Salt Lake evening Democrat. [volume] (Salt Lake City, Utah) 1885-1887, 1885-05-19
WOMAN And HOME.
Helps for the Mother and Hiiits for
the Maiden.
[clara ReIl in cincinnati Ennnirer.

clara Bell in Cincinnati Enquirer.l
All, me, how the truth does differ from
/ fictionl Doesn't the hero of novel or
! play invariably get hurt, if at all, in the
| way of a broken leg or something that
! lays him up in nice, clean manner COM
patible with sentimentality? Moreover,
| isn't ii the rule that the heroine, turned
nurse, shall find her employment in that
! capacity made cOngenial by the duties OF
smoothing the dear fellows forehead and
| reading to him? That's romance. Here's
reality: The pastor of nv church is an
/ earnest Christian, practical doer of good
and all that sort OF philanthropic thing.
He is all the while getting up visitation
committees for the tenement-house poor,
old victual distribution coteries and sec
ond-hand clothes agencies. He got it
into his benevolent head not long ago
that some of rs girls ought to do amateur
nursing in the public hospitals.
The plan took well, because we had
heard that London aristocratic maidens
were practicing it, and he speedily had
six enthusiastic volunteers. We went
through with preliminary training to
the extent OF reading book of directions
IOI IilCH We OutS.
We were to form kind of relief gang,
each girl to devote one whole day in six
to actual attendance in the ward of 4 GER
tain hospital. Our services were ac-
cepted. We drew cuts for turns, and l
hit the first day. Early next morning /
presented myself, in a very plain but
neatly-iitted bib and tucker, to the house
physician of the institution. l aattered
myself that was prepared for any fate
which duty might impose upon me ; but
down deep in my heart of hearts l was
hopefully expectant OF the broken-boned
hero of the novel and the play for a
patient. What was my joy, therefore, on
being assigned to chap in exactly that
line. -,
What | mean is that both his legs and
one arm had been fractured OF course,
he wasn't precisely the ideal thing. His
brow wasn't as high and white as the
fictionist had described a stubble growth
of beard impaired whatever of beauty his
face might ordinarily have possessed;
and they had stuck him fast in struc-
ture OF splints and plaster of paris SO that
his one immovable position was not
picturesque. | was bound TO make the
best OF him, however, and at the first op-
portunity suggested that might read
the morning paper to him.
F" Unless you want to drive me crazv.
young woman" he growled, unaware
that | was volunteer, and not q hired
hospital attendant, you'll kindly keep
your tongue quiet"
The shock was something dreadful. /
Withdrew to a corner and wept. When
that was done with l returned to find
him asleep and snoring. But | made /
one additional effort to realize my ex- |
pectation. On his showing the first signs |
of awakening, and betraying pain by low /
signs quite romantically), | quietly |
'troked his fevered brow. He was wide /
eyed in minute.
For heavens sake don't bang and /.
olow my head" he exclaimed; g | can't |
stand 1t. d" have only a vague recollec-
ion of how the rest OF the day wore
Yearly away One of the fondest OF nv
ielusions was dispelled but when the
lext day 8 volunteer and came to COM
'are notes, and che related how she had
'een allotted to the care OF an old bum
ner Just over an acute attack Of delirium
remens, | concluded that | had been
ather fortunate. I'd had broken
mbed patient, at all events, though his
ehayior had not been all that had ex-
ected. On the whole, don't think that
mateur nursing has the elements of
lshlonable popularity.