Nashville union and American. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1853-1862, 1853-12-08
N A S H " IL L f..
THURsDAY, MoRNINe, DEC. 8, Is5a.
81. JOnN'S HOSpITAL


This little Charity, quietly reposing beneath the
shadow of the Capitol, was once the sole depen-
dence Of the city, for the moneyless stranger whom
sickness or accident Frustrated within her limits
During the awful visitation of cholera in ls49 and
80 every phianthropist of the city dwelt with
pleasure upon this neat quiet unpretending little
Charity. Every unfortunate sent there all felt
would meet with the kindness and attention of
home. Every body marvelled how the Sisters kept
itgong. Still it continued to go as if moved by an
invisible hand Three four plain Sisters in their
sombre gowns and neat white bonnets. with bright
and cheerful faces, like the Charity TO which they
minfstered, seemed self-sustained and inexhaust-
lbe. The physicians who mingled their chari-
ties with those Of the sisters, wondered when they
slept orr they slept At all hours of the night
they were seen fitting about the wards ike minis
ter1ng angels; or, cup in hand, lowering over the
SICK and dying. Where did they get the necessa-
res for the sick nay Injuries clean Sheets and oft
en- clean linen, and medicine? Was the little gem
endowedS Not with money, nor lands nor ten
etnents certainly. Hard times come, and the good
Sisters had TO sell their fine Academy House on
High street. but the Hospital went on Their
Pastor gave notice that their new church building.
on Cedar street, would have to be sold but neither
ne nor the Sisters thought of suspending the Hos
pital The good Pastor called his little flock to-
gether, took affectionate leave Of them and re-
turned to his father-land on for!orn hope of get
ting means in the Old World to sustain a Charity in
the New, but the injunction was that, come what
would, the Hospital must be kept going, that "God
would see to that" The city was patron then of
the little Charity, and her patronage helped to sus
tain it. Her sick paupers were nursed there, and
medicines and physicians furnished at So 80
per week, But the city became prosperous, got a
Hospital of her own and had her sick taken care of
at cost of only four or five thousand dollars year,
instead of three hundred year at the little Charity
And so the Sisters lost their patronage and it did
seem that they would be compelled to give up the
ghost. But no, an invisible hand seemed TO sus
tain them, and the Hospital keeps on In the last
year hundred patients have been nursed there,
besides seven orphan boys supported Upon what
sum of money were these hundred and seven peo-
pie nursed and supported, (and the House Book
shows that some of the patients were on hand for
four or FIVE months, while the seven orphans were
there the entire year. with the support of the SIS
tiers includedO Why, $4,000 Take from this
sum 90 cents week each for the support of the
seven boys making for each per annurn S26 90; or,
an aggregate OF $1,000, and the nurses and pa
tients were supported for S64s 90; or, Sc As pa
tent The pastor returned from the Old World
with succor, and the little hospital instead Of hay
ing kicked the bucket, is still kicking.