The Lebanon express. (Lebanon, Linn County, Or.) 1887-1898, 1897-04-22
ROMANCE OF A
HOSPITAL NURSE.

torU-BroWn, you ike your ne" me-
Il am delighted with it," she said.
'tAhF' 1 said, 4 rejoice to hear that
you have altered your mind. A month
ago, if l recollect right, your mother in
formed me that the duties you had to
perform were injuring your health TO
such a degree that you seriously
thought of leaving st. Matthews hos
pltal. However, the lapse of another
month seems TO have altered the COM
plexion of matters"
"A little" murmured Miss Wini-
fred, gently stirring her coffee.
noticed that she smiled as she made
this reply.
aIn my opinion 1 said, nursing is
the noblest of all professions legitt-
mately open to women. l cannot i'm
agine anything grander than the death
bed scene of an aged sister-the head
nurse of each ward is caller sister, is
she not?-who, drawing her last feeble
breaths, murmurs TO those around her:
For fifty years have been tending the
sick, and keeping an eye on the more
giddy of the probationers when medi-
cal students were present. l have done
my work, requiescat in pacef All! what
a glorious demise is therer'
If you believe me, Miss Winifred ac-
tualiy giggled.
I am not" 1 said sternly, Testing to
you. am sorry that have not arous-
ed your sense of the ridiculous. You
do not appreciate such pathetic mo-
ments-you are but 19."
Twenty. Mr.. Wormholt, please"
Well 1 returned, twenty, Their.
But continued, I was about TO OBJ
serve-as touching the career which,
in opposition to the wishes of your
family, You have seen fit 10 adopt-that
a hospital has endless claims upon the
sympathy of all. is worthy of our full
est gratitude and esteem. For think
does she not give up the worldf Does
she not relegate herself to an atmos-
phere of suffering-to the depressing
surroundings of the sickroom? Does
she not cut herself off from all the
pleasures as they are-that So
cial lie offers TO those who care TO seek
-aem? Is not nursing a life of self-de-
nia1, of wearing vigils? A trying tax
on the patience? a sure test of cour-
age? Yea, it is all these and more.
Miss Winifred, 1 honor you and your
truly noble professionr
Thank you,' said Miss Winifred.
1t was the after-dinner period We
were sitting in a dim corner. Mrs.
Wreford-Brown was chatting. in some
what raised tones, to her neighbor, a
retired Anglo-yndian colonel.
Pausing in my rhetoric, Mrs. Wre-
Browns words came plainly to my
ear She was evidently discussing her
daughter The one by my side-for
there were three others.
THE poor chi1d,'' the good lady was
saying, lis worked dreadfully hard.
She hardly ever gets out for even half
a day. Indeed, this is the first night
she has been off duty for month"
The Anglo-Indian glared ferceIy in
our direction. He found me leaning
back in cheerfully meditative mood.
Miss Winifred put down her cap and
took up volume of political cartoons
which was lying conveniently at hand.
Perhaps she overheard her mothers
speech. Perhaps she fancied 1 did At
any rate she began TO draw my atten-
ton to the first cartoon most assidu-
ously.
DO look at this, Mr.. Wormholt,'' - she
said, laughing-in a palpabIy forced
way-'isn't it funnyH'
"a drawing" 1 said, (which repre-
sents distinguished cabinet minister
in the costume of a lady of the ballet
cannot very well help being-er-funny
But / was speaking of hospitals-of the
confined and restricted life which the
nurses live, and of the unfeeling man
ner in which the authorities debar the
nurses from enjoying even the SIM
plest pleasures that is to say,
from the representations which the la
:.
families!' concluded, shooting a keen
glance at Miss Winifred's by no means
unattractive profile.
1T is comforting to know" 1 heard
Mrs Wreford- Brown say, that the
child is absolutely trustworthy. At
hospitals, you know, there are"
"Oh, Mr.. Wormholt. just look at
thisr' exclaimed Miss Winffred.
''The undignified attitude in which
the premier is represented" 1 said,
docs not amuse me in the least.
have no objections to comic draughts-
manship,'' went on, "but when a right
honorable gentleman is drawn In the
guise of monkey dancing on the top
of barrel organ, think it is time for
a censor of cartoons to be appointed"
For reasons of my own, however. 1
Winifred's inquiring gaze. 1 remem-
bered, then, that I had brought the vol
ume of cartoons to the house and ex-
planned them to Miss Wreford-B Brown
herself (mine-I mean the one 1 was
conversing with now.
"And if came from Mrs. Wre-
ford-Brown's part of the room, 1.-The
nurses allow attentions to be paid to
them"
The conclusion of this utterance was
drowned by the general buzz of conver-
sation
'.The other night 1 said to Miss
Winifred, 'sI went to Rosemary"
Indeed" she replied, and turned
over the cartoons more rapidly than
ever
"A very well written and attractive
piece" ] continued.
T.