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About The Sunday Oregonian. (Portland, Ore.) 1881-current | View Entire Issue (Oct. 22, 1905)
35 tTitE. SUKDAT OREGONUlN, PORTLAND, OCTOBER 2j3, 1905. . J. ON the third floor of St Vlnrcnt s Hospital a pathetic scene Is enacted daily so cleverly vJled by a happy smile and a. contented look that the scores of visitors who come and go at the gre.v. brick hospice on- the hill fail to realize that "earth's bt a, waiting place' for little Nakano, the Japanese cripple. And Jt Is no' small wonder thai they do not fee beneath his shining eyes the sore lit tle heart, for Nakano. is happy In a "way and the happiness all shows on the sur face. Only the kindly sisters wliose con tact with all phases of suffering gives them deep insight Into human emotion's can .read through those bright" Oriental windows what is written it the soul of the hospital's pet for 'Xaka'no is " the pot Qf St. Vincent's. Nearly live years ago the accident in which many were killed and from which Nakano .escaped wjth a .broken back oc curred. It seemed that the boy would die; too, for a broken back generally means death. But the Great Reaper was not ready for him and his life was spared It was meant that he should stay here and bear his cross as ah example for. otb- ers, and that is what .he is doing today. Who will say .It was- not the hand of Providence which placed this boy amidst" the sick and dying that his fortitude, courage and humility might "be an exam ple for them to follow? He Is crippled for life and his existence -Js bounded by the lour walls of the hospital, but withal nd word of complaint Is heard from this mfrdol Invalid, and his patient endurance Is concealed by his bright face. There are days when his sufferings are greater than others and he docs . not appear or his promenade through Ihe hall In his wheel chair. On those days the InaulriesJ after Nakano are many, and the visits to the Immaculate Japanese ward are fre quent, for all the patients on the floor be come accustomed to seeing 'him pass their doors or have" him stop for "a few words of cheerful greeting, and when he does jiot come both Sisters and nurses are busy answering: Inquiries. " His Post of Honor; In -the, ward where ail Japanese'-patlents are .caryd . for, Nakano occupies the post of " honor. He greets all newcomers and acts .as official interpreter for the Sis ters, nurses and physicians. Many lives have doubtless been .saved through Ills ability to Interpret sor that the docton WftrK'B.Hi tei-irrrtiV rfn "Ytrii-- rdcuo i.iiiw gently, and the Jlte bf .xribr'e'; than, one of his 'countrymen'Oias beYii .brightened through his' suggestions and whblcsome advice, for Xakano is a Christian and be lieves in jtbe. Golden Rulej.; Behind his thbbKpllal h's.,vllfejwasfi3csalrcd of, aridas jjefxig'erei'betVecnwe and death 1 &j nmQkf at he learned through some source that if he was spared from the grave he would be a helpless cripple. He gave no Intimation that he knew this, and to all aDoearances he was as unconcerned about his condi tion as patients who were only bedridden for a week. Being a model patient and having coinparatlvely few wants, no par ticular attention was paid to him until one day the Sister In charge of the floor was called aside by a Japanese visitor who had Just left the ward. He told her that little Nakano was trying to get the means to commit suicide In fact, tile boy had begged him to bring certain, solsons that he might take them and die easily, so as not to distress the good Slaters who were so kind to "him. Then Sister Blank went to his bedside and had a long" talk with the brave little sufferer. (It Is a rule at St. .Vincent's not to give Sisters names for publication.) "I asked him If ho had ever heard about God and Heaven- and he said no," replied Sister, when I askod hereabout the incident. "So I told him as simply as I could the story of Jesus and the principles of our religion. I tried to Impress upon him that his life be longed to God, and that It was wicked for him to attempt to destroy It himself; that if he bore his cross bravely and lived" a good life he would have a place in Heaven when the proper time came for him to die. Xotable Conversion. "It w"as easy to see that he was fleeply Impressed, and he readily prom ised me that he would not make an other attempt at self-destruction a'nd I felt that I could trust him. From that day there was a change In him, and he began to look bright and con tented. I have never had to talk to him about things he should not do .ex cepting that one time, and I have never observed a case where the quiet ac ceptance of religious belief brought ! such apparent happiness and peace of mind. The first thing the poor child did was to have some' of his Japanese frlend3 bring him a Bible printed In his own language, and If you will no tice it on the stand by his bed. you will see that It has been constantly used. Nakano's religion is not ostentatious, he does not even care to tafk about It. but we who are ..with him all the time have opportunity to observe whnt a comfort it Is to him. Every night and morning he quietly says his prayers, and many times ehch day the little Bible Is Jn his hand. His smile is al ways a brave as it is bright, and we love him for his bonny disposition and his wonderful courage." Xakano's Home. And then we wpnt to the Japanese ward to see Nakano. A row of spotless white beds lined either wall, but the bed of the one "permanent boarder" was easy to distinguish. Plants, birds and pictures differentiated It from the others, even If the boy's smiling face was unlike those of his companions. That little cot and the corner In which It stands is Nakano's only home, and he has tried to make It as cheerful and bright as his own sunny nature. The pictures, mostly .from the Sunday pa pers Illustrate various victories in the late Japanese war, and impartial in American politics the families of President Roosevelt and Alton B. Park er, once a candidate. On a small stand at the head of the bed were plants, several Japanese books, a plate of fruit sent In by some more favored patient, and one half-faded carnation, which he was fondly treasuring as his only bouquet. "How-do I Yessum I glad you come," he said with peculiar emphasis as I greet ed him. When I asked him his first name he was puzzled for a moment. "My name It Nakano N. Nakano. That N? Oh. he make' Naoichl that make Jimmy like you talk. In Japanese Naoichl Nakano, that's me." Then we talked as best we could, and ho told me of his dally life so little to us who are well and can go out Into the world so much to this fragment of what would have been an Intelligent man had not fate laid her strong white hand too heavily upon him in his youth. Merest Incidents mean much to him a wave of friendly greeting from the little girl in the children s ward, a "how de do. Naka no, ' from the lady In the blueroom. a loving pat on the head from a gentle sister or a white-capped nurse even the grunt of recognition from the cross man down the hall all go to make up the sum and total of his dally life. Of mornlngo Nakano gen erally stays In bed, for the poor lame back Is weak and he cannot tax its strength too severely. He- Is awake early, however, gets cleaned up for the day. straightens,, up his table and helps trie sister In charge of the ward a, m-?h as ho can.' His two birds are never for gotten, and he superintends their feeding and care." One of those birds. Dick, was given him by the sisters and the other by Japanese, friends. He loves them both, and joyfully anticipates "someday make nests, someday have little birds" but 'It Is doubtful If either Dick or Bob will nest this Spring. Afternoon Visiting:. After the midday dinner Nakona Li dressed and the steward helps him Into his wheel chair, this a gift from friends also. He bears the distinction of being the only patient fti the hospital who own his own chair, and he Is very proud of If- A pitiful little figure he makes as he sits- huddled up m his blankets, but his happy fact and greeting makes ono forget that he has no back to support him and that he must forever be a help less heap of humanity. It Is In the after noon when he wheels himself up and down the hall that the other patients get a" glimpse of him and learn what forti tude and humility mean; for If Nakano with his heavy cross can smile and not complain, why should they whose illness Is of brief duration rail at fate? "How-do! How-do! Oh, me pretty well; how you?" Nakano Is kept busy saying, as he wheels up and down tho long hall. Sometimes a convalescent calls him Into his room; others ask him to stop at the door and chat. Those who are able to-' exercise In. tho hall walk by his chair and talk of things which will Inter. eit him. One day last Winter, now al most a year gone by. a kind-hearted wo man who had been a resident of the third floor several weeks, gave Nakano two blooming plants as she was leaving- Ho was delighted beyond measure at the fa;t that the plants were both In bloom. ai:d clasped them in his arms as a child docs Its, fondest possession. He would not con sent to have the nurse carry One of the plants, but with one tucket! In either arm he managed to wfreel his chair ba-k ta the ward and show his new garden ta h.s friends there. The other day the donor of the plants called at the hospital and went Into the Japanese ward to see Nakano. "'Hdw-do I know you you gle me flower." and he seemed just as grateful ay the day she had presented the plants and given him so much pleasure. Universal Pet. That Nakano Is the. pet of St. Vincent's Hospital there is no doubt, for he is loved by all the sisters, the nurses, attendants and patients. There are busy times when the little favors and attentions which go to make up the bright spots in bis life are necessarily neglected. " These are sad tlnies for the boy. but he has no word of complaint, no whys or wherefore arc de manded. His fondness for.ithe slaters, who are so kind and Indulgent to him, amounts to little short of adoration; his apprecia tion of everything that-Is done for him is a lesson to us all- He has come to know many Japanese who visit friends at the hospital, and they all take an Interest In him. During the war they brought their home newspapers and he was enabled to keep up with the progress of events in his native country quite well. "Do you think he would like to go back to Japan?' I asked a sister. "I think that would make him very happy." And when I asked Nakano thf same question he laughed outright with jcy at the Idea, apd looked at sister wun a world 'ot; meaning in his shining brown eyes. "Me go Japan?" he inquired credulous ly then laughed nathetically, wltn tnQ Joy all gone out, of It, but the brave smile still on his face. MARION MacRAE- Joke Was on the Bishop. Exchange. Bishop Nlles, of New Hampshire, had a singular experience while attending tho recent Episcopal convention In Boston. The bishop, who Is a very tall, heavy man,. wa3 seated on one of the low, settees la j thcPubllc Garden, and when ho started I to get up found that he had great difficulty In regaining his feet. Whilo In the midst of his struggles a wee tot of a little girl 1 came, along and offered her assistance. The bishop ceased trying to rise, and. after surveying the little girl critically. replied that sho was too small to help, j The little girl persisted that she could i help, but the bishop vas just as sure that she could not. "Well." said the -little girl. finally, "I've- helped grandpa lots of times when he. was lots drunker" than you ara."