A boy old enough to work labors in his backyard, slicing wood for the stove. His sister calls him for supper, and eager eat, the boy jumps a bit. The saw, almost portrayed as a character in its own right, nearly slices the boy's hand off—grim stuff.
The doctor comes to help, and amputates the hand. He puts to boy under with ether (an early, dangerous form of anesthesia), but the boy dies. The rest of his family moves on. Talk about heavy.