Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1926-08-16
downright. 1925. in United States ant
Great Britain. by North American News
paper Alliance. All rights reserved.)
1X.-The First Beau"

WHILE / was COnValeSClHS
from the operation In
wv John Seley Hospital, Gal
weston. Tex. Elizabeth's
daily letters kept me In
formed as to just how she was pro-
crossing in the role Of an independ-
ant young lady, living in the Y. w.
O. A. hotel in Beaumont. Away from
her super self-conf1dence in her six
Sear-oId grown-upneSS, / worried my
self into a fever the first few days.
but her letters quickly put all my
fears TO rest.
quote from one Of her terse
epistles. written about two weeks
after | had left her to shift for her
self:
Darling Mother: 7 received the
candy you sent me by your nurse:
7 took it to school and we all had
some for dessert at lunch time. l
had two pieces. It was delicious.
THANK YOU a thousand million times.
am fine. Don't worry about me
another minute I sent my blue
serge MILDLY suit to the cleaner, and
it will be back Saturday. Mrs. Cur
lev calls me every morning at half
mast seven. She is very good to me;
so are all the girls. Theresa gave
me some flowers yesterday that Tom
had sent her She doesn't IKE ION
very well any more.
ct made A average on my card.
Mrs. Curley signed it for me. l am
reading a. book called, Myths Of
Greece and Rome 1t is aWfully
thrilling.
please don't worry about my
meals. [ don't eat anything you
have told me not to, and l eat lots
0f green vegetables and fruit. L
have cocoa for breakfast and a big
glass of milk for lunch and supper.
I feel fine.
Good by, darling Get we'll as soon
as you can and come home to your
baby. oh, Mother, | miss you so! L
love you. ] love you. / love you.
Your baby, Elizabeth.
A Six-year-old Nurse.
There did not really seem to be
much to worry about, SO | turned my
attention to the serious business or
getting well. When | returned to
Beaumont, after six weeks in the hos.
pital. | found Elizabeth in her usual
blooming health, her clothes in good
order. except for missing button or
two, her standing at school as nigh
as ever, and the entire Y. w. c. A.
singing her praises. Mrs. Curley,
the matron, said she had given no
trouble at all, and that if all her
rrown-up girls were as well able to
take care of themselves, life would
be much plea santer for her as ma
tron.
Elizabeth appointed herself as
nurse to me, bringing me up trays
from the cafeteria, keeping the
room in order. and mothering me as
if / were the baby and she the
mother. It was lucky for both Of
us that she had SO early in life
learned to take complete care OF
herself, for my health. undermined
by too hard work since T was fifteen.
a. tropical intestinal trouble l had
contracted in Mexico when / was q
child and which I could not over
come, and a too-high-powered nerV-
GUS system, continued to be extreme
lY uncertain.
Perhaps I should say that it was
fairly certain to be bad for the next
few years. During that first year Of
our residence in Beaumont was in
the hospital three times, a total OF
eighteen weeks.
During all those Is weeks Eliza
beth roomed at the Y. w. G. A, TAX
ing care of herself without help or
supervision, other than that of the
matron, who called her at the rising
hour and took care of her money for
her.
If the child suffered any i'll effects
from having responsibilities and in
dependence thrust upon her at the
age of s, could not see them. Her
health continued to be perfect, she
retained that joyous disposition which
earned her the nickname of the Joy
girl" and she continued to lead her
classes at school.
Suffers Dangerous Accident.
1t was Just at Christmas time. ID
months after we arrived in Beau
mont and when Elizabeth was years
and months old, that terrible dis
aSter almost wiped out the life that
had begun so auspiciously.
She had bruised a big toe and the
nail was gradually coming off. Be.
cause Of the slight soreness she was
wearing a tennis shoe on the right
foot, a fact which my doctor noticed
when he saw us on the main street
one day busily and happily engaged
in Christmas shopping.
Bring her up to my office and III
lift the toenail out for her. No opera
ton at all. Oh. don't be alarmed.
Nothing to worry about. But she
might catch cold wearing a tennis
shoe in the Wintertime.'
Three days after the no operation
ut all" Elizabeth was taken in an am
bulance to the hospital her foot and
beg infected with erysipelas, direct