The Republican journal., 1903-07-09
IN THE LITTLE HOSPITAL.

LenI1Ve 10 every UOuy, NV la Ads oeSAA A'A
the business long enough to nave grown
callous. They were nice girls, mostly
in their first years course, and their
Inns would twitch and their faces whiten
yery often in the operating room, or
when they held a patients hand while
he died in the night. But they were
brave and went about the hospital sing
ing softly in the cool corridors carrying
little white clothed trays to the sick
rooms. and being the best of medicines
themselves by reason of their neatneSS,
their bright eyes and their kind voices.
Now, one beautiful bright spring
afternoon. at the railroad junction in
the town, two trains, filled with pleas
ure-seekers. smashed together, and the
nurses were plunged into a world of
work. for ambulance after ambulance
came driving up from the scene OF the
accident and left to the care OF the
girls many people sorely hurt. And
among them was very little boy,
about six years old, whom nobody knew
ANYTHING about because father and
mother were both killed in the collision,
and there was nothing Oh them to show
who or what they were except tnat
they were poor 1t is comprehensive
that very great deal OF attention was
paid to this little fellow, and he would
have been placed in the Woman'S ward,
as the hospital was too small tor a
childrens ward, but the Woman's ward
was full. So the boy, quite insenslble,
was laid on a cot in the mems ward, and
next to him was laid a big, brown
bearded man, also insensible, from
whose clothes had been gathered quite
a sum of money and whose few papers
went to show he had been sailor. He
was verv rough-iooking man. indeed.
The MAI came to his senses first, and
it was night. The nurse on watch was
quite frightened at the man. He was
in pain, and great allowance must be
made for that, but never, IN all her
life. had the little nurse to listen to
such words as came from the big brown
bearded mans lips. He wanted to get
up and 60 right away, and he found he
could not move his great massive legs.
So he began to abuse his fate, and the
railway and the hOspltal and the nurse
and mankind i'll general. He was
very bitter-mouthed man, indeed. Ihe
little nurse, by the light of the night
lamp, did her best to soothe him, be-
cause he aroused other patients, and
there was terrible groaning and wall
ing in the small ward. And all at once
the little boy came to his senses. too,
Just for minute, and his face was
turned up to the sailors face, and his
eyes fell upon the sailors face. He
was not quite sensible yet for it seemed
he mistook the sailor for his dead papa,
and he said very prettily:
''tiood-morning, dad. How are you
this morning:'
The sailor looking into the little
fellows eyes, was abashed and stopped
his swearing, and was silent for a mo
ment and then muttered clumSily:
I'm all right
That's NICE said the boy and be-
came unconscious again.
The sailor did not abuse anything any
more lust then, but lay groaning, and
every now and then when the little
nurse Slipped by IN the shadows, he
called 30 her softly, and the first time
lie said:
pretty little chap"
The nurse nodded and smiled, and the
sailor smiled back and, until morning
came at last. he only gIoaned and watch
ed the child, and did not curse at all,
but every time the nurse came to wipe
lis brow ur give hlm drink, he whisper
ed 70 her t. look at the boy.
''Prettv bov-he thought | WAS his
dad, he said, and would have laughed,
ony his pain made him groan instead.
Again ne caught the nurses hand.
SAID it was nice he did. Cute amt
he." and then his face twisted in pain.
But neither could the sailor rise from
his back. and neither could the sailor
hope to sail tie sea again. for he was in
the same case with the child and both
We're slowly dying. At first sometimes
the big brown man would forget him
self in his pain, and the nurses would
shut their ears. terrified, and the mat
ron would threaten to move him to a
room by himself, and that frightened
him to silence, for ever since the accl-
dent he had a great love for the child.
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 johu 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
VI liIt w lllttoN az eiiS ii'St oilNi w yOhot
where the big hills purpled to the skies,
and were always looking up.
So It was in the mornings, when Joe
seemed always first awake, and ready
TO have his hands and face washed by
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 po-
litely:
And 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 he
would ask each in turn, and to each
answer, always the same, he would
reply cheerfully: That's nice"
And when they asked him how it
went with him, he always said, though
sometimes with an effort, Pm pretty
well, thank you" Then everybody
would say, with real pleasure: THAT'S
nice, Joe
So the summer went on, and very few
patients came to the hospital, and John
and Joe were alone, save for the nurses
who grew to dread the time that was
soon to part the friends.
At last they told the sailor that there
was no hope at all for him a clergyman
came to prepare him. He took the news
very calmly, but instantly whispered:
''AuO the little fellow. .Joe.''