Warren sheaf. [volume] (Warren, Marshall County, Minn.) 1880-current, 1898-01-20
Told in Her Letters.
By Murray Eyre.

CTuE night nurse sat writing in the
4 angle at the far end Of the male
surgical ward. A screen across the
liable hid her lamp, while the rest of the
ward was but dimly lit. From the beds
came the sound. Of sleepers breathing
regularly, broken now and then by
,Eeverish muttering from some restless
patient, or by the scarce repressed
ssroaning Of the man who had that day
been operated on for cancer. Night
after night. week after week, for
snonths had she kept her silent vigil
there, and she was weary of it. Some
dimes the grim scene surrounding her
strained her nerves until the desire for
s,aorc active work possessed he: to a
degree well-nigh beyond endurance. In
such mood she often penciled letters
without restraint Or consideratiOn-tO
no one in particular, the offspring of
her brain-tired fancy-Whose destiny
was to be thrust impatiently into the
fire when dawn crept grayly through
She window beside her.
Nurse Ruth was an impulsive woman,
Though her great pathetic eyes misled
y CsA ~ SAI1J. ~ " JILL
.san Of contradictions, as was witnessed
by her 1lippancy Of speech and her
sweet, grave manner. She did her duty
5raSely enough to her patients, and
they loved her. The younger students.
also, had ofttimes cause to he grateful
TO her for some well-timed hint that
screened their glaring mistakes from
being discovered. She was tired of her
work, of her life, that night, aud. i'm
as::tEent with herself, began to walk
:z:sowly round the ward. The man of the
cancer operation looked pitifully at her
as she passed. and, coming back, she
stepped to give him some milk, while
sss: afterwards took his temperature
e.se she returned to her table. Present.
.1y she rang the house surgeons bell,
.=an2 stood waiting with the thermom-
etes in her hand until he came. She
gs:,ssed it to him silently.
'~Where on earth did you get this
temperature. nursc?" he whispered.
Not FROM
She nodded. A look of concern an
Teared in his eyes, and, keeping her
thermometer. he went quickly to the
Sse2. The man, who was at last drowsv,
sighed when the doctor unbuttoned his
shirt and laid a finger on his pulse.
The doctor looked puzzled. He counted
Che beats carefully and listened to the
asre,e thing. Taking his thermometer
Sfrsssn under the mans arm, he went
sbsacEl to Nurse Ruth's table. lie COM
I'ared the two there. His registered
EH1 y DEGREES hers 100 fJenrnac w,+l
ln:r him her face crimsoned
II held it over the lamp, sir" she
ss=sSss; and though she laughed, her ewes
were full OF tears.
All! yes. I understand, nurse"
He sat down for Il few moments, the
two thermometers still on the table
;snfore him. When he got up, he said,
veSEeaEni]y:
perhaps you'd better go on day duty
again. Good night, nurse!"
Eor an hour after he had gone she
lay across the table with her head on
hser arms, and made no sound. Time
went by, and as the city clocks marked
lit she heard every stroke. Finally she
sat up, and while listening for the SOL
eEaaar tolls she wrote an application to
Cine house surgeon to ask for certifi-
cate of qualification as nurse. He
afterwards gave her the certificate in
fdsrsfsal letter; but at the same time lie
,wrute another that was not official. Her,
reply gives the gist of it.:
What can you mean. sir. by speaking of
q sCtter that wrote as so much cheek?