The Oregon daily journal., March 21, 1909, Page 26, Image 26

THE OREGON SUNDAY JOURNAL, PORTLAND,'- SUNDAY -MOKMNU, MARCH . v 1000.'.'
" ' . ,. . , -' " , ' - .-.- . -, -.- " '-, ,,..','...-:.' -V '' ..'.( - ); , : ; ' . - - '.! W , - i - t - felt "
HE annual meeting of the bis orthopedic hos
pital was in progress. Governors, trustees,
women's committees, packed the small audi
torium to the very doors. Upon trie plat
form in front sat stiffly the entire medical
staff, from the four famous consulting sur
geons down to the junior house sur
At a respectful distance from the', latter was
the supervising nurse, and at a still greater
geon.
6eated
and riisresoectful distance louneed defiantly John
Schaeffcr, inventor of. braces for crippled children,
in the words of the enthusiastic house surgeon, "the
original orthopedic man of New York and the great
est crank-in-AmericaL.' r
Two hours had already elapsed, arid a soft Sigh of
content-from the audience greeted the conclusion , ol
another report. The lurgeon-in-ckief arose, glancing
apprehensively at the bulky manuscript . held osten
tatiously in John Schaeffer's hands. Nevertheless, he
j-smiled deferentially, "And how we will listen to-the-I
report of" he bowed courteously "our brace-maker,
J Mr. John- " ' " ' .. .' . .
( John Schaeffer chair creaked suddenly and omi
nously, and seemed fairly to oust him to the center
of the platform. He waved, his manuscript excitedly
in the astonished surgeon's face.
J "Brace-maker!" he snarled; "I am a brace-maker!
fVahl Scissors-grinder, I suppose 1 Machinist! Com
mon mechanic 1 Dot's what I am! You fing dot?
'Bah!" Ha snapped his fingers and wheeled upon the
f medical staff.
'' "Fools! Donderheads! You, mit your know-not'-fingf
heads and hands who bungle all dot I do who
1 cannot do what I do, you t'ink I am "a br-brace-maker ?
So! . Den I tell you vot you are!" and John Schaeffer
gave hfs opinion at length.
The audience, stupefid at first, showed sudden
signs of disturbance. . As Mrs. Henry Goldfogle,
" 'Chairman of the Committee on Linen and House Pur
chases, caught the significance of certain German oaths,
;the benevojent lines of her face stiffened into those
,of severe disapproval, and with a heavy rustle of
silks she arose and eVept from the room. .
Miss Sarah Sterling Watts, Chairman of the Com
Iniittee on Free Beds, beat, also, a swift and mincing
retreat, her chin pointed high in the air. Others, rot
' 'acquainted with the German tongue, but. realizing in
Muitively that J the meeting had suddenly become no
'place for ladies, developed expressions-of mild, purity
and -walked- out with determined tread.
"One of .the famous surgeons held his hand discreetly
'.bvr. his mouth to hide a smile; the young house
burgeon looked white and scared.
They all listened with raptattention till John Schaef-
rrnlsTiedThey saw. lunFflinf bis manuscript lo "
the floor and grind it under his heel; saw him kick
his chair" off the platform in token of. his departure
- I orevermore from annual meetings, saw nis huge, un
ggainly figure disappear"1 violently through a side door.
r The famous surgeon who smiled behind hi hand
. recovered carefully the' crumpled manuscript. "This
may prove valuable, gentlemen' said he; and so it
. did. After reading - it. a month later before the
" : Academy of Medicine he added emphatically: "Thi
'remarkable treatise stamps John. Schaeffer for whit
"he is, and should be known, a genius and skilled anat
omist; a man without a degree and with little recog
nition; but one, nevertheless, who has done more for
orthopedic surgery'than any man, living or dead."
' ' After the incident . of the annual meeting John
Schaeffer was rarely seen 'hr the hospital wards.
When he did appear it was to correct and gloat over
the mistake of a Surgeon or nurse.
From morning until night he toild away m his
- 1 laboratory, a weird room in the hospital basement.
Its walls were lined with plaster casts of distorted
Hegs and arms, exhibiting apparently every species of
human malformation. With its grizzled, snarling in
mate the room looked, for all the world, declared an
' imaginative assistant, like "the lair of a man-eating
lion. Me boss." he averred, fhas no heart whatever;
fas for his brain, if you opened his skull, you'd find
- Ut already conforming to the shape of a brace."
Every evening, after work John Schaeffer went to
: la. near-by . German restaurant and then directly up-
; stairs to a hall bedroom. It contained a folding-bed,
' a foot-lathe and a large chest filled with tools and
' jfcits of brass, steel and leather. Here were his means
. jof relaxation and his chosen environment. "Vot I
fkn'vw, I knew,Mt w as his custom Hp state. "Dere is
r ! not ings else."
,f And then one day there flashed upon this dark,
grim, obstinate man a glaring ray of light. Entering
! his laboratory late one morning he seized a brown
- j paper pattern from his desk and eyed it fiercely.
"Ha!" he exulted, "some fool at work again, eh?"
I He turned to his assistant.
J "Efer see a crooked back like dot ? Do you t'ink
dcre iss such a crooked back? Bah! Vere from dit
dts corner'
' "Ward Four," the assistant replied laconically.
"So? Djea I go and see. Maybe . I catch some
fool, ehr?Tbe assistant grinned broadly and then
f promptly regreted his indiscretion. The German turned
t tinon him angrily.
, -"Vat you doing? mending brace, or minding my
business? Den do it!" he roared and with the am
' biguous injunction he slammed the door and hailed
'in elevator. '"Upou'd1"' he ordered
The nurse in Number Four, the bone-tuberculosis.,
'ward,, smiled easily at the exe'ved (ierman. -
!Yot back fits dis?"' he demanded. "Vcrc i he?
Who made it? Xow 1 catch somebody, eh?"'
"That's for,' Johnny Conners riRlit behind you.
i Don't you know our Sailor Johnny?"
John Schaeffer w heeled about and faced a little
vhite bed, from the pil'ow of which a chubby baby
; face and two large brown eye s regarded him calmly.
As the nurse swept do n the covers f be revealed a
. tiny form incased from chin to ankle in rigid casts
nd braces.
, John Schaeffer saw only the brace. Casts he did
not believe in. And a human body to his mind was
simply something that went into a brace, and should
f.t it with mechanical precision.
L'fing only his .big. gnarled thumb be tnyied the
child loughly over on it face, and laid the pattern
liasuly along the pine. There was a cruel, sharp
- l.utr.p just under-the- shoulder-blade; end. at eearly
ci one could judge, the pattern exactly fitted it
"Dr. Frank here he comes now he put that brace
cn until a new one could be made," explained the
rure. . -
Oh! he did. eh Veil, take it off T
Wbrn the bare f pine was revealed he placed the
f st-em over it and squinted along the line of union
If H!f.J ffTretiTy.-ven, laid ScHaerlfT xesviy, T fif
r'ftr yrt seen ub. a hack." He ran his thtrmb heavily
?-tn ovr the crooked bone.
A n-uffk-d froan arose from the pilfo s. Eitj,
S i-.t!" caauyecj i fint voce.
T
JL-;
. , - ,1 -
"Who said clot?" said Schaeffer quickly, looking -at
the nurse and doctor. The nurse smiled and nodded
at the pillow, ?'
John Schaeffer turned over ' the tiny form - and
looked again into two brown eyes. The baby mouth,
pressed hard by the stiff brace under. the chin, moved
crookedly in one corner, and the tame calm voice said
resentfully "That hurt.5'
"So?" queried Schaeffer absently. He still peered
Intently into the brown eyes, as one making a re
markable discovery. They had long, dark lashes, he
noted, which curled up to . the eyebrows. The fore
head was low and white ' and swept- with golden-
brown hair, long and silky;. Ml these ' things John.
. Schaeffer noted. Surely there was a living form in
this brace, a little child with a wm&oriie, patient, manly
face and wonderful big brown eyes. .
"Vat you look at me so for?" he demanded weakly,
'"Cause you " look so ; funny and mad," came the
quick response; The doctor chuckled.
John Schaeffer pulled himself together sJiarply.
He was being ridiculed in the enemy's camp4 He had
come to correct and , found himself in error. That
was humiliating; now he was laughed at.
He started to go and then turned back. He dragged
a chair to the bedside with exaggerated energy. "
vill attend to his brace ; yotl leaf me alone," he added ,
warningly, turning to the bed.
"So, your name iss Chonrry Conners ? Veli, Chonny,
here you go again." This time he- felt over the brace
with a gentleness new to his hands. A rearrangement
of the straps here and there, a skilful twist of the
main balPbearing joint, and the brace shifted itself
easily. A pathetic sigh of , relief rewarded him and
he turned the little; patient back,, again: Johnny snug
gled down happily in the pillow and smiled gratefully
at him. "Shall 1 sing you a song?":
"A song!" gasped Schaeffer. Tfe looked about' him
uneasily, but none of the nurses were paying any at
tention to him. "Sure, go ahead," he said. "Vat you
got?"
The mouth struggled bravely with tlte awkward
chin-brace. "Vait," commanded the listener, and
reached along the straps behind the head. "Now, so!"
he commanded. J "How's dot?"
j gay Hiue treuie oegan promptly;.
"Take me back to New York town.
New York town. New York town "
John Schaeffer, his hands on hrs knees, listened hun
grily until the last piping note was ung. Then he
gae a vast sigh. "Veil, py golly T fce ejaculated.
After a mniute's silence he asked: "Cbonny, haf
on got tnndder Y .
The Bojr sbx4 fcis "head " .' , '
"Vefer had one, I ur.rpr,c John Schaeffer tried to
smi'e, but tb effort cot him a serine facial cpasm.
- The boy fhook his bead again, "ilf Utiitr has a
wife" . -
wB&mwm riniii
Pii mlUP W III KyNwL :
L'fvr ilk. r III Oil 11 L 'in' ,1
said Schaeffer".
"A
new wife," he continued calmly. "I don't like
She's mean." ' . ,-. ' . '
her. She
"How old are vou?" asked Schaeffer suddenlv,
'y ' "Seven years."). ,.;', ".' . ' , ,
"And so liddle!" murmured Schaeffer looking, at the
tiny, shriveled body.- ."You got a f adder? .Don't you
like him?" .- i -
"Yes," said the boy . Indifferently; ' then' his. eye
brightened. "I got an Uncle -ilart. -He brought nic
, here. Ik's a great 'man.- He's ' a ; sailor. ' I'm going
to be a sailor." The eyes grew very aolcmn. "Easy,
"mate! 1-ct her go! Brace- the halyards.!. All hands
on deck!" He looked earnestly ' to, Schaeffer , for ad
, miration, ."l .can sing "a sailor s,ong.". - ;'
- Schaeffer was . tega rdinr him-oddly. . "'And "yort go
ing to be a sailor, eh ! You going to be a sailor
and climb up masts and furl. sail!" : "
He looked again at the crippled, wasted ' body, vatid
apostrophized the wall. ' "Ain d it hard ! Ain'd, it
hard!" .. , : . ,
His voice rose angrily. "Vat right have people to
haf'kids and spoil dem? Ain'd it a shame?, Ain'd
it fierce? Ain'd it " ' '
"Don't look so mad," said the boy. . , i
''I ain'd mad," said Schaeffer earnestly. "I vas just
finking. Say, I got to go now." He consulted his
watch hastily. "Don't your fadaer ' or stepmudder
come to see you? No? Veil, I come. Pcome back
to-morrow." He- started and turned back. "Say, my
name fs Chon, too," he said foolishly. "I t'ink mebbe
we get along togedder; eh? Good-py Chonny!" "
And the nurse, rising quickly from a screen beside
the next bed, watched "the lumbering figure go out.
"And a little child shall lead them !" she said softly.,:.
. John Schaeffer was in Ward Four the next morn
ings and many mornings after that, as well as many
afternoons and evenings. And the frame of the strange
friendship became known throughout the hospital and
in some byways of the outside world.
Day by day the old German became more gentle
and considerate toward others. He was as one walk
ing in new fields and 'learning new lessons. It Was
very marvelous and'yet very simple. He had redis
covered a human world. ' .
And while John Schaeffer's education in the hu
manities progressed, the art of orthopedic appliances
surged ahead by k-ap and bounds. New and intri
cate braces were invented to rest this and that "mus
cle, and straighten distorted backs and limbs. They
were devised and tenderly fashioned for on Johnny
Conners, who hoped to be a sailor; but many little
cripples will know and revel ia their restful and cu-
r stive mine.
And so while John Schaeffer spent fewer hours
m r.u utnrj, hi importance to humsmtv was
'Vot !
"yov i,"yc wJrjcgg.!t!T ACK?" m CHocttp'voo atKc my cuoywY rcic?"' - ' ;
gTauy muit?piie vhm fin verKf wre tiA-c
te rnaiiie-JKp it a simple matter t fnd im.''
lie wis at Johnrrr ConnerV bedside, helping in a
, COTTS3GHT im " ;
.
same of solitaire, or ' fashioning wonderful shios. re
v plcte with sailing-gear. Or perhaps, he saj with rapt
attention, liis hulking shoulders bent forward, his large
nanus iocKcu ecstatically, wnuc a oauy voice sang:
"Take mc back. to New. .York town,
New York ,. town, New York town."
Late one jafjemoon, after a -weafisoiiie day hi the.
r.K.,A-c1,r. Via ti,,f..JVrl ,nGn( ti.ii.k.t Wk T?A..
niitchinc-shop, . he hurried up-stairs toward Ward Four
and sat down contentedly beside "Ins boys bed.
"Veil," said he, raising his eyes happily to" the ceil-:
, ing,' 'let's have dot 'New". York (r3wn" He waited
dreamily l.'but there wa no response. , Ht turned
, Sharply, to the1, bed;" ; ' 'V" --' .; -",. ''...'-
. - "Vas ist los? - Vat's der matter, c? '" nV-'f't
-Fve- been- crying," -said ;Johrmy simply.- 'The iong
eyelashes were Avet and the baby face was white and
drawn, : i'-. r- :. '.
John Schaeffer looked about him maliciously. "Has
: somebody been monkeying mit' dot brace already?"
The nurse heard him and hurried to the bedside.
"Oh," said she uneasily, "I just went for you. Johnny's,
been suffering all. day and we didn't know it. He
never cries clut loud.; Dr. Frank examined him"
here she dropped, her yoice to a whisper "and says'
he must have an operation t"
. "No I", hissed Schaeffcr. -
"Sh-hl cautioned the nurse. "I'll send for the
doctor." " . . ' ,
Schaeffcr was already examining the braces. He
knew their correct position to the minute fraction of
an inch. They were all in place, he noted. He tested
the joints! they moved freely and then he looked up
into the grave face of the surgeon. " ;
"Take tiff the brace," said Dr. Frank calmly, "and
"-J'll show you.""
A large red spot showed all about the apex of the
crooked spine. "Abscess," said the doctorT' pointing
his finger. .
"Sor" gasped Schaeffer.. "Bad?" . .
"Very bad," said the doctor. "You see," he addend
calmly, "there's such a thing as a too artful brace.
With a poor one we should have known of this earlier.
Now, I fear it's too late."
The old German made no reply. With trembling
fingers he pulled from his pocket a tiny pair of nip
pers and began gently to bend the steel strands all
sbout the sore spot. JitLing Uurnv-oark and relieving
all prtsre. The little pa.K-m ankJck restfully in
his pillow and miled gratefully.
- "Would you like for me to. sing you 'New York
town, now ?" he asked faintly.
"No; yoa a'n'd going to sing to-day. You. go to
fw. Tc-mwrow -ymt - can "sing. " Sav." whi-
p.-trd Schaeffer e-arnctly, "did yon hear vot dey said?"
lis bead, and Schaeffer looked
-- . - -
" "VeH" he id trichilj-. "den we Veep h a secred.
We goin to have wmt fun to-morrow, Wf fix dot
" ' . ' ; .'
' . "
back make it nice and straiffht.' mebbf . iusr like
ailor. It won't" boddcr anv morcT lohnnv wa r.
garding Jiim solemnly, and Schaeffer's eyes dropped
to the floor. "Dot's right," he said obstinately. "You
icavc it an to uion.
1 got , to go now. Good-py,
Chonny."
lonny." "j -'' :; T.'"
John Schaeffer plunged
out of 'the rear basement"
. door of the hospital and turned his quick steps toward
, I . I . . , ... -
the avenue. ' In a Jew minutes be was fumblinv for
mc ocu at mc aoor oi aiDrqwnstone residence. A
" white card in the window gave the name of the famous
; surgeon who had smiled behind his 1iand..v ? .
; v 'The doctor never sees patients at this hour," said
the maid doubtfully. ; "He"' is, dressing for dinner." .
"Tell hint" John Schaeffer wants' to see hini," said
;the man simply.. "Mebbe he'll come down." -7
They met' in the hall, the great -surgeon, bland and
gracious in his dinner, clothes, the inventor of bracei
slouching against the wall, and twisting his old soft
-hat nervously in his big hands, . . . .. .
t "Hallo, John!" said the surgeon easily. ' They had
always been John and Robert to each other since thej '
had worked together in the old hospital years ago-
"Ro-bert," began the other earnestly, "I haf nefer
asked a favor of you. Now I got one a big one
HeV blinked intently over his spectacles and. his voice
trembled.
"I haf. a little friend in de hospital. He iss bad,
very bad. I want you to fix him quick. 1 trust no-,
body else, lit iss a little boy and and Ach, Gott!
I lof him!" He clenched his hands convulsively, and
leaned back against the wall. .
ivunvu Cil situ LUI HHiniJ. - .UU 11113 VTA J
John Schaeffer, the cranky old German! '
John Schaeffer misinterpreted his silence. "I haflr 1
pienry ot money. He pulled several bank-books from
his- pocket. "Take vot you wish. It iss all for him;
anyvay." "
The surgeon took the books gently from the shak
ing fingers, and put them back in the pocket. Then,
he rested his hands heavily upon his friend's shoulders.
"John," said he sternly, "that's the meanest thing .
you ever said to me, and you've said some mighty
mean ones. You didn't intend it, but that hurtsii.
.He looked briefly at his. engagement book. . "FHJbe at.
the hospital" to-morrow' at three o'clock. Get every-:
thing ready."
When the little patient was wheeled into the oper
ating room next day, John Schaeffer was at his side,
all sprightly attention. "How you like dis funny room,
Chonny ? All so vite, eh? . Now we put you ofer here,
so you can 'look right out dot vindow. So! How's
dot? Now we going to haf some fun. , You dream
.ji-ou are a sauor, nieooe on a big snip, ueti, up! you J I
comejiat li
The nurse came , up and whispered in his car : "His
parents are waiting outside, .ishall I- let them m?"
"No!" he said sharply. "I vill go and see dem."
He found thenl in the anteroom, a girl,; plainly
dressed and with a bold defiant face, a young manj
pale" and stoop-shouldered, who might be an over
worked accountant. They squirmed under his keen
scrutiny.
"So you arc? his faddcr and niudder?"
"I'm not his mother," said the -girl coldly.
"No." said Schaeffer auicklv.- "T'ank Gott
for dott
He has not got your face."
"Dere iss no law' he went on calmlv.
"to keep
bums like you from hafintr children, and makinar denr
cripples. But when you neglect, like you haf dis one;
dere iss anodder law, vich says you cannot haf def
child. He is mine now. I vill fight for fifty t'ousand
dollars wort' to prove it. He is mine if he lives!
If he, dies he is Somebody else's. You don't get hfnt
no more, anyvay. Yon catch dot? No, you can't gn
in dot room," he added jealously. "You can vait outs-',
side vere you please. Good-day."
When he re-entered' the operating-room the sur
geon was talking to Johnny and looked tip cheerily.
"A stout brain here, John," said he. "Look at these
eyes. That's the only chance." '
"So you're going to be a sailor," fce went on, turn
ing to the boy. "We'll, by the time I'm ready to set
tle down for a rest, you'll be captain of a ship. Will
you take me for a long voyage, somewhere?"
The boy smiled brightly, and nodded his head.
"I'll remember that'romise one of these days," said
the surgeon. He motioned to the nure for the anes
thetic, and John Schaeffer moved hastily to the door.
"Ven you vant me," said he, "I am ofer dire." He
pointed to a room across the area. "Wafe some-
ding." And the nurse when the gave the signa', a
half-hour later, dropped her arm suddenly and peered
intently out of the window. "Upon my soul!" she
said, in' an awesome whisper, "there's John Schaeffer
on his knees, praying !" t
The room was very quiet when he stumbled hack;
ana ne came in on tiptoe, glancing hrst at the surgeon,
and then at his boy. The little face was very white
ana still. '
.'The sureeot laid the little arm back on the..iab
and pressed his head to the patient's breast, listeniii;
ior me inroo nc nau lost (in ine wrisi, anu jonn
Schaeffer looked on. with dumb horror . in bis eye.
He could hear the rapid, teady. thump of his own
heart. " If he could give all Hs strength to another who
needed just A little of it. 'Ach. Gott! he whispered,
and his dry mouth clacked as he opened it. "iltut it
be?" . .
A soft zephyr of Spring,, sweeping up from the open
court, fluttered the window-curtain gently; it carried
lightly the, strains of a lusty hurdy-gurdy playing be
fore a tenement-house. A crowd of street urchins took
up the ' gay ' refrain, and the little cripples sunning
themselves tip on the hospital roof-garden echoed it
back merrily: . .
"Take me back to New York town, -.
New York town. New York town.
John Schaeffer heard it and great tears welled ur
in his eyes and dimmed their sight. ' His boy's own
ong a song his baby lips would sing no more! He
dashed the tears from his eyes. and saw that tfiev
surgeon w aT holding his patient's wrist again and
peering intently at his face. . . .-r .
- Suddenly the eyelids fluttered and then opened widV
witn a ciamc irtgnrenea stare. 'A genue, palpitanns' 1
iish and thev closed artin. f
"Take me back to New York fbwn," came the in
stant refrain, and orce more the eres ooened, this tim.
:. l l I ! . . 'ii , . . r-
iA, fw. .... . . . .v.
fS JZll St. l?uJ JPZ'
-New York tftwn." said fce gently. "John, jou're got
your boy back T . M
A rrief-stricken face, erown- suddenly old and'
harvard.-lookrd at bin with pitiful earerness. "Ycsa
bring mr CSonrflf back?" he choked, "yea bring tny v
Chonny back ?". ,
H Mrk to Hi kr.ees beside tr.e table, hi bead
bowed low, his hands clfed in adoration. "Ach. no!
Forgive tne I It is y. Gott, who do es ! For dis,-
for my bey, I say Ctff $ti ? Athf'.
...
i