had volunteered their
services.
why, Burney!" exclaimed Mary M
Thursday morning, as they approach
ed the hospital 1t looks like an or
binary house"
It is an ordinary house-only with
more children in it than most houses
have"
What kind of children are they
Irish?" asked Mary, mindful Of her
friends questions.
Some Of them. There are all kinds.
They aren't very ILL., most Of them.
They merely need a little special as
sistance and good food and fresh air.
Some of them would have died without
it."
20 Burney, wouldn't it have been
better for them if they had?" asked
AIRY.
Mary, how can you ask that?" said
the young doctor reIroachfully
1T seems better to me, Burney. But
don't look so shocked. Show me your
hospital 1t is very much like a hos.
pital inside, except that the rooms
haven't so many beds; and there are
so many windows that its like being
outdoors"
That's the important part of it,
said Burney, eager to explain you
see the children need principally air
and they get lot this way; and il
does them so much good!" Burney
fell into Marys habit Of italicizing
and Mary smiled at him more ap
proyingly.
Now, Mary, have to go around ant
see the patients. Will you come OF
will you wander about as you like?"
I'll wander, thank you, said Mary
at will be more interesting"
She felt out of her element with TIL,
nurses; they evidently looked upol
her as superfuous, and Mary was no
accustomed to being viewed in an,
| eucb light