Only A Ribbon.

Manawatu Standard, Volume XI, Issue 1604, 9 January 1886, Page 2

Only A Ribbon.

i'-J In one of the London hospitals, about a year ago, an assistant surgeon" ' beparae interested m one of the jjatiefit^tfppprMchild of ten, Buffering \ from hip disease. She lay day afteV day m her little White dot, with nothing.* to occupy her thoughts but 1 her j'miu The young surgeon -tiaWi her one day trying to make a doll of her, linger, .playing with it and at last giving it up With a weary &igh; iforta ing to watch the sunlight creeping over her bed, as she had done for months. That- afternoon "'% fie doctor ; passing a shop, bought a long/ iO ft ' ribbon of an exquisite rose color^airft ! gaye. it to li*.tle .Katy. She wa* breathless with pleasuwy stnbothfea it put and held it up, scift and shining* m ih« sun, and looked at her 'frie^h 1 c<i»eectiles3 with tears of ecstacyif\ From that time she wag rich. The>* nurse toid the doctor » week later that; the child played with the ribb<»tt all day, twisted it about her heat£ playing that she was a biide, a j»ia. oess, a fairy ; held it m, her k»nd while she .slept, and laid it,'toetf % f paper under her pillow at night. It was'found necessary after* two months to perform a capital operation on the child, one which; if nnsucce&sfhl is fatali, It was done by one of the forornost surgeons m London. When, the poor lit tie sufferer was laid on the table, she cried for Dr $— -, 44 He is all the friend I__have»'* she sohlied. "Send for him." said the surgeon and the young assistant, blushing furiously, was brought m. W* held one of Katy 's hands ; the otherwas clenched tightly oyer a pink roll, which dropped from her grasp dv** ing the operation. When the effect of the ether passed, she opened' her ,eyoa and looked at Dr S ; ribbon," she wjiispewrf. Hej fgavoit to her f while the'snrgeonsand inmses stood gravely silent. The* operation had been unsuccessful, but little Katy smileil happily m the face of tier friend, and bugging the 1 fa Jed t.ifc of silk % f«M asleep ior ever. It was hiit; a .trifling gift, yet ;it ,h%d brightened the child's last days with thoughts of beauty and pleasure and toying kindness.