The Lee County journal. (Leesburg, Ga.) 1904-19??, 1908-10-09
For Roth.

EOI 6QbHs
Somebody had given Paula Powers
two boxes Of beads for her birthday.
She was stringing a beautiful chain
now.
What nice present." said Mrs.
Pratt, who was calling. "They would
be delightful for my hospital children
keep the poor little things amused
for long time"
That gave Paula an idea Sho
would play that she was hospital
child, She loved new plays.
SO she propped herself up on the
sofa with shawl over her knees.
which was like being in cot in
ward, and pretended she was Jane
Smith.
Jane was wild over the present that
kind lady had brought her. She
asked the nurse to let her make a
necklace at once. The nurse-who
generally was Mrs. Powers--let her.
But when you get one idea you are
very likely to get another. Did you
ever notice that about ideas? That
they don't stop?
/ am not sure whether Paula said
to Jane or Jane said to Paula:
why don't you make it real, In
stead OF only game? Instead of
pretending to be hospital child, why
don't you be little lady Oadies are
OF all ages) and send one OF your box
es to Mrs. Pratt's hospital? You have
two"
PAULA am sure that this was
Paula-held tight hold of both her
boxes as though some one were pull
ing them from her.
How foolish" said she. "You don't
give away your birthday presents. 1t
isn't polite. You enjoy them your
self"
She jumped up from the sofa and
ran over and looked out of the win
dow.
But the idea followed her.
Uncle Robert told me about
man that was king who had birth
day." she remembered. "He had
some Christian captives locked up in
his dungeons. So he called for his
jailer and told him to take the keys
and open their doors and let them all
go out free, to keep his birthday.
said it was perfectly splendid way
to keep it. | said / wished could do
something like that for mine. This
isn't much like it, but it's little. But
don't want to do It,"
Mrs. Pratt was looking at her
watch.
Paula ran upstairs to her grand
mothers room.
Would you mind If gave away
your beads to somebody that's poor
and sick? 1t isn't for impoliteness;
it's for keeping my birthday"
This was not very clear, Paula
knew. But things do not have to be
very clear to grandmothers. They
understand.
Il should love it." said grandmoth.
err.
When Paula spoke to Mrs. Pratt,
Mrs. Pratt said:
Come with me, Paula! Get your
hat, and we will go together and give
your present"
They did exactly that.
Did you ever go to hospital where
little girl named Melia Thompson
or some other name-Was wondering
how long an afternoon could be that
had been so very long already and it
was only half past two o'clock? did
you ever walk into the room Just
when she was deciding that. even
If she was nine years old and there
were four more Thompsons at home
younger than she was, she was not too
old to cry-quietly, under the edge of
the sheet-taking into consideration
the pains in her hurt leg, and "the
fidgets" in her other, and how tired
she was, and that her heart was way
down at the foot OF the bed? Did You
walk straight over to her. before sha
could begin, and change everything in
twinkle. and make everything nice
and lovely, and exciting, instead Of
horrid?
If you never did, then you do not
know how much Paula enjoyed her
birthday afternoon. So If you wish
to appreciate this story-or one like
it-you will have to take present to
hospital child yourself. For, after
all, the best way to know how things
feel is to feel them.--Sally Campbell
in the Bee Hive.