The Owosso times. (Owosso, Mich.) 1897-1926, 1911-01-27
"Santa Claus
Joe"
He Makes a Happy Christ
mas For Two Lovers
By ANNIE HINRICHSEN
Copyright, 1910, by American Press
Association.
By ANNIE HINRICHsEN
Copyright, 1910, by American Press
Association.

years Oiu anu uHtluy VIII the dCcu-
mulated soil Of all his seasons. He
lived with his father and mother and
numerous brothers and sisters In di-
lapidated cabin in the outskirts Of the
city.
Their neighbors were fellow expa-
triates speaking their own tongue and
continuing their own customs, and
Joe's only knowledge Of the world that
lay beyond the truck farms had been
gained when he went with his father
to peddle vegetables in the city.
A bullet intended for rabbit enter
ed Joe's leg, and he was brought to the
hospital
Miss Merton, a senior nurse, was his
"lady." She was with him through the
days when all his world was full Of
horrors.
She was his first nurse and the one
he first felt was his friend.
In hospital living and dying move
according to certain laws. The prog
ress of a case is routine to the expert
enced ones. Dissolution takes place in
certain known steps.
But one element of which no account
is taken, for which no calculation is
made, is the love of q man and a wo-
man.
In the hospital life there Is no place
for it. A nurses time and thoughts
are devoted to her work. Her love
and sympathy belong to her patients.
Concerning the relations of doctors
and nurses hospital etiquette is strict
1t demands that these relations be alb
solutely professional. The reputation
Of hospital depends on the discipline
maintained within its walls, and the
laws of st. Anne's were enforced with
severity.
When interests quite unprofessiopal
drew together a senior nurse and one
Of the young physicians of the hospital
staff there appeared difficulties and
embarrassments, and the courtship, I'M
appreciation, conscience and lack of
time, place and opportunity, made
slow and hating progress, with fire.
quent backward steps.
"Will you go for walk tonight?"
asked DR.. knight one morning when
with Miss Merton's assistance he was
dressing Joe's wound. &.
with your
Certainly"
And meet all the heads and q few
doctors and nurses?
There are places where heads and
doctors and nurses don't CO."
Yes, on back streets. l hate that
sort of thing-going out alone and
meeting you on corner and sneaking
along back streets"
There Is no other way we can see
each other. You will come tonight.
won't you"
She shook her head. II graduate
next spring" she said, little visit
fully. Cant we wait till then to be
friends?"
whats the use Of waiting? No one
will know. But If 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 and left the
room.
As she passed him DR.. 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 In the corridors and
met him only In the rooms Of patients.
There was nothing he could say to
her.
A man cannot apologize with words
for a wordless insult. and he cannot
by appealing, penitence expressing
looks affect moving. marble statue
that never sees him.
Christmas was near, and the nurses
were preparing for It Joe was po-
litely interested In the decorations Of
the ward, but he seemed unconscious
Of the reasons for them.
'Those are Christmas greens, joe"
said Miss Merton In answer to his in
quiry.
Joe looked puzzled.
Have you ever seen Christmas
green's before, JoeT
"No'm; l never seen Christmas
greens before"
But you know all about Christmas,
don't your
Nom; / didn't never know nothin'
ut all about that"
"Joe, have you never heard of Christ
masT
"No'm. No one never tole me about
Il neither.
Nor of Santa CLAUSE"
"No'm. Who's Santa Claus? No
body never tole me about Santa Claus"
"Have you heard Of Christ, dearr
Nom"
Nor of Godg'
Joe pondered. He believed he had
heard something about God.
In words simple enough for the child
to understand Miss Merton told him