The Washington times., 1925-04-11

music to his ears.
In the first place.. It should be
explained that contrary to popular
belief. his nurse is neither blonde
nor brunette Nor boyish bob. II
is natural to imagine that g sex
tette of pink checked Red Cross
beauties are tip toeing around the
suit of his royal higness the home
run king, but to quote the king
himself, here are the sad facts:-
81 might have known 1t. | always
draw q bald headed nurse. But
anyway like him.
At the. risk of further disillugion-
ing his world Of admirers, It should
be reported that the pajamas re-
ferred to above, far from being
satin trimmed with kingly ernine,
are the good old American brand
home spun flannel. And terrible
as it may seem, they were borrowed,
Just as Babe complained, although
the royal and official pajamas.
larger by several arms lengths, have
since made their appearance.
When Babe was told 1t looked
like the waiting public wasn't go
ing to get one of his stories this
week he asked Indignantly:
"What's the idea-don't you
figure / can think lying DOWN.?
Once assured Of the writer's
confidence in his ability to think
i'm any posture, the Babe COM
tinuel: "AH I got to say is, It's
the first opening game ever
missed" Then, quickly, And
haven't missed this one yet.
"I know the Doc is trying to
throw the big scare into me and
I'm not going to break any hos
pital rules. But between now and
TUESDAY I'm laying off beef steaks
and such kind Of things and figure
the Doc will weaken, before the
game starts. Four days is a long
time away when you figure how
many pills you got to take.
Wear a uniform? That's SOD =
thing else again. You see, even
after / sell Doc the idea Of getting
out of here, then / got to sell Hug
the idea of getting into uniform.
And in a case like this, a doctor
and baseball manager work to-
gether as slick as Harris and
Peckinpaugh around second base.
"a couple Of years ago Judge
Lands had me on the sidelines on
opening day and couldn't play,
but at least / was among those
present. And, barring rain or an
eclipse, / think the Doc will let me
go up there Tuesday afternoon.
But that doesn't mean you can
play interrupted the nurse, who
had been trying to give his patient
a pill for nearly ten minutes.
az know it DON'T" replied Babe,
"But once / get as far as the
stadium the rest is up to Hug.
and he needs every ball game this
year. Don't kid yourself on that
Anyway, you got to admit SUM-
shine is the greatest cure in the
world for anybody who's had the
flu. That's what I'm going to
pull on the doe"
Babe doesn't exactly agree with
the claim that throwing off weight
has put him on the sick list.
''I'd have been alright If hadn't
my head in the train.
that's what put me in the hospital,
the Babe insists. ''How about
Helen?' he inquired. pointing to the
trim and fashionable figure Of Mrs.
George Herman Ruth sitting along
side his bed.
"She's been reducing this winter.
but it didn't get her any ride in
an ambulance Mrs. Ruth admit
ted that a few pounds have disap-
peared by means of careful diet, but
she denied the remark about the
maybe you think I didn't have
a ride in an ambulance" she said.
while you were lying back there
on the stretcher I was hanging on
for dear life in the front seat with
the driver. Excuse me from
another ride like that"
This was no attempt at comedy.
The trip from Pennsylvania station
to st. Vincent's Hospital was no
joy ride. In fact Mrs. Ruth had
been warned against the dangers
of attempting it.
she replied and climbed up to the
seat And there she chung just
as she has always chung to the big
fellow now lying in the hospital.
No one but Babe himself could tell
how she has chung to him in every
illness, every crisis, every dis
of his amazing career.
And no one knows as well as he
and a few intimate friends the part
that she has played in his success
on and off the diamond.
As the big fellow lay uncOn-
sciOus Thursday afternoon doc
tors worked over him with wOr-
ried faces. His eyes stared like
balls of glass. Ed Barrow Of the
Yankees spoke to him in vain.
Rube Marquar1, famous pitcher
and OId-time friend, leaned over
and spoke q kindly word but got
no answer. Others did likewise
but Babe recognized no one.
Finally Mrs. Ruth, trembling and
weeping, touched his forehead. 1t
worked like magic. 1t was the
touch of love and the response
was immediate.
"Helen," the big fellow sighed.
"Helen." he repeated over and over
Even his unconscious mind told him
Helen was near. as she has always
heen when he needed her most.
The papers were brought into
the sick room and Babe turned to
the sporting pages. First delighted
at another victory for the Yankees