Alma record. (Alma, Mich.) 1878-1928, 1896-10-09
GRADUATING ADDRESS.
Delivered before the Gradual
ing Class, of October, 1896,
Training School of NurS-
ing.
BY DIR. f. S. PETTYJoHN,


in this pleasant place TO address those
who had finished our course and wert
about 60 make a commencement, each
for herself, on course that would run
whole lifetime. At that time WE
viewed together the origin and history
of Nursing. This evening | desire &c
present some characters for our study
and inspiration, and mention some OF
the essentials of a successful trained
nurse.
Facing the River Thames, across from
the House of Parliament, stands St
Thomas Hospital and one of the most
interesting of this group of magnificent
buildings is Nightingale Home. This
is the British Nations tribute TO and
appreciation of that grand and noble
gentlewomen to whom every nurse in
Christendom should give recognition
and pay loving and grateful homage.
On her return home from the Crimean
War, in which she was chosen to organ
ize the hospital system of the armies of
Great Britain, as a national testimonial,
a subscription of a quarter of IA million
dollars was rendered this lovely, lovable
and self sacrificing woman. This she
devoted in her unselfishness to the
establishment of this Home toward
which every nurse i'll great Britain
turns her face
Florence Nightingale is the mother of
the nursing fraternity. Daughter of
wealthy parents as she was, she relin-
pushed the frivolous pleasures of society
and lazy longing about her home TO
engage in the thorough study of the
working of English schools, hospitals
and refOrmatOries, and later entered the
institution Of Protestant Sisters of
Mercy at Keisenwerth, I'm Germany, at
the time probably the best institution Of
the kind III the world. She thus
gave the first public evidence of the fact
that she was of the highest type of
womanhood possessed of desire to live
for others rather than for self. AS an
evidence of how thoroughly well she
mastered her subject from practical
standpoint, we mention the fact that at
the present day the great Berlin nursing
institutions, and others in the world,
are modelled on lines which were drawn
by Florence Nightingale. 1t was her
love Of humanity, the desire to work out
the problem of human perfection, that
prompted her TO leave her home Of ease
and set aside her wealth for helping the
betterment of suffering, sick humanity
is liberal contributor TO literature
Now at the advanced age Of seventy-fve
she is still deeply interested in all that
pertains to sick humanity. Though Il
victim Of suffering nearly all her life.
she has mastered the literature pertain
ing TO her life work and studied by
personal observation and service the
many details of the sick room ana
hospital.
Fortunately, here in great America,
we are not lacking in such examples of
service and sacrifice. | need only men
ton Clara Barton as one of many. In
this broad land of ours, in spite Of the
fact that human slavery existed for
many years, Though i'll only part of
our country toll and honest labor, par
ticularly in helping those in need a.
every sick person is, has always been
and Will always be highly respectable
What Horace Greedy said is as true
TO-DAY as when uttered, for truths never
die 1.-The darkest day in a mans career
is when he first thinks there is al
easier way of getting a dollar than
squarely earning it," Every trained
nurse believes i'll this principle.
Until a few years ago any woman.
usually one of uncertain age forced to
become bread winner "took to nurs-
ing as makeshift because she had
knack for it. While adaptability ana
that ineXplainable faessc foresight and
appropriateness with fondness for the
work is essential, but now instead OF
elderly persons taking TO it, the
youngest and best brain and Drawn are
thoroughly, Systematically and practi-
caly trained and equipped, for this
humanitarian vocation.
1t is frequently said that all ones sins,
sorrows and failures are due TO the love
of self, but the nurse will be so absorbed
with her patient and the love of her
work and the desire to anticipate the
needs, strengthen the hope and soothe
the suffe1ings of those for whom she
cares, that she will entirely forget her
self. The draft constantly made upon
her sympathies will develop them, so
that her constant effort will be only TO
serve faithfully as to every physical
necessity. BY her gentleness Of char
acter, forcefulness and pleasing manner
she will win the affections of her patient
and turn her thoughts away from her
sutferings into pleasant channels. Per
sOnal neatness and fresh cleanliness VIII
always characterize her appearance and
she will be a living model for the appG-
cation of John Wesley's axiom, "Cleanli-
ness is next TO Goodness" for her own
and the patients surroundings.
\ recent writer has said that one who
sticks to the COW path as Garfield did TO
the toe path, may be able TO drink milk,
but he never wears diamonds While
diamonds are beautiful and valuable,
they are of little service in the world
but milk-it contains all the nutriment
the human body needs. We have all
been raised on milk, part of our lives,
and how much good it has done in the
world. The nurses path may be a |
humble one bringing neither fame nor
fortune, but world of opportunities for
doing good. So, if your life tends
toward the COW path and toward milk
rather than diamonds, nor complain
nor falter, for milk is ideal nutriment,
the great tissue builder-but let it take
the form when administered by you, of
milk Of human kindness" which has
no equal among men. 1t carries more
Joy and hope, furnishes more gladness
and substantial comfort, more thought, |