The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1898-06-23
MISS LONG AS A NURSE.
Daughter OF the Secretary of the
Navy in Red Cross Service.
ITrhy,, fba NIou, vori, 1Torota

navy IN lied Cross Service.
From the New York Herald
For the first time since the civil war the
grim walls of the naval hospital adjoining
the New York navy yard harbor minister
tng angels in the guise of white robed
nurses. For more than a week the STAFF
of male nurses has been augmented by
four bright faced young women, all eager
to serve their country by attending TO the
wants of Uncle Sans gallant tars who
are laid up for repairs
And IN these four charming volunteers
the American girl born to wealth and So
cial position has a shining example For
one Is no less a parsonage than Miss Helen
Long, daughter of the Secretary of the
Navy. The other three are Miss Long s
classmates a Johns Hopkins University
where they are taking course of medI-
cine. They are all of good family. and all
have left homes of ease and luxury to as
sumo their duties as nurses. a.a ~ erG
MISS Longs companions are Miss Mabel
Reid, Miss Mabel Austen and Miss Doro-
tiny Simis' They are very much in earnest.
all of them. They realize that the course
they nave mapped out for themselves Ia
no chllds play. But at the same time
while they have the satisfaction of know
tng that they are doing a good work in
the cause of humanity, they would mod
estly tell you, should you be so fortunate
as to meet them, that they are gaining
valuable experience in the line of their
chosen profession. For all four expect 10
become physicians
They would tell you that they are not
nurses in reality; that they don't know
enough about it to assume the dignity of
the title. They would tell you that they
are merely spending their summer vaca-
lions where the experience wall be benef-
claI to them when they return to their
studies in the fall. They will admit that
they hep around and, if you press the
point, they viii not deny assisting at Cd
erations' involving the amputation of a
hmb. But they are not trained nurses-oh.
no; they don't claim TO be that
But there as quite another side to the
story Should you stop to talk with any
of the battered jackies tossing on the
white cots or hobbling about the shady
hospital grounds you would hear differ
ent tale. The hospital ship Solace brought
a lot of them from the South a short time
ago, and some of the survivors Of the
Maine are still there. Some are minus
legs, some sans arms and stin others are
suffering from the Southern climate quite
as deadly as the enemy's shot and shell
Ask any of those battered hulks what
they think of the services of Miss Long
and her companions The modesty of the
fair volunteers and their tendency to I'M
derestlmate their services may possibly
have led you to believe that after all
their services are not a matter of much
Importance to anybody. But ask any of
the patients, aud hear what they have to
say.
Every one of Them to a man. win swear
by the four fair nurses. One bronzed
young fellow, with his shattered arm in a
sling drew from his bosom with his re-
naming good hand a withered rose. He
tenderly he'd it up for my INSPECTION
Miss Long gave me that" he said sim
ply, and / intend to keep 1t as long as
I live"
II was his first day out in the grounds.
One morning, while lying on his cot. Miss
Long entered the ward with the rose at
her bosom. She stopped and spoke a few
words of cheer to the wounded sailorman.
smoothed hts pillow for him, and as she
moved away dropped the rose into glass
of water standing on the little table al his
bedside. Do you think that chap would
ever part with the rose, the gift Of the
daughter of the Secretary of the Navy?
Not for its weight In gold
The four girls offer their services in
many little ways that have already en-
deared them to the sick aud wounded Jack
les One of the men told me how Miss
Long had written a letter home to his
mother Another told of how the young
ladies' would sit and read to him. And stan
another told Of how nicely they had pack
ed the trunk of a comrade who had been
discharged few days before 1t is in
these little attentions that they have won
the hearts Of the sick and wounded.
All four of the young women wear the
regulation nurses costume. They are on
duty from o'clock in the morning until
six in the evening, and as yet they have
had no night duties 10 perform Two Of
them are assigned to the tubercular wards.
They are virtually the guests of Dr.
George w. Woods. the courtly medical di-
rector of the hospital, in whose house they
make their home. The doctor is very jeal-
Gus Of his charges. and quite properly de-
sires to protect them much as possible
from any undue notoriety which their po-
sitiOn might bring them. They viii re
main at the Naval hospital until Johns |
hopkins reopens, in September.
"A Matter Worth Mention-'What's
the matter, Little DickT' Say, Mr.. Hg-
by, why don't you bring my sister more