The Memphis appeal. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1886-1890, 1889-06-23

vanguard OF this new battalion OF coming
legions. II is palm / am permitted to
bear in the very dust OF the conflict.
may say TO you, as to dear pupil long
since:
IT'S sweet TO see Young faces,
Beaming with hope today;
To know you'll take our places
When We are called away.
And so in the name OF all who are nobly
striving in this great cup and on" in his
name who must be our inspiration, our
guide and our strength, give you "the
right hand OF fellowship" bid you well
come as duly equipped and accredited
laborers in the vineyard. / give you joy
that you have come out Of the crowd to
whom the Master says: "Why stand ye
here all the day idle?'
That you have risen up in woman's
strength, that you have conquered wo-
mans weakness, that you have conquered.
| say, because to stand on this hight, TO
hold the scrolls you have just received,
means already victory,
In what determination, In what pa
tience, in what carefulness, in what humil-
ity, in what WEAKNESS and painfulness
you have struggled up to these nights
perhaps woman can understand better
than another, for who of us has not served
some slight apprenticeship in this profess
sion.
hold that there is dignity in help
fulness, whatsoever the sphere.
A certain godly catechism epitomizing
the Christian Gospel, sets it down in the
category OF neighborly obligations, the
climax OF the list, that 81 must learn TO
and labor truly TO get mine own living"
and do my duty in that state OF life into
which it shall please God to call me-
Bread-winning, then, you see is obligatory,
not upon the few but upon all, and so in
every sense honorable.
Certain callings, however, certain pro-
fessions, imply sort OF conservation.
Among these, after the minister of the
Gospel. come the physician and the nurse.
Your good physician takes no vow Of
self abnegation, but is not this required OF
him daily2 Whom else would we ask to
give up sleep, rest, recreation, comfort,
ease, leisure? OF him is questioned the
inhering inalienable rights, life, liberty
and the pursuit OF happiness. In plain
words. he is expected TO live on higher
plane than that OF ordinary mortals. Shall
we not then grant the loftiness, even sa-
crcdness OF such calling rightly entered
uponP
OF the teacher II is well said by a sainted
Bishop:
''To teach for pay
IA To teach for prey;
To teach for love
Is paid from above"
So also, rs OF these, we may say Of you.
\ o mere hope Of gain or honor or emolu-
ment could have induced you to enter
upon this life Of sacrifice. An inward inn
pulse high, noble, unselfish, desire to
live useful lives, TO merge sell in others
must be the motive power Of all who 80
consecrate their lives.
We have known so much OF the work OF
nurses training schools for many years.
Germany, France, England, the great
cities OF our own country have done 80
much in this direction that IL seems strange
We arc just beginning the work. All
honor, then, TO this school, that has 10
successfully inaugurated so great work.
All honor TO you, our first graduated
nurses.
IL is now twenty years since ist be-
came familiar with the teachings OF such
a school. II was at the hospital OF the
Won't rs Medical College in Philadelphia.
One l loved had been received there,
making the work refuge from herself in
a time OF grea. trouble. When saw her,
her robes OF mourning put aside, passing
like ray Of sunlight through the long,
bare corridors. when she showed me the
twenty infants, doubtfully welcomed into
agIieving world, who were her sole charge,
and explained her many duties, asked
her how she could endure the mental
labor required OF her. she replied cheerily:
20, I'm on probation, you know. Re-
iincment is one Of the requirements here.
The nurses are all such as l." She did
her duty well, was n blessing to many, but
her probation" was not long.
This was the school and college where
DR.. Rachel Bodley, Dean OF the Faculty,
did her great work for women. Thence
the lamonlcd Dr. Joshcr went forth to her
mission, so sadly ended in her India
home. There Ramabai found refuge and
help when she came from India, breaking
the silence OF thousand years Of intoler.
able oppression.
Nursing is woman's profession by
heritage. Note the wee, toddling girl, how
she coddles and nurses her sick doll, tends
the forlorn, Ealing" chick in a June
storm, or chcrishes the cold body Of the
wounded bird. fallen from its high nest.
IL Is little daughter that ministers 20
mother In Illness, and noisy brother
Is put out OF the house the
while. IL is big sister who smooths
fathers pillow in suffering. and yours too.
. dear, big brother. A woman's touch, her
hand-clasp in your dark hour, you long for
that all who are trcading paths OF pain In
the valley desolatc. And you, o woman
In some darkened chamber OF your life.
where your hopes hung uDon the shorten.
ing breath OF a spent sufferer, to whom
you have ministercd unto the brink Of the
dark river In the iulncss Of your cup OF
sorrow. praying that your life might be
given for that olhcr-you have learned
nursing.
Pious souls there are, many one, who
for sweet charity's sake supply loves
place 10 the desolato in hospitals aud
homes of poverty, and 10 minister to Him
whose they are and whom they love, tho
Masters soli In the Masters poor, and
hungercd, or sick, or in prison, aud 30
they learn nursing.
But neither love, norpity, nor friendship
can supply the place OF skill. Too often
Friendships blind scryicc IN the hour Of nes-i
Wipes the pale face hnd lets the victim bleed
scicncc must stop ~ reason aud explain.
AT cnps ~ hngrr on the streaming yclu"
In these arduous tasks the best methods
for your own character aud conduct may
be found, those you meet In your daily
walk. You know the kindly beaming
eye, the CHEEKY voice. the quiet, helpful
presence that Is n tower OF strength 10
those In need the skilliul hand, A,iih nm.
erring power 10 help and to save; the
quiet, tender sympathy that soothes when
help is done forever These you know as