Sacramento daily record-union. [volume] (Sacramento [Calif.]) 1875-1891, 1881-10-08
HOSPITAL SCENES.
AMONG THg SUFFERING IN GREAT
CALIFORNIA HOSPITAL.
Cheering the sick-scenes of woe-sufsr-
ing, Torture, Misery. Anguish,
Death-Some Sad Cases.
San FRANc1sco. October 5, 1881

suburbs of nowhere. In reality we were
| far out beyond the Mission Dolores, pierre
| ing the heard of what used to be known as
Kensington, which the city has gathered
unto itself these many years. A Kensing-
ton butcher shop and Kensington drug
store mark the spot, however, by
loyalty clinging to the old name. Bernal
Hight upreared ahead of us, till we took
turn somewhere about Twenty-third or
Twenty fourth street, and then several
buildings connected with each other, and
all contained within high Enclosure, came
to view, and proved to be our destination.
The place had Institution written upon
it as plainly as every such place bears 1t !;
nobody can mistake
PUBLIC HOSPITAL,
Asylum or school for other than it is. This
one was the City and County Hospital,
and had been kindly allowed to accom-
pany little party on its regular Sabbath
afternoon visit, the party consisting of
lady, who from out her own busy days
spares few cheerful hours to the sick and
the sorrowing, and little handful of young
girls whom she was striving to interest III
the same work. They carried basket of
flowers with them, and such magazines and
papers as they had | wonder if our friends
IN the country have any idea of how much
of such work is carried on here? There
are several bands of women, such as the
Flower and Fruit Mission, who are known
n nIrhlip haoonsn their 10 hora arr IN
extensive, and to these are regularly sent
contributions. Boxes of fruit come not only
from the merchants and private individuals
here, but from beyond the city jellies,
jams and canned fruits meet joyful well
come /; books and the literature of the day
are at premium. On receiving days, from
across the bay, Oakland, Brooklyn, Fruit
Vale, Alameda, San Rafael, and up on the
cars from Menlo Park and San Mateo,
come fragrant baskets filed with cut flow
ers, as well as blossoms from our own gar
dens, aud busy fingers form them into nose
gays then the Visiting Committee dis
tributes them. Think what little bunch
of flowers would be to you, or a peach
filed with the country sunshine, if you
were SICK poor, forlorn and lonely. Some
day shall be glad to take my readers with
me on a visit to the young ladies of the
Fruit and Flower Mission, but to-day is
devoted to an account of
PRIVATE MISSION,
In which, and others like it, hundreds of
ladies are engaged. Some go on certain
days to read to patients or converse with
them on cheerful topics some to drop the
''word in season" which may take root
and yield its many fold, and let me say
that If ever you have a day when you
have that heaviness Of spirit which is a
morbidness born of having nothing to
worry about, cure yourself by visit to
the nearest hospital. You'll never mourn
over imaginary woes again while the men,
DRY of that visit lasts. As I entered the
gates of Our hospital and heard them clang
behind me, the thought rushed upon me,
What must it be to come here sick
and without friends? and l shud-
dered as l looked about me at the
green lawn and the laurestina bushes,
for the grim building filed with wards and
cots and suffering people was close before
me. We hurried through the long hall
toward the little chapel at the end, from
whence came the sound of singing, meeting
patients in different stages OF convalescence
on the way. One had his arm in a band
age. another walked on crutches, and
woman carried tray with a pot of tea and
plate of bread on it, as though taking it
to bedside. The chapel was well filed
with congregation principally of men,
who sat attentively about on the benches,
but the benches were so hard and the walls
| seemed SO cold and bare. The Rev. Mr..
| VERNE, a Frenchman, conducted the SER
vices, and the singing was all of familiar
| gospel hymns, the four parts being repre-
sented and floating clear and distinct along
the hall outside and cut into the wards
whose doors stood open. A few of the diff
ferent churches take turns in sending sing
ers, and these were from Rev. Mr.. Barrows',
coming once in month. They were Mr..
! and Mrs. Charles S. Eaton, Miss Potwin
(who played the organ), Miss Katie Z4f,
! Miss Clara Duncan, Mr.. and Mrs. Noyes
and some gentlemen l did not know. Mrs.
| Moves Is better known to some OF my
! readers as Miss Louisa Rasche. After
ward the singers went into the wards, the
occupants all being anxious to hear, look
ing and listening with the greatest eager
ness. On the second cot of the first ward
we entered lay a little boy about three
years old, and as | looked at him knew
that his face was marked with death. He
turned his great blue eyes toward us, but
they were
HEAVENS OWN,
And had lost all reflection of earth. We
went away and came back again, and dur
ing our absence some one had pinned
piece of netting over his face, and the flies
were clustering upon it. His eyes were
closed, brit he was not asleep he was just
lying quiet and calm. Yet it seemed so
pitiful that a little child like that should
lie there drifting to his death with no one
who loved him to watch, and / could not
keep back my tears as l looked at him.
"You must not cry here, !" whispered one of
the ladies (; "these people are sad enough
without your tears. Afterward | asked
one of the patients about him. She called
him I" Little Aleck." :" He was so bright
and pretty when he first came, with long
curls about his head, and he would play in
his bed, and laugh, and sing some nursery
rhymes he knew" said the woman who lay
next him. He has grown worse since,
and they have cut off his hair, because it
was SO hard to take care of. He never
sings now, but lies there just as you see
him, and he win not get well. Yes, he
has mother, but the last time she came
she was drunk and made such scene that
the doctors objected. He has hip disease,
resulting from a fall, and the little boy
died about week after. Wewent around
from cot to cot, and my lady friend talked
with the patients and cbeered them as
best she knew. sympathizing, encouraging
and suggesting To this one, consump.
tive, she gave some jelly to another, an
orange and the sick people took the little
knots of flowers she had with pleasure.
"Sweet paa?" said one, "Oh, how home
like y and she took the flowers, her fingers
lowering over it and her eyes shining as
though it were friend. Many
others were there, on our errand, also.
Two Sisters of Mercy made us low
obeisapce as thew passed and went about