The national leader., 1889-03-09

her form, the fneneSs OF her simple
brooch, the modulatlons OF her voice,
The fresh flower on her tray, the com.
pllInent she paid each event In her
invalid's lives by donnlng new cap
all these trifes, while they merely led
the doctors to think Miss Woodwork
the bonniest nurse In the house. told
the matron that she was from the class
among whom to be pleasant is as much
a part of the moral de as to be good.
"A woman reflected the matron,
may act like a lady if she's lived
among interiors; but to always speak
like a lady argues that she's lived with
superiors.'
1t was reserved for DR.. Thomas
Seymour, least solicitous of the medical
staff about getting Eleanor's morning
bow and smile. to discover that every
thing wise and sweet and patient had
been done by her for an invalid before
she called him to administer little
heroic treatment. He never delayed
when ste summoned. He had conf.
dence in the voice of the people, hence
be had confidence in the woman to
whom the peoples representatives, his
patients, gave such names as Salvation
Nellie'-this from a half-crazed reli-
gious wreck; MISS Wadsworth, from
a patient who thought she must be one
In name as in nature with the youth
who looked up and not down, and lent
hand; Mon petite mere,' from a
Canadian boy whose one eye followed
her constantly. Dear child from
Grandma Nash, whose slow decline the
doctors urged as proof that one can
die merely of old age.
Left in charge of the hospital as DR..
Seymour was during years absence
of the superintendent, he was too busy
to question if Miss Woodworth had a
more subtle charm than her face value.
She pulled we'll with him in the hos
pital harness, that was all. These
middle class girls were noble without
being sentimental like your cultured
miss, and when they put their hand to
the plow it was not for The sake OF
showing off their diamonds
DR.. Seymour was no bOor, he was a
young man whose deep nature circ1m-
stances had conspired to make narrow,
and though he now, by reading and
acquaintance, was making for himself
wings with which 10 soar into more
liberal atmosphere, he had not as yet
burst the lettering belief tnat no good
can come out of the Back Bay.
Since, In his opinion, the great de-
mocracy of the United States implanted
all desirable tastes In its daughters, he
wondered that Miss Woodw0rth had
not a craving for literary stimuiant.
She was never visible when visitors
came to read bits OF wit and humor-
pathos was not tallowed-to the patients,
and DR.. Seymour benevolently urged.
Miss Woodwork, you would enjoy
taking your sewing into the wards when
the reading Is going on. They read
nothing heavy, you know; you'd really
enjoy it,
Eleanor smiled, not so much because
he saw that he had been unhappy in
the wording OF his remark, as at the
thought of the many times when she
had exchanged duties with another
nurse in order not to hear her former
acquaintances settle their silk gowns
and announce the titles of gems Of
verse and prose which she had brought
to their notice at the literary club of a
few years ago.
She would have smiled again if she
had seen the DOCTORS lace few days
later, when he peeped around screen
and saw her sitting in the twilight
between two cots, saying as lullaOys to
the poor sick souls fragments Of Drift
lng,' Hymn to the Night, the 'ClOver
Song,' and the 'Chambered Nautilus.
AS he stole away, he heard Grand ma
Nash say drowsily.
Il don't sense it much, Miss Wood
worth but it do make me feel as ii
I'd been out on the settle on the porch
once more.'
L might have known DR.. Seymour
muttered, that it isn't your butterfly
of fashion who lights on the sweets of
literature. What time has she for
browsing among any but fashion bOoks2
And what time have l to spend in
thinking of the girl? Good Lord! it's
a poor way of forgetting to love her.
He was still rumpllng his hair dis
tractedIy when Eleanor appeared on her
way to supper.
Miss Woodworth,' he asked. 'I'm
such new hand at making out The
annual report to the trustees that 1
wish you would listen to my manuscript
and see if I've stated the needs and
methods of the institution correctly.
Pm in a little of hurry about It,.
Could you give me an hour In the
office this EVENING" 1t is not part of
your duty, but as friend?'
And she came as friend without
cap or apron, and any man would have
agreed with the doctor that 1t was
hard luck, when he found he could stop
at the Office door only long enough to
excuse himself while he attended to
one more case.
AN hour dra eyed by before he re-
turned, Ii an irritated frame of mind,
for his case. his pet case, had died
meanwhile, and the assi-tant surgeon
had owned up to bloOd.poisoning. The
hour seemed to have wrought change
for the worse in Eleanor Woodworth,
too. Her head was bent over a news
paper; everything about her seemed
detected, wistful.
The doctor caught sight of the paper.
Somebody had officially marked and
sent it to him that morning. 1t was d
l;t+lo loool shoot puhljshad in Nnufnn