Willmar tribune. [volume] (Willmar, Minn.) 1895-1931, 1916-12-13
What a Ragamu&n
Did on Christ
mas Morning
BY F. A. Mitchell

II By F. A. Mitchell Il
DR.. TourniQuet, the famous surgeon.
was sitting before his desk on Christ
mas morning looking over his &C.
counts, though his principal work was
making up his bank account. When
the door was opened a little ragged
boy entered.
How did you get in here?" asked
the doctor.
1.-The door was open and l walked
into the house. Then opened the
next came to-
"Well, what do you want?"
Me mudder is next door to dyin'.
Ne ladder sent me for a doctor. l
seen the sign and came in"
The doctor pushed aside the pile Of
checks before him and. swinging
around in his chair, said:
"Your father didn't tell you to come
to me?"
mo, sir. He said to 60 to any doc
tor could find that would come. I've
been to three before yous. They axed
me If had any money to pay, and
when said no they showed me out"
The doctor continued to gaze at the
boy meditatively, then took up phone
transmitter and ordered his car brought
to the door. Telling the boy to come
along" he got into the car and directed
his chauffeur to drive to the address
the child gave. He found wretched
home, wretched on account Of poverty,
on account Of the woman being i'll, but
especially wretched to the doctor,
whose patients usually lived In luxurA
GUS homes. He pictured houses he had
visited the day before and the prepa-
rations for Christmas he had seen
The woman was In state Of COL
lapse, but little treatment brought re-
lief, and she was told that her trouble
would disappear and was not likely to
return, though the doctor left some
medicine for her to take. This done,
he took up his cases and was going out
when the boy stepped up to him and.
holding out a handful Of coppers and
nickels, said:
"Here's yer pay, doctor-me savin's
for Christmas. reckon I'll have to
let Christmas go till next time"
Again the prosperous man looked at
the ragged boy. What was the doctor
thinking Of? Was he picturing chill
dren Of his clients who were loaded
down with gifts on that Christmas
morning, denied nothing, while this
poor boy was handing him his savings
for that anniversary which children
love best? Did he take In his minds
eye the pile of checks he had left on
his rosewood desk in his office? Did it
occur to him that he was going back
to his home to finish getting ready
those checks to send to the bank in the
morning, to dine sumptuously, leaving
this family without morsel Of Christ
mas comfort?
Diving into his pocket, the doctor
brought out roll Of bills and without
counting them said to the invalid, her
husband and their boy:
"Why it is that l am given so much
and you SO little is one Of the great
mysteries Of the world. Take this, ~
handing the boy the roll, land buy
whatever you need for your mother,
your father and yourself. Remember
this is Christmas morning. It's late to
provide, but do the best you can"
"Oh, DOCTOR" exclaimed the sick wo-
man, chow good you arev'
"Good! Don't call me good. You
don't know me. I'm selfish and mean.
live on the top wave of prosperity.
visit only those who are prosperous
as myself. I'm not called on by the
poor. l am considered too high and
mighty. Had not some one left my
front door ajar your boy would not
have effected an entrance to my re-
splendent presence. Had he rung the
bell my butler would have turned him
away"
I'VE must all take care of ourselves,
DOCTOR" said the man. III we don't
nobody will take care of u.s."
"Some of US who have more than
we need are In duty bound to take
care of those who are suffering. I
take care of no one."
But you are kind and generous with
your children, DOCTOR"
what credit Is that? once shot q
bears cub. The mother bear showed
as much grief at the death Of her off,
spring as I ever saw in any woman,
and 1 have seen hundreds Of parents
at the deathbeds Of their children"
But you have begun to be good to
the poor this Christmas day and
wilp'-
The doctor turned away and went
out without hearing what he would do
in future. He knew he would do moth
ing. He believed it was his duty to
do that which he and the world con-
sidered practicable. Suppose from that
moment he should devote his time
to those who could pay nothing fol-
his services. Where would he be by