PATCHWORK PIECES

Otago Witness, Issue 3869, 8 May 1928, Page 76

PATCHWORK PIECES

By

Eileen Service.

(Special fob thb Otaoo Witness.) XLIX.—IN HOSPITAL. Vinia was in hospital. She was lying stretched at full length in her bed, pretending that she was dangerously ill, while her relatives mourned around her. “ Poor darling,” she imagined one of them saying. “What a sad, sad case! And she so young!” “ So young and so beautiful—a bud in the garden of girlhood!” reflected another—an aunt who hitherto had spent much time in lecturing her niece on the sin of vanity. ' “And so sw'eet and good and gentle!” a cousin who disliked, her murmured with feeling. Vinia stirred. A seraphic smile lit up her pale face, and she lifted a thin white hand in benediction.

“Do not mourn for me,” she whispered. “ Comfort one another.” And thus, while her relatives in floods of tears marvelled at the selflessness of her last words, she passed away. Her corpse, transfigured in dedth by a smug smile, was arrayed in white robes and laid among flowers. How she was mourned!

The sound of. a cough from the room beyond roused her, and she curled over on her side.

Who were the other patients, she wondered. She knew that the women were all on this flat, but what their names were and what they were suffering from she had no idea—the nurses never discussed such matters. It would be fun to know. That was one of the disadvantages of being in a private room. In one with other people one would know something about one’s fellows at least. She knew, because she had heard snatches of talk coming from a ward where four or five women were collected, and they were always full of “ I, I, I.” And yet she wmuld hate being anywhere but. in a “special.” How tiring to have to listen to other people’s chatter all day long, whether one wished to or not, and to have to talk, too! She w'as better where she was.

The room was cream-coloured and bare, with a screen before the door and a table with bowls and vases of flowers at the bedside. Their scent was sweet and heavy. Everybody who came to see her brought flowers of some description —she had never had so many in her life before—and each lot seemed lovelier than the last. Some people brought fruit, too, and one—laughing Kitten with whom she went to school—original, .funny gifts like woollen rabbits and puppies to amuse her when she was alone,, seeing that she was not allowed to read. She had a whole menagerie of them, by now, and used to arrange them on her coverlet in order to make Matron laugh when she came to her room. Binkle, the black rabbit, was best. It would be fun to take him on a voyage of exploration through the corridors! She would go on her hands and knees so as not to be noticed, and crawl along, Binkle beside her, until she had covered the whole flat. Then she would turn back to some room where there was only one inmate.

The patient would be sitting up in bed doing fancy work. She would be the sort of person who affects a boudoir cap and a dressing jacket relieved with lace insertion, and her voice would be raised in a little song about “ Only a Flower!” Suddenly she would lift her gaze, to see peering from behind her screen a face with kind, faithful eyes, dumbly asking her to be friends. She would be so surprised that her mouth would open ready to scream. But Vinia would crawl round to her bedside and placate her. She would introduce Binkle and ask after the lady’s health. And then they would spend a happy time together until the sound of nurses’ feet sent the trespasser back to her own room. Or she might fly. That would be better still. She imagined it. Mrs Jones: “Nurse —nurse! .1 have just seen a strange phenomenon. Someone flew past the door just now!” Nurse: “Nonsense, Mrs Jones. You are dreaming.” Mrs Jones: “No, I am not dreaming. Mrs Smith . saw it, too. Didn’t you, Mrs Smith ? ” . Mrs Smith: “I did. It was someone in a nightgown and a long tussorecoloured dressing gown. She was sailing in full view of my bed. I am greatly upset.” ’ ’’ Nurse: “You are mistaken, ladies. How could such a thing take place? ” The two ladies are protesting the evidence of their eyes when a call for Nurse is heard from an adjoining room. It transpires that Miss Brown”, Miss Black, Miss Green, and Miss White have been startled to see in the corridor a wingless female flying about very much after the fashion of the children in “ Peter Pan.” Nurse is greatly perplexed, and goes to find Sister to see if she can throw light on the matter. Then all at once she hears a “ swish ” above her, and catches a glimpse of bare feet in a flutter of draperies. She squeals and shuts her eyes. When she looks up again the apparition has vanished. Expecting to find Vinia in hysterics, she goes into her room. But the child is lying asleep, her Binkle dog clutched to her cheek, and makes no movement when she is approached. With a sigh of relief the nurse tip-toes out hgain, thankful that at least one person has

been spared a sight of the flying spectre in the corridor. It is enough to frighten anyone out of her wits. A cheery voice spoke. The light was switched on, and a probationer entered with tea. Sit up,” she said. But Vinia, smiling with pleasure, was already up. Her pillows were banked, her shoulders covered, and she was left alone. Willow pattern—teapot, jug, sugar basin, cup, saucer, plate—everything was made of that fascinating blue china; and her traycloth was blue, too, with a border of white. She ate her tea in company with Binkle, while the rest of the menagerie stood round on guard. When the- probationer came to take away the. tray she found its contents arranged in pairs—teapot, neck to neck with jug, sugar basin next to cup, knife cheek by jowl with fork, and so on. Vinia, with a look of weariness on her face, was bending above' it. . “And what’s this?” the probationer asked. “ The teatray ball,” Vinia said. “ I’m hostess. It’s been such a great success that none of the guests will go home. I’m quite exhausted! ” She sank back on her pillows. “ Well, you are a one! ” the probationer exclaimed as she departed.