The Olneyville times. (Olneyville [Providence, R.I.]) 1887-1917, 1907-10-25
Il, "LIzE." p" W

oIOry Ol d grippe IN ChIcdBO nOSplldl
The very heart of the hospital was
Aunt Lie. At the tap. tap OF her
crutches and the sound OF her merry
laugh even the peevsh millionaire 8
wife in the west suite frightened up
for few minutes.
"It's only good morning | can say
90 you to-day. dearie," Aunt Liz
would call out to her. IL must
hurry downstairs to those precious
children!"
Even the lordly elevator boy
waited for her and helped her out at
the next floor. Into the children s
ward she would turn, inquiring anX-
fously whether the babies had been
bathed yet. She was happy indeed
when she arrived i'm time to assist
On bathing them
"Oh, the pink skins Of them and
the solemn eyes OF them, like bits Of
heaven shining through! Do you
know" she would conhde to the
nurse, I'm often thinking they're
knowing more than we do. And
why not? It's only little while ago
that they left the place above and |
think the good God let's them re-
member it all for a while"
AS anxious any mother was she at
The weekly weighing of each babe.
"You can't stop the young roRues, -
she would cry. They'll grow ia
spite OF your"
Then she would hobble off to make
the rest Of her rounds, for she was as
faithful as any house doctor with her
morning calls. A carnation would
bloom from beneath her knit shawl
for the old deaf man in the end bed.
An orange would go to another old
woman.
Tut, tut" she would say to stop
their thanks. IL am giving all these
things because people know that /
know how TO distribute them better
than they do"
TO a homesick girl she would
whisper: "Ive fine love story up
stairs that III bring down to you.
Itll make you forget yourself for a
few hours.
"Poor young thing" she would
murmer to herself. $50 young to
have the bloom of youth squeezed
out Of her!
None could give richer sympathy
Go the suffering young than Aunt
Lie, for, indeed, her own youth
had been squeezed out with an i'm
Jury that had bent her back and
made her limbs shriveled and useless
"But haven't | the two eyes of me
demonstrate with those who attempt
ed to condole with her. "Fiddlesticks
child! Give your sympathy to the
unfortunates who need it,"
Her visits must all be made by 10
o'clock, for then an orderly would
room where for an hour she would
bear torments that are given few tC
know. For the rest of the day she
would have to lie motionless in heI
bed, the blood gone from her wrinkled
cheeks and her eyes closed with pain
domitable spirit would conquer and
Aunt Lie would be at work. propped
up IN bed. She mended socks for tn,
young internes.
Poor young things!" she confided
TO visitor. Twas pity to Sc,
them all run down at the heels and
their mothers miles away. Thes,
iaundries do wear holes in things and
you wouldn't have TO throw theil
clothes away for the sake of n few
small holes-nOt when Aunt Liz,
can mend them!"
Surrel titiously she was embroider
ing a pair of cuffs for the probation
nurse on that floor. 1t was char
acteristic of Aunt Lie that sh,
should spend her spare moments pre-
pairing a surprise gift for the one in
dividual in the hospital who evel
said sharp things TO her.
So she went through the days
cheering. encouraging, loving. moth
oring the whole institution. Even tn,
ambulance horses had neat straw
hats that she had made for hot sum
mer days.
Finally the tin, came when tn,
surgeons said they had done all the!
could for her and that she might z,
home" "Home meant 10 her onll
the one room In which she livet
among rangers-beloved, no dc bit
but alon'. Only then did her cCurag,
fail. She had filled her place so com
pletely In the hospital, she had beei
90 appreciated. that the thought o
leaving 1t all and going back to he
CORNER colorless existence was to,