Belington progressive. [volume] (Belington, W. Va.) 1912-1927, 1923-06-07
Flowers Were
for Jim
By JANE OSBORN

Ever siylce Jim had arrived at the
hospital, weather-beauen. tanned and
much In need of shave, and incl
dentally with wrenched knee that
had to go In plaster cast and o dis
located shoulder, he had been the fav-
orite of the mems ward. If he mad
been a little boy instead Of six foot
OF rugged. honest manhood he would
have gone in the children's ward and
been known as nurses pet"
No one knew much about "Jim."
Obviously q man who earned his Nv
ing with his muscle, he had been
brought in one night In forlorn con-
dition by DR.. Robinson, who had said
that the man had no friends in town
and might not be able to pay his bills
for several weeks. He showed no
more than a professional interest In
the case.
He had been duly scrubbed and
brushed and shaved and was quite a
different looking individual as he lay
there In his plaster casts, but much Of
the tan fingered and sort of hardy
roughness that made him look de-
cidedly out OF place in hospital bed.
Right from the first Jim" had be-
come favorite, and tho mems ward
seemed to be brighter place because
OF his presence.
ut will seem queer when he's all
better and up and dressed" said a
nurse to one Of her companions sit
ting at the desk where she had been
making up charts. We've all treated
him like nice big boy-and that's
just what he seems to be. Perhaps
we've petted him a bit too much. bring
ing him funny papers and puzzles just
as II he was child"
zone often does get jolt when .
patient RECEIVERS, and stands up all
dressed" said the second nurse. IT'S
funny about Jim 1t isn't that he
makes an effort to be jolly. 1t just
seems to be his personality"
Everybody likes him." said the
other. Even DR.. Martha Yates, who
Is usually so dreadfully professional
In the mems ward, stops and jollies
him. She treats him as II he was one
of the youngsters In the children's
ward-brings him little games and
things. pats him on the shoulder when
she passes and calls him Jim Just
the way we all do"
IT was true that DIR. Martha Yates
usual attitude when she made her
rounds--save In the children's ward
was exaggeratedly professional. Per-
haps this formallty was necessary to
Offset little too much youth and a
little too much prettiness. Martha had
taken her career as sort of legacy
from her father. At his death his
work seemed SO far from completion
that Martha felt It was her duty to
turn from dances and country club
activities, from thought Of an early
marriage perhaps any marriage at all
Ito take her medical training.
Every day in her work, however, she
had little reminders Of her fathers
skill and large-heartedness that made
1t all seem worth while. Els old
patients were forever telling her Of
incidents In his career showing gen.
crosby and fortitude that she had per-
haps never fully appreciated during
his lifetime.
And today 1t was the florist. She
had stopped at his shop to buy half
dozen jonquils for her Office desk, and
the proprietor Of the florist shop had
stopped his work In his greenhouse to
tell of the devotion her father had
shown during the Illness Of his chill
dren, many years ago. when he was
struggling along hardly making both
ends meet In his nursery business. And
DR.. Yates had refused to send any
bill. and even when the florist had
prospered. the doctor had never &C
cepted any back payment for the
years Of service that he had done.
Perhaps ought to have insisted
more,' said the florist. But now ]
am going to Insist on this one thing !:
Whenever you want any flowers you
come in here and pick out just what
you want and they will be yours. Get
them as often as you like. You just
know people who want them. Now.
for instance, we are having an extra
big yield Of roses-don't know why.
but they seem to be coming to flower
a little sooner than we expected. Sup
pose you let me send you FIVE or six
dozen. / could sell them cheap, but
I'd rather you'd take them. II you
don't want them yourself perhaps you
know some one that does"
DR.. Martha Yates thought for a
moment. She said she would take
them with her to the hospital. She'd
leave two dozen in the children's and
two dozen In the women's ward and
another dozen she would give to Jim.
She remembered that Jim had been
especially delighted with single rose
that she had left at his bedside the
day before and had been fondling 1t
that very morning faded and dried as
II was. Surely, he must be very fond
Of roses, and probably in all his life
he had never been able to buy doz-.
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