Mumps:

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXXVII, Issue 23767, 21 September 1940, Page 3 (Supplement)

Mumps:

A RAPIER of sunlight pierced the dimness of the room and pricked Don into wakefulness. Ho sat up in bed blinking sleepily. "Hm. . . feel a bit stiff this morning," he murmured and rubbed his hand over the lower part of his jaw. "Ouch I" Don yelped, and cautiously fingered the section of his face that was the cause of the agony. Climbing

out of bed, he went across to the mirror and studied his reflection with obvious anxiety, for to-day, Don was to captain his team in the final of the Rugby matches that were being played for the Cup, so he just couldn't afford to be ill. "Mumps!" Don gurgled in the horror of realisation as he viewed his swollen cheeks. He was about to call his mother, but checked himself. Whatever happened, he musn't let his mother know of his newly acquired affliction for she would keep him at home and

Original, by ELEANOR McKINNQN (14), D.D.M.B.G.

mumps or no mumps he had to play Rugby. He couldn't let his team down. Having dressed as quickly as was possible, he hurried along the corridor to the bathroom. He used half the contents of a bottle of disinfectant during the process of gargling and the larger part of some ointment which, by the advertisement on the lid would cure all pains and aches in the short time of two hours. r • At the breakfast-table, Don struggled through a plate of and spent most of his time avoiding his mother's eye. She supposed that his lack of appetite was due mainly to excitement regarding the outcome of the ' match that he was to play. > T"e About nine o'clock, Don was sprinting up the road. Once ho heard his mother's voice calling out to him, but he pretended not to hear and quickened his pace. It was possible that his little sister Jenny had told mother about his "swolled" cheeks. He had already paid Jenny sixpence on the understanding that she would not get Mummy "to come an' see the funny fat lumps on Don's cheeks." Soon Don arrived at the playingfield. To his surprise there was nobody in sight. Perhaps I'm early, was his reassuring thought. Seeing the caretaker mowing the lawns, Don went over to him and said "Are there any of the players around yet besides myself?" "No, sonny," was the man's reply.--"There ain't nobody around cause there's not goin' to be' no match day!" and he surveyed Don with evident amusement.

"No match!" cried Don, "I say, you're not pulling my log are you?" "No," said the man shaking his head slowly, "Didn't you get'the notice this, morning? "What notice?" said Don in mystification, in the meanwhile becoming more and more aware of the ache in his jaws and a soreness in his throat. "Why, didn't yu' know —" continued the caretaker. '"The Rugby match's been pos'poned because of this 'ero mumps epidemic! and rolling out these last few words in what seemed to Don's ears, brutal satisfaction, he continued his mowing. Some time later, Don, roasting under a ioad of blankets, hot water bott'es and flannel, was dreaming of a Rugby match in which all the players irero forced to play on u field of hot water bottles and at the interval had to have their faces bound with flannel.