Montgomery County sentinel. [volume] (Rockville, Md.) 1855-1974, 1927-10-07
Fell in Love With
"The Bear"
By EDGAR T. MoNFoRT
(copyrightl

y ELLIS, Margaret, Miss, Nurse
James Walker Hospital; :" but to her as
sociates she was Sunshine" and Sun
shine she was from the top of her bur-
nlshed geld head down to her little
feet that seemed to fairly twinkle as
she hurried from one patients room
to another carrying comfort and cheer
to ALL To Sunshine they were fascinat-
lngly interesting, the old lady In 20 who
was SO gentle and patient and never
In too much pain TO say Thanks,
Miss; the grabbed old man In "a
who clustered and swore at the sight
OF hypodermic needle, then submit
ted as sweet as a lamb.
But the patient in 1911 They called
him The Bear.
His chart read "Wllson, John. Age
90. Architect. 400 General Building.
Admitted March 10. Appendicitis.
Peritonltis. Operated IL p. m" The
chart left out all the interesting hui
man things as most records Will do.
It did not say that Wilson, John, was
tall and dark and nervous and had
vile temper, nor was this tendency
diminished by his having spent six
whole weeks lying on one side while
the poison drained out of his system.
OF course, the doctors had told him
months before that he might find him.
self with ruptured appendix some
day, but he had so dreaded the opera
ton and the pain that he had pest
poned 1t until too late, thereby In
creasing his suffering thousand-fold,
Just as the doctors had croakingly pre-
dicted. When his bell rang the I'M
fortunate nurse answering 1t would go
into his room like Daniel entering the
lions den, saucy white cap peering
around the edge of the door, ready for
instant flight.
"Come inI" he would call irritably.
"You look as II you were scared to
death. l won't bite. I'm not rattle
snake Come in, do. For heavens
sake, come inP
Sunshine always got the difficult
cases because she could manage peo-
pie, so 1t was soon understood that
whenever possible she should answer
los bell. She was not afraid Of him,
so she would breeze into his room,
stand at the foot of his bed, salute,
smile at him and say, "Orders, Sir |"
Once in awhile she would actually
make him laugh. He was such a nice
thing If people only knew how to take
him, she thought, but they were al
ways antagonizlng him.
Then one morning when she went
in she found him with his head turned
to the wall, and his shoulders heaving
In quick sympathy she went over and
put gentle hand on his arm.
"Oh, Mr.. Wilson, what's the mat.
terT she asked. "Tell Sunshine"
For a long time he was silent, then
after a little more coaxing she finally
succeeded in getting him to talk.
81 know I've got a terrible temper,
but do try to hold 1t In. don't like
to be stunned by the nurses as II
were leper or something. l know
no one wlll-ever care for me because
do fly off all the time, but l don't
feel mean inside Every friendship
rye ever had I've lost by 1t because
people don't understand. The second
see them beginning to finch from
me II makes me furious and | say
things that I'd give my life to recall
moment later"
81 don't feel that way" said Sun.
shine. "Why you're nice. It's nerves
makes you so irritable. If you'd relax
when you begin to feel keyed up.
And that old appendix has
bedn worrying you. You're going to
be fine now, know IL; just start all
over again"
"You're little angel" he said
gratefully. 81 can't tell you how
much you mean to me. If--if-I were
to reform would yOu-do you thinkf
oh. I have no right to ask 1t. You
could marry anyone on earth. Some
wealthy chap with the disposition OF
a saint but | would try 30 hard to
improve With some one to care and
TO love me the fight would be so much
easier"
81 do love you" said Sunshine
flushing. "And what's a little temper
between friendsi"
"Do YOU mean IT." he asked quickly.
you're too wonderful J"
"Wonderful poohl" laughed Sun.
shine. "All the same I'm terribly glad
YOU feel that way about It."
When Doctor Morton, the hospital
dean, walked In few minutes later
he was amazed, dumfounded to see
bronze gold head almost hidden in The
Bears shoulder.
Good Lord. now Sunshlne's gone y
he muttered. "That makes three In a
month. I'm going to have to bar men
from entering this hospital"
OF course the news went all over
the building like wlldfre and by
1890 everybody knew that Sunshine
had at last fallen In love and OF all
the unexpected things, with The Bear !
"WhatIl you do when he gets
cross?' they asked In awe
81 Just won't get cross when he
doe. That's the only secret to manag-
ing an irritable person and, oh, girls,
he's so wonderful You don't know
how dear he is. / don't know how
ever lived before met him." she said.
her eyes wide with wonder.
"Ah ha," laughed DOrothea Max
ton. ncddlng her head sagely. 81
thought she always seemed awfully
willing to answer his bell. ! believe
this things been going on long time
Love certainly Is like lightning; you
never know when and where It's going
TO r' rh..