The Providence news. (Providence [R.I.]) 1891-1906, 1900-05-11
CHAT AND CHAFF.

4
| What with the opening OF the inn
| posing new annex and the dedication
| OF tine bug hunting department I'm the
| annex. the RhodeS4sland hospital has
been a good deal OF what you might
| call center OF public interest recent
| iy. and has altogether taken on festal
appearance on the occasion of the two
days OF stimulating functions.
1t is rarely that the Rhode Island
hospital has. or at least takes. oppor-
tunity To do such excellent advertising
for itself as the occasion of these dedl-
catory exercises has afforded. And 1t
Is TO be sincerely hoped that the wider
attention which must have been at
tracted 10 the institution within the
pnst two or three weeks viii result In
extending its sources of public support
as NJ surely will its public services.
1T has always seemed TO me that
the Rhode Island hospital was, more
than any other charity, an institution
the support OF which is confined al
most exclusively TO the rich. while its
usefulness is equally almost the ex-
elusive possession Of the poor.
When IL comes TO raising contribu-
tions to support this most admirable
charitable institution and meet its
heavy expenses, the Rhode Island hos
pital is an autocratic and prideful in
stitution.
on the other hand. when II comes to
it's work Of nelpfulness. IL is about thd
most democratic organization that You
can think OF.
Anybody can go to the Rhode Island
hospital and get all that the lnstitu-
ton affords in the way of relief. medi-
cines, doctors. beds and lodging and
food--just for the asking.
Or If any person Is modest about
asking. as we'll as sick and poor. the
hospital is likely to discover such q
one and proceed to take care of him
without waiting to be asked.
And I sometimes wonder If the
thousands Of patients who are helped
and made well by the Rhode Island
hospital, to say nothing OF the bless
ings of being in a comfortable place TO
die in, providing the case is incurable--
and that is no small charity-ever in.
quire. even of themselves, who is pay
ing for 1t all.
For to support great blessings re-
quires a heap Of money.
AS a matter OF fact, the folks who
support the Rhode Island hospital are
good deal more diffdent about ask
ing anybody to chip in than the most
modest invalid can possibly be about
asking aid and succor from the hos
pital.
The Rhode Island hospital Is al
ways in debt for the excellent reasof
II Is ever striving to meet the tremen-
dous demands upon Its noble offices
regardless OF expense.
It's management includes a great deal
of business talent. but the heart and
the head are made to work together
with rather more reference to the heart
than would be the case IN ordinary
business.
When the Rhode Island hospital
needs anything it is pretty sure to get
it, ,Een II the organization has to run
into debt to get 1t, as 1t usually does
have to.
OF course. the money is always found
sooner or later. And the curious part
Of 1t is that comparatively few people
ever stop to inquire where ii Is found.
or who chips in. or ask to know If they
can do anything to help out.
Every now and then somebody
leaves something In a will to the Rhode
Island hospital-somebody that Is.
who IL outside the exclusive circle OF
generous aristocrats who go down into
their pockets as a regular practice and
who are too proud to'a help and too
big hearted to refuse the demands up
on them.
And 1t seems to me, too, that within
the past year or so have noticed from
among the public bequests a rather
larger and more generally distributed
number OF gifts to our big hospital.
The records may not justify this i'm
preston but i sincerely hope they do
and that any and all persons who are
making arrangements to leave some of
their money To public enterprises when
they die. will keep the Rhode Island
hospital in mind.
1t is a praiseworthy habit to get in
to and is to be encouraged and made as
nearly epidemic as possible.
AS understand the financiering Of
the Rhode Island Hospital the running
expenses are partially met from the va
rious endowments and invested funds.
Provision is made at the beginning
of each year for an expected deficit i'm