The times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1890-1903, 1899-09-29
HOSPITAL TRAMPS.
People Who Pay for the Privilege or
Pretending To be an.

ayes" said the curly-haircd nurse,
that's the third we've had since I've
been here. and I'm sorry to say they're all
women. p|ay-patents, too. though we call
them hospital tramps. queer that folks
Will pay from ten 90 twenty dollars q
week just for love of being catered to-!
Miss Deyout, who left yesterday. has
been here twice before. Then we've had
Miss IaneuId % Miss Hopeless. The
funniest thing is thar they always hlve 10
private doctor who believes lu them, or
preteuds 60.
"Iho first indication of a hospital tramp
that We usually have. is "a request for a
hOt-watcr bag about temperature-takins
time. You see most NJ us use three-miu-
ute thermometers. and. unless patients ar1
very I'D we cave them to register while
we go Co some other duty. 30 sooner does
The nurse leave. ,uan your tramp removes
The thermometer from her bps. ana places
it on the hat-water has. n course, the
nurse. ON her return. Is horlnei at tho
rise in temperature. but. unless 10 us her
FIRST acquaintance with the genius sha
says nothing. She simply returns shortly
and takes tho temperature again, tn3
time remaining while DC registers. The
thermometer trick seems to Doe tle most
common though amazing Ingenuity IS
sometimes displayed by these frelllets.
"Whon was ura- Dut 0n day duty for
Miss uet0ut. j noticed her card stated a5
one ri hersymDt0us. inability to retain
.10l' That seemed queer in view of her
other symptoms. yet she never ate al tne
food supplied 90 Der. and yet at the same
time She never went hungry. Tier moth
.r .nH.A Cd. aA. han .U.HH ..N and w"uHH.
carried a. hand satcLci or course the ru.a
IFS no food brought Oh patients. Dut through
"a mirror in the room while 4 was behind
"a screen 3 once -uH the best part OF a
cold chicken disappear, while hale OF ID
g01d-sizei cake found its way into "a little
basket kept Ou the stand by tle bed.
Didn't her mother know better2 oh.
D suppose She meant wei el0lgh-thousht
the poor girl. hadn't much appetite. and
needed tempting, you know.
"rier minister called to see BIER every
week ] once heard him read her au essay
ou the aalutiness OF submission. Tho
beautiful express sion on DER face would
have gone to your heart. When Doe finished
size sang 70 hymn boo token of her sym-
p8thy with the sentiments expressed. and
a woman who witnessed the scene was
SOD impressed chat She made Do the subject
on some touching little verses She had
o. sweet voice. and sunday morning was
sure tO fnd Der able t0 Doe helped into her
pretty little neglige gown. and she went
down into The chapel. There. at the organ
she would conduct % song service equal
fo a professional. To often brought tears
to the eyes of che visitors 90 hear her.
A a rule tramp patients avoid opera
lions. but Miss Hopeless was an exception.
Nothing else would 90 her. Tho doctors
held ONT against 90 for weeks but ir
was either a l|ife-Datient or an operation.
so as her own doctor insisted. the hos
uital stan was obliged 20 yield. Then the
patient got well. I'm fact. 1 never heard
of a ease where a. tramp went so Tar
as 90 die.
There are different reasons for the eXis-
tence of the order. Sometimes a real III
ness viii create "a desire 20 prolong the al.
tenti0us received during that time. Every
one is familiar with the tramp who seeks
20 protect himself from the chilly world
hy gaining an entrance into the hospital
bed. bot. Tor your moncyed woman 20 en-
pl0v similar devices FOR invoking sym"
pathy' Just another Instance % the touch
OF nature that makes the whole world
Kin IN. y. sun.