Joan's Luck at Hospital

Joan worked in a hospital as a nurse. One evening there was a big dance at the hospital. Most of the doctors and nurses would be there, but of course somebody had to be left to look after the sick children, and Joan was not among the lucky ones. She liked dancing very much, so when she had to start working that evening while her friends were getting ready to go to the dance, she felt very sorry for herself.

She went to each sick child one after another and said good night until she came to one little boy, Dicky. He was eleven years old, but he was already able to talk like an adult. Poor Dicky had a very serious illness, and now he was hardly able to move any part of his body except his hands. Joan knew he would never get any better, but he was always happy and always thinking about other people instead of about himself.

Dicky knew that Joan loved dancing, so now when she came to say good night to him he greeted her with the words, "I'm very sorry that you have to miss the dance because of us. But we are going to have a party for you. If you look in my drawer, you'll find a piece of cake. I saved it from my supper today, so it's quite fresh. And there is also a dollar there. You can buy something to drink with that. And I'd get up and dance with you myself if I were able to," he added.

Suddenly the hospital dance seemed very far away and not at all important to Joan.