Evening capital. (Annapolis, Md.) 1884-1910, 1888-06-15
CHARITY HOSPITAL.
SAD SCENES sAMoNo AN uNFoR-
TuNATE CLASS or PEOPLE.


Charity--Outsido Work.
The ladies of the mission gathered up
their packages and papers and divided In
two parties-one to visit the penitentiary
and do there the beautiful work which
Elizabeth Fry initiated. the other TO the
Charity hospital. and with the latter |
went. A 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 deli
cacies By each basket lay 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 to.
Here. under this one roof. are 600 human
beings. in every conceivable stage of
suffering The pangs cf poverty are in
creased a hundred foid when disease
seizes In It's cruel clutches the unhappy
victim Few people are fortunate enough
10 escape the knowledge of bodily pain
Most. indeed. can recollect at least one
season of physical wretchedness. To be
sure. there was soft bed and shaded
windows. skilled care and loving atten-
tions. doctors who said pleasant things and
disguised their doses, delicious trifes that
appeared by magic, and thousand in
genious surprises to create an appetite or
win a smile. With all that, something
like q shudder comes over one at the
thought of repetition CT the experience.
To go through ward Ia the Charity hos
pital convinces you that the primer of
misery has yet to be mastered by the rest
OF US. Imagine yourself on q narrow and
lumpy bed. the light from row Of big
windows beating in your eyeballs. the feet
of the convalescents shutting and scuf-
ding over the bare Hoor. the whitewashed
walls. devoid of even wall paper pattern
to be deciphered. the callOus young doctor
TO whom you are but bit of experience,
and the food such that If well your
stomach and senses would revolt at 1t.
As to Lowers. books. music and bright
coIors. they como only In dreams.
After all no amount of moralizing brings
the truth home like single individual
case. and there was one patient in par
ticular that made profound impression
upon me-a girl in the last stages of con-
sumption. illness had robbed her face of
the coarseness 1t may have had in health.
Through the veil that death is drawing
over 1t shine splendid black eyes and a
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 presentment Of
health in the long. emaciated hands that
lie so nervelessly on the bedquilt. by
the side Of the bed Is little stand; upon
II 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 q
moment she was transformed. When that
visitor laid on the little table slice OF
ordinary white bread and butter and q
oig orange the girl half raised herself on
her elbow to look her gratitude. The
luxury expressed In that slice Of bread
and butter nc one can Imagine until they
.ook at the dark. sticky stuff CREASED over
that Is called by that name in the hos
pital Then the gentle missionary read
and talked to the girl. who listened
eagerly mo one else comes to see me
but You. she said. simply, "and the days
and nights are SO long"
is there anything you would likef"
asked the lady.
YES maam. II you please. | should
SC Ikea little mixed candy. said the dy-
,ng girl "You see. the medicine tastes
20 bad. and we don't have nothing to take
after It." The candy was promised. and
with her heart In her voice the lady ut
tered q little prayer and left the sufferer
composed and comf0rted It Is o dark
day In patients life when the doctor
says she may have anything she likes
that is. that visitors choose TO give her
and many and singular are the petitions
showing the sufferers idea Of luxury
One sinking from the effects of an opera
tion begs for taste Of mixed pickles.
another wants '.just one bologny. ma'am;"
third asks for glass Of ginger ale. and
an old woman begs for "a cup of real
tea
Going from one ward to another 1t Is
the same story told over and over again
of suffering. for the most part dumb. Of
moral blindness and mental misery. Il is
curious. though. to note the difference Of
reception given to the mission visitors BY
the new and old ones.
in the surgical wards were many des-
perafely III women One Of them near
the door was nearly over the threshold OF
life Hei glazed eyes were fixed upon .
shild-her only one. brought to her for q
farewell kiss The little fellow crowed
and capered about merrily In the lap Of
The woman who held him. unconscious OF
the meaning OF the scene. As his mothers
syeiids fell be was laughing outright
with delight. It would Be painful and
ireary to 70 even ii pen from one ward