HERBIE.

Waikato Argus, Volume VI, Issue 414, 25 March 1899, Page 1 (Supplement)

HERBIE.

It was the slack season at the hospital ; typhoid fever was over, and winter ailments were not yet colv ing in. The ward-floor gleamed in the bright sunshine, and Nurse Hester feeling that all had been polished that could be polished, stood gazing at Herbie. .Such an atom he looked in his high-sided cot. 'You are decidedly smaller now the dirt is off,' said nurse ; ' but really better looking. Kiss me !' and she bent over her cot. Herbie vanished under the bedclothes. No matter how quietly sho approached the cot at any time after that Herbie drew his head under cover as soon as he sighted her, After many rebuffs-, nurse sat down beside the cot, to consider the situation. 'Home training; his mother slapped him whenever he noted her, he dodged her, and is, I suppose, dodging still.' She took out her knitting. The red ball rolled about in her lap, and the bright steel needles clicked continously. Presently two eyes gleamed out, then the shoek head followed, and curiosity conquering, Herbie leant over, gazing at the wonderful needles and the brightred ball. Black locks tumbled over the white face, and the full-lidded, long-lashed eyes were sad and old looking. Nurse up and kissed him ; and Herbie disappeared in great confusion. ' I don't believe he's ever been kissed,' she said to the night nurae. ' I'm going to teach him something before he goes.' As Herbie began to get well, he became absorbed in his nurse, and field up his moist little lips to be kissed evcrytime sho passed. The practice was sometimes a little aggravating, when work was at

high pressure, but Hester was patient, and compromised by kissing into the air as she hurried by, a salute that Herbie returned with vigour from his pillow. At length the day arrived when he was ordered to get up. When he entered the hospital nurse had gingerly undressed him consigning everything that he wore to the washtub, even his faded red plush frock. The clothes were still in the region of tho wash. Nurse and the matron selected a wardrobe for Herbie from the hospital stores. Everything was hopelessly large, and nurse laughed till tho tears came over the calico pantaloons,

! falling to the ankles, the queer ; wincey frock, and the red shawl tied firmly round his thin shoulders, ' An old maid's baby,' tho matron called him, but Herbie was delighted and kissed matron, nurse, and the air indiscriminately, for had he not on the red cap that nurse's neddle<* had knitted, as she angled for his affections 1 Now that he was up and about nurse felt pangs of jealousy. He became everybody's baby, and kissed the doctor, nurses, patients, and Salvation Army lasses. All day long he chirruped in bird-like tones. What he meant no one knew except nurse; sho was his interpreter, and never vexed his baby heart by misunderstanding him. It was visiting day, and Herbie was in his element receiving homage and kisses, nurse was .in the passage directing nervous husb«»'.ls ai.it brothers to the bedsides of the patients they had come to see. A stcut woman creaked slowly up the stairs and stood waiting for nurse's attention. 1 Erbertonery Goring, I want, miss; I'm his nia.' Nurse ran over in her mind all the foreign nanus in the ward. ' He's a handful is Erbie, but we have all our crosses, and I've driven ten miles to see him.' 'Oh, Herbie, is it?' said nurse; • there he is.' Herbie was sitting with his back to the door, arranging his train for a run down the ward, and blowing kisses to the matron, whose bed was beside him.

"Ullo 'Erobie,' said Mrs Goring, hearing down. Herbie gbuiced up, dropped his train, and dived under the matron's bed as swiftly as a rabbit into a warren.

' You may laugh,' said Hester to the night nurse that evening, ' but it wasn't at all funny to me, to see Herbie skimming along the floor under tho beds, and " his mother panting after him. The whole ward got hysterical, and I could do nothing but order the woman out. It won't be at all amusing, when the child has to go home.' In time, Herbie was well enough to go. Nurse wore her worst frown as she buttoned him into' the shrunken plush frock. The parting was even worse than she feared. Mrs Goring gave nurse and the institution a " pieco of her mind," as Herbie fought and rent the air with protestations. The disturbance was so alarming that it brought the doctor bouncing out of his room. He listened to no explanations, but waved Mrs Goring clown the steps. She was forced to pick up Herbie and carry him to her spring-cart, a struggling bundle of white legs, Mack hair, and faded plush. Hester was glad to sleep when

bedtime came, but it seemed only a moment after she had closed her eyes that the night nurse was calling her. ' I've had a horrid time, and that child cried all night for you.' ' What child ?' said nurse, sitting up. ' Herbie. Ob, I forgot you were o 5 when they brought him back. His mo'.her upset the cart or he jumped out or something. It's touch and go with him, and he's been calling all the time for you. I do wish you wouldn't spoil your children.' A screen ran round Herbie's bed; in the dim light his small face framed in the dark hair showed marble like. The ward was very still; outside life was stirring in the town. An engine was doing some shunting in the station-yards, wheels rumbled in the distance, and a newsboy whistled lustily as he passed. Inside Herbie whimpered. His cry stopped as Hester came round the screpn, his eyelids lifted, and he liughed, the tears shining in his lashes, and his mouth pouting for a kiss. Herbie improved from that hour, and soon he was about, happier than ever, chatting in his strange language or blowing kisses to Hester and the matron. Nurse dreaded a visit from Mrs Goring, and the patients amused themselves predicting what would happen this time when Herbie had to go home. One morning a note arrived addressed to the " Hospital." It was from Mrs Coring:—"Them as put my Herbert against his parent bettor keep him being a wider and can'; pay my way I won't refuse good offer bekaus of incumbrance the little boss miss better keep im for teaching im to turn up bis nose at his lorful ma.'

The Chinese Minister at Washington has found a novel use tor his bathroom, according to a correspondent of the Chicrgo Tribune. One should rather say bathrooms, inasmuch as the palatial dwelling now occupied by the representative of the sou of Heaven m the United State:) lias four ot these important adjuncts to civilised existence. They are everyone of them bmitilully tiled and provided with porcelain tubs and wash basins to match. But the extreme Oriental idea of the purpose of a bathroom is different from ours, and so ic happens that the Minister from China has found u better use for these conveniences than mere washing. He kecp3 ducks in them. In the day time, tho porcelain tubs being filled to th? brim, they swim about us happy as can he. Incidentally they are fed to fatness like any ordinary ducks. At night the water is withdrawn from the tubs, and they go to perch ou sticks conveniently placed across those receptacles, or otherwise bestowed. All of which is most creditable to Chinese ingenuity, so far as duckraising is concerned. But it would be interesting to know what provision it makes for the legation's pevsous ablutions.