The Houma courier. (Houma, La.) 1878-1939, 1896-09-26


There is no greater blessing this side
the tomb than good health. There may
be wors things than sickness. Dis.
honor, the loss of character, the dis
ruption of home and the breaking of
the hearts of those who love us; these
are wors than sickness. Yet it is true
that some of those who enjoy the best
OF health make our most consummate
vagabonds and most useless citizens;
while in some cases the invalid, those
who have known what vigor and
good health was, have been giants in
usefulness and accomplishments. Very
few people are well all the time. More
than half of the human a G are sick or
in pain nearly all the time. A person
over 40 years of age with perfect health
is hard to find. The sick beds and ach-
ing bodies and invalid chairs can be
found on every street, and frequently
IN almost every house. 1t is either fa-
Their or mother, son or daughter, who
is physically unable to bear the pain
or endure the pressure. "WN that are
strong ought to bear the infiryuities of
the weak No finer trait in strong
manhood than that which becomes a
support to those who need support.
How helpless the sick areI How little
sympathy they get from the world!
On lightning express, on trolley cars,
driving or walking, a thousand times q
day we may pass the home where s1If-
fering is, without a thought of the lone
~ suffering inmate within. Lately I
have sat beside loved ones who seemed
near the grave. How helpless they were
and how helpless 1 was to help them!
Comforts I could give them, but al
downy bed is hard to one who has lain
there long. The most dainty food nau-
seous, the most effective remedies pow
erless. How stubborn disease is! How
steep the hill we pull as we come back
from sickness to health; from weak
ness to strength! An aged mother in
her invalid chair or confined to her
room, how she deserves our sympathy
and kindness! We cannot do too much
for her, for when we were helpless size
did all for us. 1
A suffering invalid wife-the highest
type OF manhood is shown in the tender
care and patient w-atchfuness of ths
husband as he watches and waits by heB
side. Not only the ties of blood shall
control US here, but he is a neighbor
indeed who is first to the bedside of the
suffering across the street or down
the way. A friend in need is a neighbor
Indeed. We need others help when we
cannot do for ourselves. The well neg
lect the sick; the strong neglect the
weak; the rich neglect the poor; the
prince neglects the pauper.
What a be~nediction an institution like
Johns Hopkins hospital, of Baltimore,
and the various institutions of other
cities to care for the sick and weary. I
hail with pleasure whatever institution
'a2d whatever hand is extended to help
the sun ring, to cure the sick and pro-
tect the weak: Only when sickness
comes to our own home, only when we
suffer ourselves, or those whom we love
better than ourselves suffer, are we
drawn towards the sick, or brought to
realize how unsympathetic we have
been towards the world about us. You
frequently hear the strong and vigor-
Gus one say, / am no nurse, l am of no
account about the sick. 1t is a shame
on anyone to make such a declaration,
for it is a confession of selfishnes which
disgraces the author of such words. l
have known strong, vigorous women
who never lend a helping hand about a
sick bed. I have known invalid wom-
en- who were angels of mercy by the
bedside of the sick and the dying.
There is more real pleasure in the life
of such an invalid than in the life of
1000 vigorous women and men who are
not conscious of having done a single
kindly deed to others.
King David said that it vas good
for him tha& he had been afflicted. l
lave no doubt whatever that it was
good for others that he was afflicted,
for it made him more kindly to the af-
ficted and more helpful to others in
distress.
We should be ready to visit and will
ing 10 help and anxious to relieve
every case of distress in the world.
Let those whose eyes u over this
article ask themselves the question
have l done right toward those who
suffer about me? Let every husband
with an invalid wife; every son with an
invalid mother; every brother with an
invalid sister; every neighbor with a
sick neighbor, say, I win be more use
full to those who need me and more
helpful to those who need help in the
coming days of my life.
1t is bad to be poor, but to be sick
and poor; it is bad to be helpless, but
10 be helpless and poor; it is bad to suf.
fer, but to suffer and be neglected
these things bring the frowns of Goo
upon men and make life uncomfortable
Let us. be ready to do a kindness, re
~membering that little words of kind
ness. little deeds of love, viii make this
world an Eden like the mi above.
SAM p. JONES.
FIRST Class Notices.