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Show (ELLIE f, EVELL days: j X ' KWSI'AI'i:i:S fn-.;liM,lly quote people ft h saying t!i;it tlicir favor-ite favor-ite (i:is!ii!ii. Is work. I must confess I was more in- ..ss sl;i'i'llfiil as to the sincerity of Kii.-h s : : 1 1 . m 11 fiU.s. I, who hiiii h;i.l to work nil toy life, ami who was the sole support of a family before be-fore r was twenty, could hardly conceive con-ceive of iiinone working who did not have to. l'.nt now I appreciate what n life Raver work Is. Next to health there Is no greater blessing. It cures Ills of every nature. It Is a balm for every woe. Writing this column has Riven me Bomei hinj,' to think about, to plan, to untiripale. It has taken my mint ;fT my "funny back" anil I sincerely believe be-lieve that my recovery began the moment mo-ment I slnrled work afler two years of enforced Idleness. I used to wish for the time when I would not have to work. Now that condition would seem to me a calamity. I have had more real pleasure out of my column than anything I ever wrote. I feel as If every reader Is n close personal friend. I try to make It sound like a personal letter to each of them, and to picture some of them reading It to others of my friends who mav he near. It keeps me In touch with tht world, and brings many letters from old friends, some of whom I feared liad forgotten me. It has served to reunite immj old friends who have located each olher through seeing their names here. I have been privileged privi-leged to be of asslslance to several persons whose cases were brought to my attention by readers. And for that I am grateful. Do not be sorry you have to work for a living. It Is a sweet privilege. Cod bless the man who first invented work. Some may say, "Where shall I find work?" Surely when one lias his health he can find work. It may not be exactly the kind of work be wants to do. Hut If the elevator to success Is not running take the stairs. Just before the last game of the world's series of operations which I played on the diamond of life and won will) the help of my doctors, the surgeon explained that the operation oper-ation be planned was known as an "exploratory." I don't know yet why he didn't call it an "inquisitive." After Af-ter the onslaught was over and returns re-turns were In and I had again come np ror air I asked the gentlemanly surgeon for an inventory, warning Win that If I got no rebate for what he took out I would refuse to pay him for what he put In. He acquiesced, saying that was "fair enough," and proceeded to elucidate exactly what had transpired. Of course It was all lis clear as mud to me, but- remembering remem-bering that my person looks like a map of the Pennsylvania railroad and Judging from the points of interest visited, I think lie made a "Cook's tour." Last week a professor of orthopedics ortho-pedics came In. walked past the cage In which my bird was busily singing, sing-ing, and noticed that the warbler was standing on one foot, the other pulled up under his feathers as though to protect It. He reached his hand In the cage and gently drew the bird out to examine ex-amine it. The bird did not appear nt all frightened, but seemed to realize real-ize that he was in the hands of a friend. The sight of this tall, dignified but gruff type of man holding the HI tie songster in his big bands, examining its sore foot and ministering to it. , then taking the roosts out and washing wash-ing them hefor? returning them to j the cage, was a sight long to be re- i inenibered by ail of us who saw it. j "Fire at Hospital Arouses Nurses" I startling headline in an evening paper, i Thanks for the suggestion. j One of (lie worst misers in the ; world is 1 1:0 man who keeps counting ; his troubles because he's afraid be ! might lose one. Trolly Vek. Every letter I have received, telling me how courageous I was, has made 1 me hang my head in shame. 1 am not ' the I'ollyanna that many people have ( called me. If I have won the fight It was only because of the help and i encouragement I received from my i friends. I could not have made the ! grade alone. I ran out of gas, my j engine was stalled and I had lost my spark plug. Hut every time I found in. if in j one of those "what's the use? ' moods ' (some kind friend would come in, or I the nurse would bring me a letter 1 wi:h a message of hope and confl- j donee. Then I would dry my tear? j and resolve to be worthy of mj frU nils' faith in me. These are the things that have made friendship my ; religion. ' j Here are five causes with only one ! effect : i "Step on It. That freight train Is a mile long." "I'm sure these Ere headache tab j lets. They come In that kind of t box." ; ".Never drove before? Why, it's at easy as pushing a wheelbarrow." j "That gun's safe. I unloaded It tht ' last time I used It." I "It's too shallow here. Let's swlui : beyond the life lines." (Copyright by lb McNaucht Syndic!, ' |