San Antonio daily light. [volume] (San Antonio, Tex.) 1886-1907, 1890-09-27
THE MISSIONARY NURSE.
Diversity of Occupation in the Lot of One
Who Cares for the Poor.

Diversity of Occupation in the Lot of One
who Cares for the Poor.
my working hours?" said the missionary
nurse. "Why, bless you, nursing isn't mat
ter of hours; it is one of endurance One day
out of six am allowed to rest, but during
the other five working days of the week am
thankful if get five hours of sleep out of the
twenty-four.
why don't the sick poor go to the hospit-
ais? If you were to ask them they would say
they are afraid of the black bottle. They be-
lieve firmly that when hospital nurses and
doctors see that a patients case is hopeless
they put him out of his misery with a dose
from black bottle. You would be surprised
to find how common this kind of talk is even
among those of whom you would expect bet
ter sense They would rather remain among
their own people, who encourage them in such
foolishness, though they themselves haven't
time to nurse their sick, even if they knew
how. OF course people brought up in the
slums don't mind the smells as ] do, and the
sight of vermin doesn't nauSeate them as it
does me; but for all that their sick would not
only be much more comfortable, but in many
cases their chances of life would be doubled if
they could be persuaded to go to some decent
hospital
What kind of smells do encounterl All
kinds except sweet ones. | often wish
might leave my nose at home, for while
am cropping about in the dark halls, trying
to find my way to the shaky staircases, it
seems to me different bad smell comes with
every breath l draw.
~ have sometimes almost gone down on
my knees to some poor rheumatic or partially
paralyzed woman, imploring her to let her.
self be taken to the. hospital, where she could
receive all the attention she ought to have,
and the answer would be, L amt fifteen to die
yet, so Pm a-goin' to keep out of the hospital
as long as can. One day the doctor said
to a case of this kind--she had been dress
maker. and had supported herself comforta-
bly, as long as she was able to wOrk-that she
would be sure to die if she stayed at home
and let her children expose her to draughts
as they were always doing. Well, said she,
better die at home, when my time comes,
than at the hospital, before my time comes,
and where I'll be cut open before the breath
is fairly out of my body. That's the way
friend of mine was served last year Her
folks didn't know no better than to let her
be took to a hospital, and after her death,
which l s'pose was helped along by the black
bottle, them doctors, without asking leave
of nobody, slashed away at the poor thing
and then they botched her up again, making
great pucker in the seam, such as wouldn't
allow no little prentice girl of mine to make.
"Now, that dressmaker is a fair specimen
of the kind of people work among
Duties of a missionary nurse! Well, be-
sides giving medicine and sticking on plasters
and taking temperatures, | sometimes have
to cook and wash and scrub and beg. Scarce
ly day passes that l don't boil cruel and
broil chops for sick people, and often have
to roll up my sleeves and wash dishes or scrub
the floor. Then occasionally have to go to
some depository where benevolent persons
send such things, and present petition for
sheets or blankets, or whatever else is needed
among my patients, whom l sometimes find
lying on piles of rags.
"Salaryl Forty dollars for the first month,
the month of probation, and afterward $50
month. If you were to go the rounds with
me some day think you would say that am
not paid dollar too much. Just now, be
sides the case of rheumatism have been tell
ing you about, have a consumptive patient,
a cancer to look after and a bone felon to
poultice, and some cases of malaria that Zone
or another of them are needing quinine at
every hour of the day, and cannot be trusted
TO take it by themselves; these are only few
of my patients. New York Tribune