Abilene weekly reflector., 1922-11-23

A
strangely affiliates infancy and ex-
treme age. On the day when she
| was seven months old she was nc
larger than on the day she was born.
Nurse Becomes Interested
II was when she was seven
months old that the El Paso county
authorities found her and took ner 10
Beth FL hospital, the sickest baby In
Colorado Springs. There she was
given over to the care Of Elva Wal
lace, the nurse In charge Of the chill
dren's ward. The minute Miss Wal
lace took the wee bundle OF bones In
her arms she loved it. From that
day on she devoted every spare NOM
ent of her time to Dorothy and many
of the hours when she was relieved
/ from duty were spent over the little
crib, fairly willing the child back to
life. Every day Dorothy responded
more and more to perfect nursing
until the bones began to disappear
and the color flicker In her cheeks.
! Then. dreadful thing. happened.
She developed double mastoids, one
behind each ear. There was moth
ing to do hut operate. The little head
was drawn back so tightly that 1t
seemed as IL the throat must snap,
and because Of the long months OF
|.her ill-nOurished existence she had
so little resistance that the doctors
said she could not live even IL they
operated
Outside the operating door that
morning were three people. Two were
the father and the mother. The
mother cared not at all, even when
the white clad surgeon came out and
gravely told her that her baby could
not live. The father was little less
Indifferent. The third was the nurse.
Schooled as she was in the ways OF
life and death her stOicism failed
when she heard the verdict. All dur
ing the operation she waited silently,
only the tenseness Of her face and
her tightly clenched hands through
which the knOckles showed white be-
traying her emotion.
Finally they brought the still form
back to its white bed. 1t was
breathing, but once more the doctors
said there was no hope.
Watched 4S Hours
For two days and two nights the
nurse hung over her patient. There
was no giving Of spare moments
now, or off hours when she could
have been relieved from duty. She
never left the bed, except in behalf
Iof her charge. Two long days and
two long nights she waited, never
for a moment allowing herself to
think that her precious charge could
not live. Some of that indOmitable
will must have instilled itself into
the mind Of the child, for in spite
Of the slender thread by which its
life hung, in spite Of operation, of
months tof undernOurishment and
cruel bodily neglect,h she clung to
the world that had so lily used her
with determination Ehat was super
human.
Dorothy is eight months old now.
She is plump and rosy and her blue
eyes are bright as stars, constantly
watching Miss Wallace as she at
tends TO her duties. Her little soft
hands delight to pat the face OF the
nurse who has taught her what love
is. She laughs soft, cooling laugh
Just like other babies who are loved.
She is as pretty as any baby that
ever was born.
Strangest of all, 3her boy father
atas come to love her. He calls to
see her often and is becoming anx-
ious to take her home again. 1t will
be only on parole though, that Dor
othy will be allowed to go home,
months and months from now.
The mother? Well--she is only
16 years old, you know.