Wichita eagle., 1888-06-17
CHARITY HOSPITAL
SAD SCENES -AMoN0 AN UNFOR-
TUNATE GLASS or PEOPLE

Nine Hundred Sufferers Cn<ser Ono
Roof-A Dying Girs-Soa;e Deeds Of
Charfey-oucside Work.
The lsdies OF the mission gathered up
their packages and papers and divided IN
two parties--one 70 visit she pcnitentiay
end do there the beautiful work which
Elisabeth Fry initiated. tho ether to TIE
Charity hospital: and with the latter I
went. small room is set apart there
for the use Of the mission The tables In
it were already covered With baskets Of
fruit. glasses of jelly, bottles Of beef tea,
cans of oysters, and various other doll
cacies By each beskes lay a number Of
papers and religious tracts After brief
religious services the ladies separated.
each taking her own basket and reading
matter to the ward she was assigned 70.
Here. under this one roof. are 500 human
beings. In every coareivahle stage q
suffering The paG : OF poverty are In
creased a hunGrea fold when disease
seizes in its cruel clutches the unhappy
victim Few people are fortunate enough
10 escape the knowledge OF bodily pain
Most. indeed. csn recollect ut least one
season of physical wretche6ness. To be
sure. there was soft bed and shaded
windows, skilled caro- and loving atten-
tions, doctors who said pleasant things and
disguised their doses. delicious TRIES that
appeared by magic. and . thousand in
genious surprises to create an appetite or
win smile With eli that. something
like a shudder comes over one ut the
thought of repetition Of the experience.
To so through a ward il she Charity hos
pital convinces you that the primer OF
misery has yet to be mastered by the rest
of us Imagine yourself on narrow aad
lumpy bed. the light from a row OF big
windows beating IL your eyeballs. the feet
of the eonvalescents shutting and scuf
fling over the bare ioor, the whtewashed
walls. devoid Of even a wall paper pattern
10 be deciphered. the callous young doctor
TO whom you are but bit of experience.
and the food such that IL well your
stomach and senses would revolt AZ IL.
AS TO flowers. books. music and bright
colors. they come only IN dreams
After all no amount of moralizing brings
the truth home like q single individual
case. and there was enc patient in par
ticular that made profound impression
upon me--a girl ii the last stages Of con-
sumption. Illness had robbed her face OF
the eoarseness it may have had n health.
Through tho veil that death is drawing
over it shine splendid black eyes and 4
skin painfully brilliant in coloring. A
heavy mass OF short black hair falls over
her forehead. nearly meeting the large
dark brows that seem TO have been
painted rather than grown on the marble
skin There is something curious and
shocking in this dread makeup Of dis
ease that reminds one of the stage. but
there Is no counterfeit presentneIft OF
health in the long, emaciated hands that
lie so nervelessly on the bedquilt- BY
the side Of the bed Is little stand; upon
1t Bible and mug OF water-that is all.
Mary WAS breathing IN low gasps. Her
lips were parched. her eyes despairing.
Suddenly they fell upon the visitor. In a
moment she WAS transformed When that
visitor Laid on the little table slice Of
ordinary white bread and butter and
big orange the girl half raised herself on
her elbow 70 look her gratitude Tho
luxury expressed Ia that slice OF bread
and butter no one can imagine until they
look at the dark. sticky stuff creased over
that Is called by that u&Ine In tho hos
pital Then the gentlo missionary read
and talked to the girl. who listened
eagerly NO one else comes to see mo
but you." she said. simply, and the days
and nights are so long
rs there anything you would hker'
asked the lady.
Yes. ma an. If you please | should
go like little mixed candy" said the dy-
ing girl ''You see. the medicine tastes
go bad. and we don't have nothing 20 take
after it The candy was promised. and
with her heart in her voice the lady ut
tered little prayer and left the sufferer
COMPOSED and comforted II rs dark
day in patients lie when the doctor
says .he may have anything she likes
that Is. that visitors choose 20 give her
and many and singular art the petitions
showing the sufferers idea Of luxury.
One sinking from the effects Of an opera
ton begs for e tuste Of mixed pickles.
another wants ''just one tolagpy. a'arn;"
q third asks for . glass Of ginger GLs. end
an old woman Cegs for "a cup OF real
tea"
Going from ose ward to another :. Ii
the sarns story told over and over egain
OF suffering. for the most part dumb. of
moral blindness and mental misery. IL h
curious. though, 70 note tie difference Of
reoeytioa givea 20 the rIiExiou visitors by
tbs new and old ones.