Los Angeles herald., 1908-04-13

whom the patients have grown to love.
They are emissarles OF various creeds,
of the silent kind.
One of them is an old. kind-faced
negro woman. Her kinky hair is like
so much cotton, tied with a plain black
ribbon. She wears a simple dress and
says nothing to anyone. She Is one of
the few singers whom the patients
have learned to tolerate, for she sings
only one song. and sings it with a
low, musical, southern accent that car
rles a charm to all ears. Her voice
is never pitched, but delicately melo-
dious. ,
Is Frequent Visitor
Every Sunday, year after year, for
no one knows how long, this aged
negress has visited the hospital unfail-
ingly every Sunday afternoon. carving
in one hand a little prayer and hymn
book, and on her arm a huge basket
filled with cookies. which she herself
bakes during the week.
She sings her song. then goes silently
about from bed to bed and to each pa
tient gives a cooiy. When they ask
her. she kneels by their bedsides and
prays, silently. Then, with very low
God bless YOU" passes noiselessly on
to the next one.
Very often she brings flowers and
magazines, but whatever she brings is
always distributed silently, and her
presence is inspiring to the darkest
ward. Everyone looks forward to the
visits of the aged negress with pleas
ant anticipations. She understands the
invalid as we'll as the nurses do. She
is unlike the hosts of morbidly curious
or careless visitors who invade the
institute to scatter tracts and sing,
and who frequently cause the patients
to sit up in bed and cry for someone
to close the doors. Convalescents, es-
pecially, are easily worried by the lat
ter kind.
Many Silent Evangelists
There are two other "silent evange-
lists" at the county hospital who have
made themselves much talked about
and we'll liked, and who are doing
great deal of good in an original way.
These men never talk to q group of
patients, but single out one patient
at time, when they can get him alone,
and If he is smoking they kindly ask
him to throw his smoke away. This
done, the men pray for him in a low
tone and ask him to try and over
come the habit. In this way they have
inspired much confidence. and it is
said they have succeeded in greatly re-
ducing the number of nicotine lovers at
the hospital. Their method of doing
missionary work is original and un-
obtrusive.
"Old Charlie" is a Chinese afflicted
by paralysis. He has been at the hos
pital thirteen years and is, perhaps,
the best known of any OF the present
inmates.
For some reason. Charlie has made
himself very popular with many wo-
men who regularly visit the institute,
and the attention he receives from
some of them, when dainties and flow
ers are being distributed, has caused
Charlie to be regarded with envy by
his fellow inmates.
Charlie, you seem to have many
friends, eh?" I said to him.
Sure; everybody velly much friend"
How do you manage it, Charlie?"
1 asked him.
"Smile-all time smile" he replied.
Everybody like 'em smile. Catch 'em
heap friend"
And as walked away 1 wondered if
this afflicted Chinese, who has spent
thirteen years in a wheel chair, had
not really solved the great secret of
success and happiness.
Smile!
l laughed as I thought of it. The
hospital would be a much brighter
place If all of it's unfortunates could
smile as does this poor, helpless in
valid, who seems unconscious of his
affliction and greets everyone he
passes with a smile of friendly in
terest.