New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1890-06-15
WORKING WOMEN.
A VETERAN OF THE WAR.

NO. said the gray haired woman. - am not going
TO help to decorate the graves. more accustomed
10 handling lint and bandagcs than howers-that is,
was accustomed to it twenty odd years ago. when
nursing in Washington hospital. Oh. yes Of
course after soldiers dead flowers are better for
them than anything else, but ! cannot help laughing
now, when think Of an illcontrved fellow whose
leg were trying to save. and who always in a
bad humor except when he eating iees and
tards. Just let ANYBODY carry flowers his cot II they
wanted to hear him break ont 'Oh, 20 TO thunder
with them flowers he would say land can't tell YOU
what kind of flowers he called EN-; thought you
bringing me something good - eat Usually. uh
Jess his Jog hurting him awfullv, he tried to keep
from using bad words. but the sight Of flowers. when he
expecting something else. seemed to be too much
for him. lie had long siege II it, but at last he
lmpcd ont Of the hospital on clutches. and had
letter from him months aftcrward saying he had
thrown his clutches aside
Hospital nursing hard work The hardest I ever
did I'm my life YOu see | went into il without any
training We army nurses hadn't been taught to spare
ourselves. and we didn't thought nj first I'd have 10
give up because couldn't sleep at night for seeing the
ampuatcd arms and legs and other sicSening sights
that had been among all day but held ont to the
last although was Of the youngest nurses in the
hospital. When | out at the end Of two years
work everybody said looked ten Older than when
| went in had never been very strong and the
doctor said too sympathetic for such profession
tell You it is a dreadful thing TO hear men begging TO
be killed to be put Of their misery Some Of the
patients we're ,hammng. making the greatest ado over
little flesh wounds, but these very few in com
parson with those who were really hurt.
40 | do no nursing nowadays. The girls who are
graduating every year from training schools with their
heads crammcd with book-learnng and familiar with all
the recent discoveries and improvements in medicine
and surgery, would look down on nurse VINO learned
all she knows during the For the last twenty
five wears | have been supporting myself AZ a
housekceper. In hotcl No, | haven't strength
enough for that. sometimes take care Of wdower
and his children until he marres again, which he al
ways does too for my convenience; and sometimes
keep house for a fashionable lady until 20 distracted
with her pink luncheons and orange breakfasts and
ueWiauged arran gcments. consider my sell a
but the trouble l. tnat sometimes
there aren't servants enough t0r Inc WORK tnl HIS 10
bc dome and 80 | have fall to and help. which not
only lessons the servants respect for me. but usay
brings on An attack Of nervous prostatl0n that makes
necessary for me Ia take resting spell III WORKING
Women, Home though hate dreadtnly To see money
roing when there's none coming IN
" ought 10 have Government pension Yes, thar
is what | have often been told. IL Is true WASH I
wounded during the war like southern lazy met
la.t summer. she told me that she had shed blood
(or the Los, Cause having bruised her fingers shucklne
In cutting ont Confederate uniforms, didn't she'd any
blood for the Union. but gave II pretty huch the same
thing i'm nv strength and a pension no matter now
small II might be- would come In very well 10 spare
nv saving, when am ont Of work ana take away my
dread Of being dependent some one in my old age
M relation, wouldn't let me 20 10 the alnShoh>''
know but cannot save up enough Tor niue rest III
,he end hope and trust may die In harness There's
many years work In me yet IL wiat stfGIE,n N.Y.
lnc 10 receive smaller salaries every time make u
change as the years 70 bv.