The Washington times., 1938-03-15


the New York which was so gay
and glamorouS to a couple Of pen
nilesS kids. Grim reality stalks
among the people. Poverty is the
order of the day. They have so
little.
SAVE HIM
A neighboring couple, hearing !
was home, came in to see me yes
terday. They carried their year-old
baby wrapped against the cold in
many layers of shawls. A hand
some little fellow. they set him on
the floor to play.
Nobody knows how it happened,
But suddenly he screamed with
pain. His body stiffened. his face
grew purple. =,
Hes swallowed a safety pin," /"
his mother cried, "the large one
from his shawl"
Then all of them-my mother
and father, the child's parents
began to implore: .
do something for him. can't
you?"
You're a doctor. You can help
him" They didn't stop to think
I'm not a full.fledged doctor.
Save him, save him." from the
anguished mother; For Gods
sake, Chan" from his father. who
went to school with me.
None of the ordinary methods
proved availing. The pin was
open, deeply imbedded in the
child's throat. He had only one
chance-myself. I who had not
stood on my feet for two years.
whose fingers never had the
chance to acquire delicate skill.
OPERATES
The baby's face turned from
purple to black.
"Chan, if you don't do some:
thing, he'll die. He's dying now"
Scarcely cognizant of how !
moved, I opened my bag, took out
a few instruments. Quickly l
sterilized them with boiling water
from the tea kettle on the Atchen
range. ,.
There was nothing to do but
cut. .
A little hystericsl scream from
the mother as made the incislon
and I thought I should be un'
nerved. Then something nap
pened.
other man, caught in the wave OF
some lofty, sustaining rhytnm;;
projected into an infinity I had
felt only once before IN my ne
perfect calm came over me.
Everything around me save tne
work in hand was shut out.
once I had seen the great E-
kins when he performed a golrre
operation. NOW, clearly u .
though it were an hour ago, every
movement of those magic hands
came back to me. My nerves
cainned, my fingers steadied. 1
was not an inept young inferno.
bedridden for two years. l
worked with q calm surenesS,
watched the baby's breathing. 1elC
the instant rela xation as Grew
the hard metal from his resistant
flesh. ood
the little relaxed body lay sa1eiy
upon an improvised bed, I became
mvself again, the same person
who walked off the dance floor
with YOU that night and whom
the applause made self-conSclouS.
FOREVER AND EVER
But now I can answer your ques-
ton It wasn't unworthy, Halle:
The exaltation I felt as I worked
with that baby's life in my hanoS'
the thing that charged weak
fingers with sureness and strength,
was the exact counterpart OF
something 1 had felt only once
before, that night when on the
dance floor we put on q perform
ance we didn't know was in us.
So you had no cause to worry
that starlit summers night. Be
cause we thrilled to a mighty
rhythm when we played. I know
now that different aspects Of that
rhythm will come to me always at
unexpected moments. When I
work, when I play-if I ever do
again.
shall always call it You.
It is with me now. feel you
beside me. Your laughter, your
shining eyes. You are here with
me now in the dark of this little
mountain room. You know all
about it, you know exactly what
happened. You are part Of my
rhythm, am part Of yours, For
ever and ever. Halle, Halle"
THIYRS RSNYN