Vermont phÅ“nix. [volume] (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1834-1955, 1870-06-10


brave little girl of fourteen steps firmly up
to the maniac, close under her arm, and
said, looking steadily up into the fierce
eyes-"Put that chair down put ii down,
| say The fury died slowly out of the
face, the powerful muscles relaxed, and
setting the chair quietly down, this mani
ac, intent on murder the moment before,
walked meekly away to her room, subdued
and apparently sane. It was this 1 think,
or some other equally brave act, that won
the W ords of praise which lasted her life
timo-"Jane thee is the smartcst little girl
ever saw"
More fever patients recovered uudJr her
care than with all the other nurses conf
bined, the most violent and dangerous be-
ing given Immediately to her charge. Her
mode of treatment might be initiated to
very good advantage, judge, in Some Of
our modern hospitals. 1t consisted of the
utmost cleanliness. Every night the pa-
tients were spongod over the entire sur
face of the body. Three times daily their
mouths and teeth were thoroughly washed
with bit of soft linen and clean cold wa
ter; and when sweeping all the doors and
windows were opened, and she "always
swept with the wind For instance if it
blew cast, she swept east, whether it was
toward the window or from it; placing
those patients too i'll to be removed to an
other room always behind her, that they
might inhale the dust.
In 1909 she married and left the hospital.
Soon after her first and only child was
born, without warning or the slightest
preparation, the husband was brought
home to her one Saturday nighta corpse
lie had left home in the morning as well
as usual. Some time through the day he
complained to one of his companions of
not feeling well, and was advised to go in
to another room and lie down for little
while. Within fifteen minutes thereafter
his friend and partner went to inquire how
he felt, and found him lying dead on the
floor!
To relieve her terrible grief, the widow
went back into the hospital, and took up
her old work of ministering to others ills
and there, after time, in the person of one
of her patients, she found her second hus-
band. The circumstances were as follows:
Several men were brought in off ship i'll
with a terrible disease from the effects Of
beidg unduly delayed at sea, and kept on
salt and short rations. Among them was
fine looking young man of superior ad-
dress and ability. Some time during his
convalescence the governors held their
yearly meeting. The clerk dssipated
fellow, was not to be found, and his report
when submitted, proved to be az difficult
of understanding as he himself when half
seas over Governors, doctors, and offit
cials alike veHed their brain in the useless
endeavor to comprehend or foot up the ac-
counts. 1t was suggested that Mr.. Lev be
sent for. lie came, solved the difficult
problem in twinkling, and very soon
thereafter was proflered and accepted the
clerkship, which he retained for many
years, fulfilling tho duties thereof with such
excellence as TO win the admiration of the
governors and--tho love of my model mat
ron. In 1922 they We're married, both still
retaining their Respective positions in tho
hospital until 1882, the summer of which
year is known and referred to as "the first
cholera season."
The few destitute babies of that time
were received and sheltered at Bellevue
but the epidemic ragged and spread with
such fearful rapidity as to necesstate an
immediate removal of the children from
the hospital, both Tor their own safety and
to make room for the cholera patients.
II ere, then, were two quandaries: first,
TO get place for the children; sccoLd to
find some suitable person to take charge Of
them.
There was not much time for dclibera-
ton, as every hour brought fresh reports
of how the contagion was spreading and in
crcasing; so they hastily decided upon
small farm house ON Long Island, known
thenceforh as the Long Island Farm.
Thus the first difficulty was partially solved;
but the secoud-where to turn for "A matron,
was not SO easy OF solution
OF course everybody interested thought
at once of Mrs. Ley, and each one also felt
that the disastrous effect of her loss TO the
cholera patients would be equal TO the chill
dren's gain; but the cause of the babies
triumphed, and she was persuaded to 90
down with them and remain for limited
time.
Her own account of her arrival there with
thirty or 70 rty children, some in arms, was
extremely ludicrous. Every one of them
was suffering from opthalmla, some to SO
great an extent as to induce an involunta-
rv opening of the mouth whenever an at
tempt was made to open the eyes. The
house was entirely UNFINISHED, and moth
| ing was tax en- for cOnveniences of cooking,
eating, or sleeping save the few things
| thought of and snatched up in the moment
of hurried departure; and for long time
after their arrival she was obliged to make
up beds on the floor, and so close that she
was obliged to step over each one in her
rounds to see that they were comfortably
tucked i'm
II was somewhat wonderful that every
one of these children recovered entirely
under her care, and grew to be useful and
respectable citizens, and all at some time in
SUBSEQUENT years returned to visit her,
bringing with them wife or husband ana
children and, later, grandchildren.
She had one wight there called "Butch-
err" so named by the other children from
the fact of his speaking piece in which
that character was represented He was
an uncommonly bright boy with large
head and a sore one-so sore, so uniformly
sore, that all the hair which had not fallen
off had to be shaved Off. This she did most
eilcctually improvised a salve smoared
his head, wrapped it in linen, drew over
that dried bladder, and again u close fit
ting linen nightcap with long strings
brought round and tied in a bow over the
forehead, and in that grotesque head gear
he hobbed around among the other chill
drcn for months. He had no relative ap-
parently, except an elder brother, who
placed him there.
A short time since knock was heard on
the door of her private room, and in re-
sponse to her CHEEKY "come in" there en-
tered man, tall, handsome, imposing, and
elegantly dressed, Taking both her hands
in his own, he said, "You have forgotten
me ?" "No," she replied, 81 never knew