Ottumwa semi-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1916-1918, 1918-04-05

any of the other articles. This is the
way Of it:
You see, in the papers much is told
about the war. Every one wants to
hear about it. 1t was because the
father and mother and the little girl
were so interested to see what the
paper said each day about the war
that we tell this story. The mother
was busy at work knitting for the sol
diers, one evening, when the father
read aloud an article about the work
the Red Cross helpers had been doing
A bright idea came into the mothers
head like a flash. 1t came with such
strength that she said, "Oh!" without
meaning to say so at all, and this
made the little girl look up and ask
what it was she started to say, and
it made the father put down his paper
and say:
what were you about to say, my
dear?"
II did not mean to interrupt" said
the mother. "but 1t was just some
thing of which the article made me
think. 60 on reading, my dear"
The father went on reading. When
she got him alone she explained, you
may be sure, for 1t was thought
worth making him listen.
"You know, James, in three weeks
Elizabeth's birthday comes. While
you were reading that article about
the Red Cross work. such a fine idea
for present came into my head"
But when we both asked you what
sfo w 70 n.
swered that it was merely something
about the Red Cross. Now you say
it was about birthday present Ha,
ha, now I have caught you!"
ooh, no, you haven't" said the
mother. "This thing really was about
Red Cross work and the present as
you shall see. Listen to my scheme"
The father was good at listening.
He followed without saying word
till the mother had finished The he
did say something, and the something
was the very thing the mother wanted
him to say.
why, what a genius you are! I'll
make one If you think cant"
OF course he could make it or the
mother would not have told him he
could. That something was Red
Cross hospital. You see now she did
tell the truth when she said her SEN
tence she had started with an "Oh!"
that evening really was about Red
Cross work and it was about birth
day present too. The thing she want
ed the father to do was to make the
hospital-not real grown-up one, but
a doll-sized one for the little girl.
For many evenings the father spent
so much time out in the garage that
the little girl missed him at the fire
side and often wondered why father
did not come in sooner so they could
have longer visit before bedtime.
While the little girl was at school dur
ing the day the mother had many
duties in the morning room-the work
basket held things which were put out
of sight in hurry when the little
girls voice was heard in the house
after school hours.
Then came the birthday! Such a
fine day it happened to be. There was
to be party in the afternoon-a stay
to-supper one. After breakfast was
the beginning of the things which
were to happen that day. First Of all,
there was the reading Of the birthday
cards and letters the postman had
been busy bringing since the day be-
fore, and the opening Of small par
GELS which had arrived In his bag.
Then came the thing which the
mother and the father had been so
busy and so secret about for SO many
days and evenings-the Red Cross
Hospital itself! It stood in the play
room. The father had to be careful to
make it take its place there as quietly
as possible so that the little girl would
not know Of it. There it stood, its
little Red Cross flag waving in the
breeze from the open window, when
they opened the door after breakfast \
The father had surely made a sue
cess of his hours with the boxes and
the tools in the garage workshop, and
the mother had made success Of her
part of the work in the morning room
in her hours spent with her work-bas-
ket and with the cloth and other
things she had used. The Red Cross
Hospital was larger than the large
dollhouse. 1t was white, with a large
Red Cross painted on the roof and one
on the side. The little flag could be
raised and lowered with a cord and
pulleys. The whole Hospital could be
turned on it's large base, and the in
terror could be seen. q
At one side was an outside stairway
to the second story, and on the upper
landing sat a nurse spending a few
moments rest-time in the fresh air.
Inside, as Elizabeth found by turning
the huge thing gently on its base, was
the reception floor below. with desk
upon which was book labelled Hos
pital Book" Opening it, she found
the names Of the soldiers wounded at
the front somewhere in France" may
be, and upstairs. there they were in
hospital cots with nurses in uniform
over them, and taking their tempera
lures with tiny make-believe thermom-
tiers, bandaging their broken bone,
giving them medicines. and caring for
them as we'll as doll-nurses can care
for doll-soldiers. Tiny kahki uniforms
were hung carefully on tiny pegs, and
a l., ~, oIA tNv. nioH