The Washington times., 1918-04-28
To My Sweetheart
SOLDIER
Every Girl Should Read
These Wonderful
Letters.
Sweetheart:

Sweetheart:
We have had perfect orEie OF
vaccination in our town. Your
wife's arm is done up in a bandage,
our mothers are knitting with Ell
bows at right angles. and the min.
ister's whole family is writhing in
various degrees OF pain. The min
lister, I know, thinks that Jobs
boil was a inter OF airy persifiaEe,
compared TO the uprising on his
own forearm. II anybody has
smallpox in this village Il won't be
because he or she was not wac
cinated, for the doctor certainly
made u a wholesale affair. / am
perfectly sure, that in his en-
enthusiasm he vaccinated some OF
~ twice. II all came about through
a tramp who chose our village
street for the display OF various
colored balIoonsN and toys OF me-
chanical device. The ministers
twelve" caught sight Of him as he
was on the edge OF the town, and
they fastened themselves TO his
arms and legs, and escorted him
with inveterate Joy through the
peaceful thoroughfare. When the
doctor came along in his Ford
they were sitting on the curb--the
tramp winding up a mechanical
mouse and the children festooned
around and about him. The doe
tors gaze was arrested by the
mans face, which was red, or pur-
pie, OF whatever color smallpox Is.
and he got out Of his Ford and
made an examination which re-
suited in the tramp's going to the
pest house and the children going
home, all twelve OF them together
in the redOubtable FOrd'l Then ]
was sent for, and such a holding
of arms and legs as 1 had after
that. The children were much Drawer
when they had diphtheTia than when
they were being vaccinated. II was
almost deafening to hear them
scream. One OF the littlest ones
looked up at-me as held her arm
tight while the doctor scratched
and said between her sobs: rs
you a Red Crosser? II you Is. ]
don't like you, and ! amt never
goin' to give no more pennies TO
the Red Cross" I had to stay all
night couldn't leave the poor
little minister's wife with all that
bedlam. And besides, she had TO
pay all her attention to the minis
ter. He required tea and buttered
toast every fifteen or twenty
minutes, in order to quiet his nerves
after the operation.
was at my wits end to know
how to paeify the frightened chill
dren. There would be a lull for
~ moment. and then one Of the
twelve would start in afresh, and
the other eleven would Immediately
swell the chorus. At last I thought
OF a fine expedient: I made a sling
for each little wounded arm, and
told them they must make belieTo
they were soldiers, wounded in bait
tie. And they must be very brave.
because soldiers never cry out or
complain when they are wounded
And, OH beloved, the challenge
entered their little hearts-life's
universal challenge-and in the
twinklinE OF an eye, I had a hos
pital full OF the bravest little SOL
diers you ever saw. / am going
to suggest to the ministers wife
that she use the same tactics with
her patient. for l hear a tremendous
grooming in the next room:
Behold how great a fire a little
matter kindleth:" Beloved. who
cal mouse. could turn a perfectly
peaceful community into a seething
hotbed OF vaccination! Mine 10
taking" beautifully. I can watch
through the little Using slass Bag
window that the doctor put ever il.
The tramp is getting on well. and
will live TO wind up his mouse for
the amazement OF many more chill
dren, only I hope not with such
dire results. This rest and freedom
from the sordid cares OF existence.
Is causing him to feel that small
poN Is a special boon. reserved by
a discriminating Providence for
those especially deserving
Goodnight my own Beloved. The
doctor assures me l am not send
ing you smallpox in this letter.
but what ] do send, is love-mors
than you can ask, or ever think.
YOUR WIFE.