The Brattleboro daily reformer. (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1913-1955, 1917-01-22
''CALAMIIT"
BY HENRY JAmlSON.

room where Elizabeth MattesOn was |
folding linen. She was the head nurse |
and Joe was the elevator boy. He |
showed her the Kittens injured paw |
and she stroked the mewing object |
Her brown eyes We're very
soft
"What can we do with her, Joe? I'm
sure the superintendent wouldn't allow
4 kitten in the ward"
But, nurse. the men would hide il
when the superintendent comes. See,
the poor little creature is trying to
play"
So it was that Miss Matteson's
scruples were overcome. The broken
paw was bandaged and Jim, the man
in the diet kitchen, made the kitten q
bed behind the range. Jim named heI
Calamity" and she grew and thriyed-
it was necessary to keep her out Of
view when the superintendent or her
assistant appeared in the corridor.
Calamity at once entered upon a Sc
ries of disasters that proved hei
worthy of her name. The first was heI
fall into the soup can. Fortunately il
was not scalding hot. The ward had
been served, but the men in the diet
kitchen had no soup that day.
Calamity presented such a tlattened
out appearance another time after
patient accidentally lay on her that
Pat, the garbage man, said on viewing
her: ''Begorry it's3a bicycle poomp she
do be nadin' to fill her out-ag' ill.," The
bathroom man failed to see her the
day she took a nap in 4 pile of Soi!ed
linen and she went down the clothes
chute The laundryman, however, re-
stored her to her anxious owners. Not
long afterWard she fell into the bath
tub which was half full of water. Arti-
fetal respiration was resorted to be
fore she was finally resuscitated
Some of the windows in the ward
duri a very warm spell they were
opened. The flies became troublesome
and when Miss Matteson applied for fly
paper she received instead a scathing
reprimand from the superintendent for
allowing the patients 70 open those
windows. Then the youngest inferno
suggested experimenting with rosin
and castor Oil They finally produced
sticky ly-paper that answered every
purpose. At any rate it took two days
TO remove all traces Of it from Calam-
ity after she rolled up in sheet Of it,
The man in the drugroom grumbled
over the amount Of alcohol required BY
the ward at that time. Whether it was
While they We're experimenting with
the mucilaginous dec0ction or while
Calamity was being treated TO alcohol
rgbs" that Cupid took hand. 1t is
certain that a love affair had its be
ginning about that time. Miss Matte
sons brown eyes took on dreamy ex-
preston and the youngest inferno
found ii necessary to visit his typhoid
cases many times q day.
4 patient was admitted one day
whose case puzzled all the physicians.
He lay in q stupor with a perfectly
normal temperature. but a rapid pulse
At times he could be aroused to an
swer questions, but oftener he remain
/ ed silent with closed eyes. There was
no trace Of any drug about him. He
was alone in 4 private room.
Going III the morning Of the third
/ day to take nourishment to him Miss
! MatteSon discovered him with wide
open eyes and as she approached the
bed he called out: Good morning
nurse" Then, noticing Calamity, who
was following her, he asked: is thai
! your kitten? VIII you put her here
beside me:"
AS the nurse turned to pick up Ca
lamity the man dealt her a blow thai
felled her to the floor. Then springins
from his bed he snatched up a wooden
/ tray and raised it over her head.
- At that moment Pats Irish terrier
who followed him about the hospital
appeared in theSeorridor and at sigh
f4of her enemy Calamity ran Gavin.
and splitting straight up the mailman,
back. He was clad in a single THU
garment and her claws brought tht
blood wherever they touched him. II,
was so startled that he dropped thu
| tray.
just then the youngest inferno ap
| peared on one of his numerous visits /,
the ward. He overpowered the Graz,
patient and, calling for help, soon has
him firmly tied.
Miss MatteSon lay like one dead UP
on the floor. When the other nurse,
arrived the youngest inferno was try
ing to revive her. For a week her life
was in danger.
1t was a day of rejoicing in tn,
ward when she was able TO reSum,
her duties. The superintendent hear
had melted sufficiently to allow til,
presence of Calamity in the ward an,
the latter greeted Miss Matteson witt
q huge red satin sash, which gave he
the appearance Of an animated piec,
Of millinery, this decoration of her
having been supplied by Jim and Joe