The evening telegraph. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1864-1918, 1869-01-15


| mind, and went across aud went straight in.
found the ChildreB's Hospital esta b;ished in
| an old sail.loit or storehouse, of the toughes.
nature, and on the suplest meaus. Tuere wee
| trap doors in the floors where goods had been
| hoisted I'D and DOWN heavy feet and heavy
weights had started every knot IN the we'll
| trodden planklng; incoDyenient bulks and
beams and awkward staircsses peIplexed nv
passage through the wards. But l fonnd
1t airy, sweet aud clean. Iu its seven
| and-thirty beds ] saw but little beauty, for
starvation in the second or third generation
takes punched loos; but ] saw the suffer
! ings both OF infancy and childhood
tenderIy a.suaged; ! heard the little patients
answering to pet playtul names, the light touch
OF a delicate lady laid bare the wasted sticks of
arms arms ior me TO pity; and the claw.like little
hands, asshe did so, twlned themselves lovingly
| around her wedding ring.
| One baby mite there was as pretty as any of
| Raphaefs angels. The tiny head was banda ed
for water on the brain, and it was suffering with
acute bronchitis too, and made from time to
| time plaintive, though not impatient or com.
| plainirg, little sound. The smooth curve of the
Cheeks and of the chin was faultless in its con-
| densation of iufautine beauty, aud the large
! bright eyes were most lovely. 1t happened as
stopped at the foot Of the bed, that these eyes
| rested upon NINE with that wistful expression
| OF wondering thoughttulness which we all
| know sometimes in very little CHILDREN. They
remained liked on mlne and never turned from
| me while stood there. When the utterance of
| that plaintive sound shook the little form, the
| gaze still remained unchanged. l ielt as though
the child impored me to tell the story of the
| little hospital IN which It was sheltered to any
gentle heart could address. Laying my world
| worn hand upon the little unmarked clasped
band at the chin, gave it silent promise that
| / would do so.
| gentleman and lady, q young husband and
| wife, have bought and dtted up this building
for its present noble use, and have quietly settled
themselves in 1t as It's medical officers and dlrec
| tors. Both have had considerable practical
| experience in medicine and surgery; he as
| house-surgeon OF great London hospital: she
as very earnest student, tested by severe
examination, aud also a nurse of the sick poor
| during the prevalence Uf cholera.
| With every qualification to lure them away,
| with youth and accom- plishmerts and tastes aud
| habits that can have no response IN any breast
| near them, close begirt by every repulslve cir
| cumstance inseparable from such neighoor.
hood, there they dwell. They live in the hos
pital itself and their rooms are on its first floor.
| sitting at their dinner table, they could hear
| the cry of one of the children pain. The
lady's piano, drawing materials, books, and
other such evidences OF refinement, are as
| much part OF the rough place as the IRON
| bedsteads of the little patients. They are put
TO shuts for room, like passengers on board ship.
| The dispenser OF medicines (attracied TO them,
not by self Interest, but by their own magnetism
aud that of their causel sleeps in a recess in the
dining room and has his washing apparatus IN
| the eideboard.
| OF the things around them, foUndsu pleasantly
| inseparable Fl ON their usefulnessi Their pride
in this partition that We put up ourselves, or in
that partition that we took down, or in that
| other partition tbat we moved, or IN the stove
| that was given US for the waiting-room. or in
our nightly conversion of the little consulting
| room into a smoking. room Tbeir admiration
OF the situation, If we could only get nd OF Its
one objectionable incident, The coal yard at the
back Our hospital carriage, presented by Il
| friend, and very useful" That was my pre-
sentaion to perambulator, for which coach
house had beeu discovered IN a corner do wn
stairs, just large enough to hold it.
Colored prints, in all stages OF preparation for
being added to those already decorating the
| wards, were plentiful; Charming wooden
| phenomenon OF bird. with an impossible top
knot, who ducked his head when you set a
counter WEIGH gong, had been inaugurated as
public statue that very morning; and trottng
| about among the BEDS 90 familiar terms with
all the patents, was c)nicdl mongrel dog,
called Poodles. This comical dog quite q touic
in himsel) was found haracterlstically starving
at the door OF the institution aud WAS taken IN
and fed, and has lived here ever since. An
| admirCr of his mental endoWments has pre-
sented him with q collar bearing the legend
Judge not Poodles oy eX ernal appearances" ="
He was merrily wageing his ta'l on boys
pillow when he made this modest appeal to me.
When this Hospital was hrst opened,
in January OF tue present year, the
people could not possibly conceive but
that somebody paid Tor the services
rendered there's and were disposed to claim
them as right, and to find fault II out OF tenn
| per. They soon cane 10 Understand the case
better, aud have much Increased IN gratitude.
The mothers OF the patients avail themselves
often on Sundays. There is an unreasonable
tbut still, J think, touching and intellig Dbie)
tendency IN the parents to take child away 10
It's Wretched home, If on the point of death.
One boy who had been thus carried of on a
rainy night, when in violent state of infam-
nation, and who had been after wards brought
back, had been recovered with exceeding diff
| Guilty; but he was jolly boy, with specially
strong interest in his dinner, when saw hin.
Insufficient food aud nn wholesome living are
the main causes of disease among these small
patients. So nouIishment, cleanliness, aud ven
tiIaton, are the main remedies. Discharged
patients are looked after and invited TO come
and dine now and then; SO are certain famish-
ing creatures who were never pa tents Botn
the lady and the gentleman are well acquainted,
not only with the histories of the patients ana
their families, but with the characters aud cir
camstances OF great mum bers OF their neI9 oors
of these they keep register II Is their com
mon experience that peOpe, slnklng doWn ny
inches into deeper and deeper poverty, VIII con-
ceal ii even from them, If possible, unto the
very last extremity.
The nurses OF the Hosp'tal are ali very young,
ranging, say from uineeen TO iouranG'tWenty
They have, even thin these narrow limits,
what many wcll-endo we'd hospitals would not
gave then q comfortable room OF their own 10
which 10 take their meals. 1t Is beautiful
tru b, that interest in the chlldiPn and 81
pathy with tbeir sOrrOWs bind these youLe
women TO their places far more strongly
thar any other consideration could. Tne
best tkifled of the nurses came ori9l
naly from a kindred ne,ghborhood, almost
as poor, and she knew how much
the work was needed. She is fair dressmaEc r
The Hospital canuot pay her as many poduds IN
the year as there are months in IL, and one day
about her Improving her prospects and follow
ing her trade. no" sue sad; she could never
be so seiul or so happy elsewhere any more
she most stay among the ehudfen. And sht