THE LAST LEAF G2sr01

 1. THE LAST LEAF

Many artists live in a certain part of New York City. Most of the buildings in this part are very old, and it is easy for poor artists to find rooms that they like.

Sue was a young woman who was studying art. One day in May, she met at a restaurant another young woman artist whose name was Johnsy.

There they found that they liked the same kind of art, the same kind of food, and the same kind of clothes. So they started to live and work together. They loved each other just like two sisters.

In November, pneumonia came to that part of the city. Many people caught it, and Johnsy was among them. She lay still in her bed all day, and looked from time to time through the window at the wall of the next house.

One morning the doctor spoke to Sue in the hall when they were alone. He told her that Johnsy had a very poor chance to get well again.

"She will have a chance only if she has a strong will to live," said the doctor. "But she has decided that she isn't going to get well."

The doctor said to Sue, "I'll do all I can. But you will also have to do your best to give her a strong will to live. Talk to her about new winter clothes, or picnics in the woods next spring. If she gets interested in the future, her chances will be better."

The doctor left. Then Sue went into Johnsy's room and began drawing a picture with pen and ink.

While Sue was drawing, Johnsy said something in a faint voice. Sue went quickly to the side of her bed. Johnsy's eyes were wide open. She was looking out of the window and was counting something.

"Twelve," said Johnsy. A little later she said, "Eleven, ... ten, ... nine, ... eight, ... seven."

Sue looked out. There was a wall covered with an old vine growing half way up it.

"Six," said Johnsy after a little while. "They are falling faster now. During the past three days almost a hundred have fallen. And now there are only six. There goes another. Only five are left now."

"Five what, dear? Tell me, Johnsy."

"Five leaves," said Johnsy. "When the last leaf falls, I must go, too. The doctor told you that I would die soon, didn't he?"

"Don't be silly!" said Sue." He said that you would soon get well."

"There goes another," said Johnsy."I know the last leaf will fall before dark. I want to see it when it falls."

"Johnsy," said Sue. "Shut your eyes and go to sleep. I'll go and ask Behrman to come up and sit here as my model."

Behrman was a poor artist who was over sixty years old. He always said that some day he would paint a great masterpiece. When Sue went into his room, he was alone, drinking. She told him about Johnsy and the leaves on the vine.

"What!" shouted the old man." Do people die because leaves fall from a tree? I've never heard such a silly thing. Just take me to her room."

Johnsy was sleeping when they went in. A cold rain was falling, mixed in the rain was snow.

The next morning Johnsy wanted Sue to pull up the shade.

There still was one yellow leaf at the end of a branch!

"It's the last leaf," said Johnsy."It will fall today, and I'll go with it."

When night came, the rain began to fall again with a strong wind.

Another morning came. Sue pulled up the shade. The lonely leaf was still there! Johnsy looked at it for a long time. Then she said to Sue, "I've been a bad girl, Sue. I've learned from that leaf that it's wrong to decide to die. Now I want to get well and paint again."

The doctor came to see Johnsy in the afternoon. Sue followed him into the hall and asked him, "Does Johnsy have any chance?"

"Yes, she does. She'll get well before long if you give her good care," said the doctor. "And now I must see another case downstairs. His name is Behrman. He's an artist. Pneumonia, too. He's very ill. There's little hope for him. We're going to take him to the hospital."

When Sue met the doctor the next morning, he said to her, "Your friend is safe now. All she needs is food and care. You've done it!"

In the evening Sue came to Johnsy's bed.

"I have something to tell you," said Sue. "Mr. Behrman died of pneumonia in the hospital today. He was ill only two days. When someone went into his room on the morning of the first day, Behrman was lying there with his shoes on. His shoes and clothes were all wet and as cold as ice. Nobody knew why."

"Oh, poor Behrman!" cried Johnsy.

"Look out of the window at the last leaf on the wall," said Sue." It looks like a real leaf, doesn't it?"

"A real leaf?"

"It's Behrman's great masterpiece. When the last leaf fell that night, he painted it there in its place."