Audubon Republican. [volume] (Audubon, Iowa) 1894-1925, 1906-11-08
BERSAMO
Story Of One Small Hospital Patient
BY GRACE LOIS RUARC

little fat goose, clinging to the visit
ing nurse with one hand and clutch.
ing a banana with the other. She
gazed on us with eyes OF suspicion
She was only four years old. and
alone among strangers. so she felt
that she must be on the defensive.
Her great black eyes peered out from
beneath tangled mop of hair and she
threatened to burst into tears. The
visiting nurse departed and Bersamo
stood alone with her banana.
Her costume was striking, II not
beautiful. In her dress her Syrian
mother had expressed her love for
color. The body OF IL was OF dark
blue velvet, with strip of scarlet
down the front. The collar was OF
yellow, finished with pink lace. The
ward nurse started TO remove this
gorgeous creation, whereupon
stream of foreign invective burst from
hose baby lips We started In aston
shment
II took two nurses to undress her
aud put her in her little crib. There
she sat bolt upright, veritable thun.
dercloud Her screams could be heard
"a over the hospital The instant the
nurses back was turned, out she
would climb, agile as a monkey, and
seemed to be to get out--anywhere
away from the ward.
For two days she kept Il up every
waking moment. Then she suddenly
became as silent as she had been
noisy She still sat up in bed. per-
fectly mute, scowllng at every one,
her eyes constantly shifting, watching
every movement made in the room.
She looked like Gagged animal
wonder what she made OF 1t all and
what revenge her infantie mind was
planning, for she had the most malig-
nant expression imaginable.
Having an affection of the mouth.
she was put on a liquid diet and how
she hated It! Disgust was written on
her face every time her food was
brought In. One day she smelled
coffee. In an instant she was on the
alert. and for the first time In several
days she started to climb out OF bed.
The nurse hurried over to her.
What is It, Bersamo?" she asked.
Coffee" she exclaimed, excltedly.
overjoyed at hearing her speak
after her long silence, tho nurse went
to get her some. She filed cup with
hot milk and put In just enough cot.
fee to color II. Bersamo looked ut IL
moment. II was too much for her
outraged dignity.
"Bah!" she screamed Then, with
quick sweep OF her hand, cup and
coffee went crashing to the floor.
After she had been with US a week
her mother brought her brothers and
sisters to see her. And Solomon In all
his glory was not arrayed as one OF
these.
First came q boy about seven,
waddling In Just as Bersamo had done.
with his bright black eyes rowing
everywhere. He had on a pair OF
scarlet trousers reaching halfway be-
tween his knees and shoe tops. pink
silk shirt and a pale blue tie. Follow
Ing him was little girl older than
Bersamo, In pink dress draped with
fish net. Then came the mother, q
gypsy-llke woman, carrying baby
wrapped In yellow shawl. Peeping
from behind her skirts was a little
boy about three.
What babel arose when they saw
Bersamo! All the children crowded
around her as she related her ad-
ventures In her native tongue. Her
eyes shone and she punctuated her re.
cital with dramatic gestures. She I'M
derstood that she was heroine of the
occasion and she took advantage OF
her hour of glory. Then her mother
produced a bundle from her shawl:
she took out big, evil.smelling sau-
sage. How that child's eyes glistened
vixen she saw the meat Besides,
there we're pink popcorn balls, sticks
OF red candy and bottle OF pop--all
for q sick child! When the nurse took
them all, Bersamo only shrugged her
shoulders and looked resigned; every
thing dlsagreeable was becoming
matter OF course to her.
We all expected Bersamo to have
another crying spell after her peo-
pie went, but she didn't seem to miss
them at all. She grew more friendly
day by day, and one morning when
was looking over her record saw the
astonishing announcement: Patient
smiled" After being with us three
weeks she had smiled for the first
time.
/ went over and played with her
awhile and said: Smile, Bersamo!"
A self-consclous look came over her
face and then she gave sheepish
grin. After that brave beginning the
aurses taught her to laugh, so that
on request she would calculate, with
a grave smile, "Ha, hal" 1t was the
most mirthless laugh | ever heard.
Still, Bersamo enjoyed life in her
own way. When she was allowed to
get out of bed she delighted in teasing
one patient in the ward-he was the
crossest child there. She would go
to the foot of the bed, stick her head
through the bars and gaze at him
fixedly for minutes at time. Then.
with diabolical expression. she would
exclaim, "Ha, hal" The boy would go
almost frantic with rage and Bersamo
would amble off with look of In
jured innocence.
When she was well enough TO go