, 1897-03-19
ROMANCE OF 4 HOSPITAL NURSE

I'LL oelf6uteu VIII IL, sue 6dlQ.
All" I said, Il rejoice to hear tina
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 t
such a degree that you seriously
thought of leaving st. Matthews hospi.
tai. However, the lapse of another
month seems to have altered the com
plexion of matters"
"A little" murmuced Miss Winifred
gently stirring her coffee.
l noticed that she smiled as she made
this reply.
I'm my opinion" l said, nursing il
the noblest OF all professions legitimate,
ly open to women. | cannot imagine
anything grander than the dealh-beG
scene OF an aged sister-the head nurse
OF each ward is called Sister, is she
not?-who, drawing her last feeble
breaths, murmurs to those around her:
'For so years | have been tending the
sick, and keeping an eye on the more
giddy Of the p~robationers when medica.
students were present. / have dom my
work. Requiescat in pace!' All! whal
a glorious demise is there,"
Ii you believe me, Miss Winifred act
ually giggled.
Il am not" | said sternly, Testing tC
you. | am sorry thai | have aroused
your sense of the ridiculous. You dc
not appreciate such pathetic Moments
you are but 49,"
Twenty. Mr.. Wormholt, please"
We'll" | returned, twenty, then.
But | continued, Il was about to OBJ
serve o the wishes of your family, you
have seen fit to adopt-that a hospital
nurse has endless claims upon the sym
pathy OF all, Is worthy of our fullest
gratitude and esteem. For think-does
she not give up the world? Does she
not relegate herself 10 an atmosphere
OF suffering-to the depressing sur
%roundings of the sick room? Does she
not cut herself off from all the pleas
nres-such as they are-that a social
life offers to those who care. to seek
Them? Is not nursing a life of self
denial, Of wearing vigils? a trying tax
or the patience? Il sure test OF cour-
age? Yae! it is all these, and more.
Miss Winifred! l honor you and your
truly noble profession"
Thank you" said Miss Winifred.
1t was the after-dinner period. We
were sitting in u dim corne Mrs. Wre-
Touchdown was chatting, in somewhat
raised tones, to her neighbor, Il retired
Anglo-Indian colonel.
Pausing in my rhetoric, Mrs. Wre-
f~ord-Brown's words came plainly TO my
ear. She was evidently discussing her
daughter. The one by my side-for
there were three others.
The poor child" the good lady was
saying, lis worked dreadfully hard.
She hardly ever gets out even for half n
day. Indeed. this is the first night she
has been of duty for u MONTH"
A RESORT TO CARTOONS.
The Anglo-Indian glared fiercely in
our direction. He found me leaning
back in a cheerfully conlemplative
mood. Miss Winifred put down her
cup, and took up a volume Of political
cartoons which was lying conveniently
at hand.
Perhaps she overheard her mothers
speech. Perhaps she fancied | did. AT
any rate she began 10 draw my atten-
ly.
do look at this, Mr.. Wormholt," she
said, laughing-in a palpably forced
way-"isn't it funny"
"A drawing 1 said, which repre-
sents u distinguished cabinet minister
in the costume OF a lady of the ballet
cannot very well help being-er-funny.
But l 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 simplest
pleasures-judging, that is to say, from
the representations which the young
ladies' themselves make to their own
families!" l concluded, shooting u keen
glance at Miss Winifred's by no means
opottroctiyo prof1o
1T is comforting to know" l heard
Mrs. Wreford-Brown say, that the
child is absolutely trustworthy. At hos.
pitals, you know, there are
oh, Mr.. Wormholt, just look at this!'
exclaimed Mrs. Winifred.
The undignifed attitude in which
the premier is represented" I said, docs
not amuse mt in the least. l have ne
objections to comic draughtsmanship,'
l went on, but when a right honorable
gentleman is drSwn in the guise Of 8
monkey dancing on the top Of a barrel
organ. / think 1t is time for n o.
cartoons to be appointed"
For aso Of my own, however,
had to turn my face away from Miss
Winifred's inQuiring gaze. / remem'
bered, then, that l had brought the vol
ume Of cartoons to the house, and ex'
planned them for two hours to Miss Wre'
Touchdown herself (mine--I mean thu
one l vas converslng with now.)
And fl came from Mrs. Wre
ford-Brown's part Of the room, "th'
nurses allow attentions to be paid Il