Putnam patriot. [volume] (Putnam, Conn.) 1872-1962, 1910-12-16
aSanta Claus
| Joe"
He Makes a Happy Christ
mas For Two Lovers
BY ANNIE HlNRICHSEN
Copyright. 1910. by American Press
Association

lived with bis father and mother and
numerous brothers and sisters In a di.
ssnidsted cabin In the outskirts Of the
city.
o Their neigbbors we're fellow expf-
triates speaking their own tongue and
continuing their onn customs. and
Joe's only knowledge Of the world that
lay beyond the truck farms had been
gained when he went with his father
20 peddle vegetables IN the city.
A bullet intended for rabbit enter.
cd Joes leg, and he was brought to the
hospital
Miss Merton, a senior nurse, was his
lady. She was with him through the
days when nll bis world was full Of
horrors.
She was his first nurse and the one
be first felt was bis friend.
In a hospital living and dying move
according to certain lass. The prog
ress of case Is routine to the expert
enced ones Dissolution takes place IN
certain known steps.
But one element Of which 90 account
Ii taken. for which 10 calculation Is
made. Is IA. love Of man aud a 40
man.
In the hospital life there IS no place
for 1t. 4 nurses time aud thoughts
are devoted % her work Her love
md sympathy belong Il het patients
Concerning the relations Of doctors
and nnfses hospital etiquette N strict
II demands that these relations be all
salutely professional Tie reputation
OF hospital depends IN the discipline
maintained within It's walls. aud the
laws Of 81. Anne's we're enforced viii
severity
When interests quite auprofessionai
drew together a senior nurse aud Que
Of the young physicians OF The hospital
staff there appeared difficulties aud
embarfassments. and the eour1ship, un
der the adverse circumstances Of dis
appreciation. conscience and lack OF
time, place and opportunity, made
slow and hating progress. with FIRE.
quent backward steps.
"will you 20 for walk tonight1''
asked nr. Knight one morning when
with Miss Mertons assistance he was
dressing Joe's wound.
with your
'Certainy."
And meet all the heads and q few
doctors and nurses r
sThere are places where heads and
doctors and nurses don't GO
Yes. On back streets. hate that
sort OF thing going out alone aud
meeting you ON corner and sneaking
along back streets"
There In no other way we can see
each other You viii come tonight.
won't your
She shook her head. n graduate
next spring she Sid, a little visit
fully Cant we wait I'LL then 10 be
friendsf''
Whats the use of waiting9 No one
will know. But II you are found out
your previous good record Will save
you"
The words and tone were blunt and
careless
Miss Merton did not answer. She
fastened Joe's bandage aud left the
room.
As she passed him pr. Knight saw
her face. hurt. proud and angry, all Its
sweetness gone.
For many days Mr. knight saw Miss
Merton only In the presence of others
She avoided him la the corridors and
met him only In the rooms of patients.
There was nothing he could say 10
her
\ man cannot apologize with words
for worthless insult and he cannot
hy appealing. peni,euee expressing
hooks afleet moving. marble statue
that never Sees him.
Christmas was near, aud the nurses
were preparing for II Joe was no
lIuIy Interested 10 the decorations Of
the ward. bgs b. aeeaed unconscious
Of the reasons fer fh At
Those are Christmas greens, joe.
said Miss Merton In answer e. his in.
quiry.
Joe hooked puzzled.
"Iiave you ever seen Christmas
greens before JOEY
sNe'm. never seen Christmas
greens before
but you know all about Christmas
don't your
Nom. didn't never know nethin
nj ail about that I"
sloe. have you never heard OF Christ
naSys
Nom. Ne one never tole me about
IL neither
Nor Of Santa CLAUSE.
"No'm Who's Santa Clausf No
body never tele me ahou, Santa Claus
Have you heard OF Christ, dearr
Nom"
Nor OF Gody'
Joe pondered He believed he had
heard something about God.
In words simple enough for the child
to understand Miss Merton told hin
the story Of the Christ Child
Joe listened with his great black
eyes wide open.
is that sIly' he asked when the
story was finished '.rell me another. "
hut. Joe. this Is real. true story"
Joe looked skeptical ITS \ nice
story" Ne said. but ! don't believe
IT.
Aftss Merton had cared for children
lane erssnwh IN r.,n ftxe that the mind