The Waterbury Democrat., 1934-04-24

Just UkC Tn the 0Tehul.s ADO tHeH her little Nicky would stand on the table and sing 6 song--oh, such a song!-and al the guests would cheer In wonder. And she--ah, she would hide In tho darkest corner she could find and there. all alone, she would cry for habpiness.
 Only 1t couldn't come true. The good doctor in the free clinic had told mama q hundred times that Nicky would never sing - no, not even talk - because the paralysis whatever that was, had robbed him of speech forever.
 She had tried to reason with the doctor. while she clutched his arm tightly, that Nicky was a good boy and he was only nine years old. Why should he not taIk2 Please, Meester Doctor" she had begged, maybe you try for hcem-my. Nicky. Maybe you try do operation, eb?" And the doctor had pulled away his. arm gently, without answering.
 In mama's dream last night the three-room fiat had been ablaze with colored candles. The table in the front room" had been stacked high with stcaming meats and picklcd dishes and golden cakes and the good wine.
 People came from everywhere her good friends the Querrellas and the Dierros and even the Petrones, whom mama disliked-and Pietro, striding proudly among them, aD~ nounced that m unbelievable thing was about to happen. His Nicky--- who hadn't uttered 6 word in four whole years would entertain the company. Nicky would sing!
 MAMA WAS DICING
 ONIONS FOR SUPPER
 Mama was dicing the onions for last nights dream fioated through cry, but she didn't care. She felt like crying. anyhow She wept whenever she found herself alone and fell to breeding that God had given her only one child, and that this child's voice must be stilled forever.
 She went to the little bureau for q handkerchief. Her fingers. fumbling among the clean linens. encountered . square blue paste board. It was the card i. to the clinic. Glancing at 1t she was re- minded that this. if she chose to go. was day for blue card" pa- ticnts. There was still time for u visit. Perhaps If she told the good doctor how last night she had dreamed & very wonderful dream, and that Nicky sang for
 Without much further hesitation Mama sent about changing her dress and combing her hair. Out came her best shawl-the one she had knitted hersclf-and a lacc- bordcred handkerchief just to hold in her hand. She took the blue card and a large red apple and her keys. Not that she locked the door flor doors in Mamn's neighbor- hood were locked only during lor6; absences. On the street corner she found Nicky playing handball against a wooden fence with c group of boys of his own size. In the shouts of argument and merriment his voice was strangely lacking. Unable to laugh, his face wore a fixed sober expression.
 Mama called him aside to give him the apple and told him that she would be gone for an hour. He nodded in understanding. Then she turned and crossed the wide ave- nuc, going brazcnly against the traffic lights which were nothing more than pretty decorations to Mama CarZello.
 White haired D Blake. who charged record d-breaking fees in his Park Avenue office and terri fled his wealthy patients with his frown, greeted Mama with the smile of an old friend.
 "IIow's our little boy to-day. Mama?" he asked. "Is he eating the kind of food l toldsyou to give him 2"
 Mama sighed. "Ah, my good fricn'. |. never toucha teeng. E eatn holdings. Ect break my 'eart to see 'ow skinny e grows"