Martinsburg independent. [volume] (Martinsburg, W. Va.) 1875-1900, 1885-05-02
A NOBLE WOMAN.


forth the character and great exam
pie of Washington. There is little
room for difference OF opinion on
that proposition. The elevation of
the masses of mankind; the growth
OF individual self-respect, and the
political emancipation of nations,
which the sound of that name has
awakened and encouraged, are mat
ters OF history. While the lads in
the district school in Badged knew
about Washington and his little
Ratchet, their sires and grand-sires
know that America is : great and
free country, and that Washington
is esteemed it's first citizen, living or
dead s ..,,,,...
Theinfuence Of . great. character
is a blessing to the whole world, and
it is probably safe to say that, with
one exception only, the Anglo Saxon
race has contributed more to the
worlds treasures in this regard than
any other race, ancient orr modern
True, we have had the advantage Of
all that has gone before, but we have
used that advantage well and, while
individual examples may not now be
as exceptional and meteor like as for
merly, the number of persons who
are affected by, and who try to fol
low the higher lights, is much greater,
and these in turn become patterns
for widening circle. "
Both sexes and all creeds are re-
presented in this emulation to do
something in the service of humanity,
but in most cases the names OF sue
cessful workers are not known be-
yond their locality where their lives
are passed. AS a general thing, true
service of this kind comes from such
a complete self-abnegation that all
publicity is guarded against, and the
world is often denied the knowledge
of life, the example of which would
be of great valne.
Fortunately for the race, this was
not the case with regard to Miss
Dorothy Wyndlow Pattison, who
died in Walsall, England, four
and halfyears ago, after many years
service as lady in charge of the Sur
gical Hospital in that town.
Walsall, lies on the edge of the
black country in Staffordshire, and is
distinguished for it's coal pits, foun-
dries, machine shopsa and smelling
furnaces, it's umbrella of coal smoke,
its large laboring population, and
frequent accidents and injuries among
them. Here Miss Pattison spent
about eighteen years in unobstrusive,
but remarkably efficient nursing, in
whick she wore herself out prema-
turely, for she died at forty-eight.
She was the daughter Of country
clergymen, and was reared in refine
ment; was not very strong in her
youth, bat afterward developed vi
gor and vitality, both of nerve and
muscle, that made her wonder to
the surgeons, and something more
than human to the helpless patients.
III her girlhood she was known as
Dora Pattison, and when she entered
upon hospital work, she was, by com
mon consent, christened Sister Dora.
This is the name engraved on her
coffin-plate, and 80 she is, and will
be, known in history.
Her life was an example of a very
high order of talent, persistently
and faithfully directed to that spe-
cial field of operations for which she
was best fitted. While quite young,
she developed taste and liking for
nursing sick people, and she embra-
ced every available opportunity for
the exercise of her fancy, and so be-
came skillful and efficient. She con-
nected herself with nursing sister
hood of the Church of England, and
learned how to do, with her own
hands, all kinds of mental work, SO
that when she came to take full charge