The times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1890-1903, 1896-05-31

DO for n living. I had always had de-
sire ID study medicine. but had no mon
ey. and the only thing I could DO was 10
tsrch. hoping to earn enough 30 take mo
10 medical school later. Ny previous tN-
pcriencc In teaching consisted or one WIN
ter's term In a district school, wheie ,he
trustee employed me because he knew i"',
my mother and an uncle had h,rn soou
teachers and he Guessed any one IN the
same family Gould manage TO get along.
Now. however 1 had TO apply for schools
where my hereditary tendencies were not
considered. and after some diIlelliy, !
secured q position as principal of Village
school wh-rc i had about hIY pupi,,
from twelve TO eighteen years of age, wen
yersed in an modes OF warfare employed 10
q country school.
The village was divided into two par-
ties that were I'm perpetual warfare. ~
one faction employed the Teacher, the
other faction ondcavcred 90 make her
life burden and had over gone 50 iar
rs % offer To- pay the larger pupils u pnt
the teacher out u The buildin- y, the
end Of the year, ! was reduced 10 q nA'h -
ing cough and cod liver oil.
4 then went to New York city whore /
taught in private school for three years,
hut as my salary lid little more than pay
my running expenses ! began 10 think Of
some more rapid road TO medical kno"-
ledge, for 1 was now twenty-five years
o-d.
[ decided 10 20 into a hospital TO take
the training Of a nurse. II Is almost lm-
poss.bl, for a woman 10 get good nos
pital appointments after graduation, ahI
go the only way Is 10 get 10 before
studying medicine.
/ entered one OF The largest hospitals in
the country, and spent Two years ~ un-
ccasiug toll, that uo one can apps -cl. o.
who has not tried 10. The WOft Is FOR
twelve hours, and during that time you
not only do not SIT down, but you n.y.
Here YOU learn for the first time, the
value of sleep. Many times you would
give almost anything for nye minutes
~ it aud you fan asleep while walking
THE FIRST MORNlNG.
My first morning in the hospital is still
very vivid 10 me. / went I'D when the
day nurses took The place on the NJ
nurses. L can still sre the long ward
with It's white beds. aud can today Zee
member The name. OF The nurses as though
lt were but yesterday. The mead nurse
gIances around as SHE enters, ANA Dear
her remark tO the night nurse. ""
uutieutr How The typNNluf tiihbcd INST
uieut. did sie2' "t.mbed mean, thdt
"a human being died. uut deaths are tao.
common TO mean mach, except To the news
c0mels.
never bad seen any one die. and on
size thitd morning as 1 went 90 one NO
man who bad cou. umptioh, / hoiited "h
expression on her fsce that / had never
seen before size looked al NE aud sdld.
"l am feeling better ! think 1 VIII ~
home now" tAtu iel back. dead.
The next day / beard Cd doctor say ln Il
joking way, pointing uc QUE 10 another
doctor. "lhlt is the nurse that cti.a
when gulhisis case 'Stdi
After you have been do the hospital
al. IIIIf
as nl.nt nurse. Tine gas i5 turned down,
and yOu pass from one bed 10 another Win
a. candle. taking temperatures. giving mcd-
lriup.. applying ppulucts, ctrf busy an
might. but thankful u 10 one dies. How
you stand the horror you never know,
unless Do il because YOU are ashamed to
give up what others ave enduring. Durlns
my ntst wees / bad three deaths
Ne each had TWO wards 10 attend 10 at
nl-lt. aua were In constant tenor Tor icat
something would 90 wrous n one Waid
white absent DO the other Iicre We met an
kinds " humanity. There was tnc Oh
ItsL woman who would preface nor re-
marks with. An may yer bed Dee SOFT iu
heaven miss" and the pathetic case ot
the llttle follow with hip disease "a D~ih
hips. who would call me 90 him ana, put
ting his arm around my neck, say
wanted to tell you that / liked YOU
The two years ia the hospital were salI-
able ones 10 me. had learned 70 fois
on myself IN any emergency aud coulu
never expect 10 sec ans thing worse lAin
had encountered there.
1 had learned more OF practical medicine
than years " Dmc,icc would hiNe brought
me- / had also learned a medical yOcab-
MARY that II usually takes az least year
IN medical school 20 command. re-
member trying TO read "Grays Anatomy
before / went 10 the hospital. and having
10 use the dictionary constantly, and was
very much surprised 10 nnd. when l be-
gan 10 read 1t afterward. rarely required
a dictionary. The little details, that ara
after all the great things ia practice, 1
leaned while a nurse.
IN PRIVATE FAMILIES.
As soon as | was able | began 70 nurse
IA private families. IL IS usually though.
that trained nurses are very much Over
you that twenty-five dollars "A week Is
is a fact, nevertheless. that nurses are
unable 10 save much money They are
obliged To have room where they can
stay between cases. md have 90 pay
board while there. There will be weeks
at d time when fhey are not busy. and
they ere frequently sick iron. overwork.
and obliged 70 take Il vacation. ! have
heard ~ stated and | believe the state
ment 10 be correct. that the avero-s
length OF lie OF Il nurse OF twenty-five
years OF age, Is the same as that OF a
man or ifty-five, and that dge times as
many nurses as OF any other class Of pe0-
pie die OF tuberculosis All people that
sou nurse do not think OF you or ycHr
health, but keep the twenty-five dollars Ia
mind. aad try 10 ger their moneys worth.