Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1914-12-21
CHILD PATIENTS IN
HOSPITAL EAGERLY
WATCH FOR SANTA
Little Invalids, on Verge Of
Operations, Anxiously y
Awaiting Coming of Kris.
He Will Come, Too.

Christmas fails on Friday, and Friday
is operating day In the children's ward
at the Pennsylvania Hospital.
This means that unless tight rule is
abrogated many little Riddles, instead of
enjoying their Christmas In normal
way. blowing tin horns, running the
''ohoo-ohoo" cars all over the house and
stufing their little tummies cramful Of
Christmas goodles-as little Riddles were
made to do on this wonderful day-will
be wrapped UP in blankets, wheeled away
on q truck to a formidable looking oper-
ating room with only tho doctor man
with his shiny steel instruments for
Santa Claus.
However. according to the hospital
authorities. the rule will In a small meas
ure be departed from, and no operations
are to be performed that are not abso-
lutely necessary.
In the meantime, lying in their white
cribs, some OF them peeping implshly
through the bars like pale-faced wan
little monkeys, are a score or more pa
tlents who are looking forward to the
coming of Kris just as though there were
no such things in all the world as curved
spines, twisted hips. or lungs that won't
breathe right.
HOW LITTLE ONES FEEL
Ask Nazarine Bordlna, for instance
how he feels and hear what he has to
reply:
"oh. feel alright say. how long is 1t
off before SANITY will be here?'
Despite his Italian name, Nazartne ls
as fair as a fossy-halred cherub, with
eyes just as blue He is very. very i'll.
The doctors call It "empymta pleur-
otomy," but all Nazarine knows about II
Is that he has drain pipe In his lungs
which makes him want to lie down all
the time and never sit up like little Fan
ME Shapiro across the way. She occa-
sionally stands straight UP In her crib
and has sufficient energy to cry out loud
when something hurts her, which Nazarine
hasn't.
Fannie's eyes sparkle brightly at the
mention of Christmas and although she Is
only two years old, it is plain to see that
she and a mysterious st. Nick are al
ready on intimate terms of friendship. No
amount of painful scraping of the little
bones in her neck Is sufficient to make
her forget that st. Nick is due in less
than week and will come into the ward
a.
the point jollier gift for each and every
tot confined there.
A REAL SANTA CLAUS.
Christmas is really big event in tho
ohildren's ward at this hospital A real
Santa Claus in the person of DR.. Thomas
L. Harris goes to all sorts of trouble to
preserve the illusions OF his youthful pa
tients Last year he crRwled down an
aperture i'm the ceiling, which serves az
a yentllator for the other 364 days in the
year and the squeals of smothered de-
light and ecstasy which the children let
forth as they saw him coming resounded
throughout the corridors and penetrated
the other wards, so that the grown-up5
there enjoyed their Christmas Vicariously
through the happiness of the youngsters,
This year Santa is planning to be
wheeled into the room on huge hospital
truck surrounded by all his treasures. to
be distributed at every cot. Already many
of the rich friends of the hospital are
beginning to send In contributions to pro-
vide these treasures.
A pathetic little incident which shows
just how much these festivities mean to
the poor little unfortunates is that OF the
boy who came to the hospital the other
day. Last year he was a patient and had
such good time that this year he wanted
20 know II he couldn't come to the hos
p4tal Christmas "and bring his little
brother along who ain't never seen Santa
Claus and can't get sick enough to be
taken in.' PHESi
He was told. of course. to come. little
brother and all.