to think of it as a country where the sun always
shines and flowers are always in blossom. But in the northern part,
where O Sanna San lived, they have winter, and cold, and in January and
February the snow is three and four feet deep; the rivers and canals are
frozen over, the people wear wadded clothes, and many of them go about
on snowshoes.

But O Sanna San would not go about, for she had fallen and hurt her back
so badly that she could not walk at all. Her father and mother were
Christians, and one day when a missionary came to their house he told
them about the hospital in the city, some thirty miles away, and that if
they would take O Sanna San there she might be cured.

So it was that as O Sanna San looked out one snowy morning she saw her
father coming over the snow with a sleigh, which was like a little house
on runners, with a roof, a window and a door. Her mother told her it was
to take her to the hospital to see if she could be made well again.

Then they wrapped O Sanna San warm, and laid her in the sleigh, and her
father put the ropes from the runners over his shoulders, took the pole
in his hand, and away they went. In many places in Japan when one
travels one must be either pulled or pushed by a man.

[Illustration: O Sanna San's father takes her to the hospital.]

All day he drew her over the snow, till they came to the city and
hospital. Forlorn enough O Sanna San felt when her father left her among
strangers, kind though they were. And when they laid her on one of the
hospital beds she was dreadfully frightened, because she had never even
seen a bed before, but had always slept on a mat on the floor, and she
did not dare to move for fear she would fall off.

The days that came after were still worse, for the doctor put her in a
plaster cast, so she had to lie straight and stiff like a wooden doll,
and she was so homesick she could hardly speak, and her big black eyes
were full of tears most of the time. But one day a little girl came down
between the white beds and stopped at hers. O Sanna San had never seen
anyone like her before; for her eyes were blue, her hair yellow, and her
skin was not brown, but pink and white.

"I am Frances," she said, "my papa is the doctor. He told me about you,
so I have brought you my doll and a picture book."

"I shall love the doll," said O Sanna San, "but I cannot read, there is
no school in our village."

"Never mind," Frances smiled, "I am coming to see y