The times., 1901-05-23
GRADUATION OF NURSES.
Nine Receive Diplomas From the
Garfield Hospital School.

The graduating exercises of the Gar
field Memorial Hospital School for Nurses
was held yesterday afternoon at the hos
pital Justice Harlan, of the United
States Supreme Court, President OF the
Board OF Trustees, presided. and dtstrip-
uted the diplomas TO the nine graduates
The stage was concealed behind a mass Of
pink, white, and red roses and mar
guerites The colors of the hospital, white
and yellow, were prominently displayed
in the decoration of the lecture room, and
tiny bows of the colors were pinned 10
the breast of each of the graduates
The Rev. c.. n. Luccock, D. D., opened
the exercises with an invocation, followed
by an address by Mrs. Dita II. Kinney,
Superintendent of the Army Nurse Corps.
Mrs. Kinney said. in part:
once upon a time, in the long ago,
some one with fine discrimination and
a profound knowledge of human nature
described a bore as the man who insists
upon talking about himself when you
want to talk about yourself. 1 have an
idea that | come dangerously near be-
longing to the same category as that OBJ
jeetionable man. This hour, young ladies,
is essentially your own, and any pro-
cedure which even temporarily diverts
from your inalienable right TO first place
is obviously unjust and improper.
The qualifications of nurse are not
mere physical strength, watchfulness, and
tenderness. More than these, which may
be held to be elementary, are the buoy
ancy Of spirit, the fine, cheerful courage,
the directive capacity to the higher spir-
itual currents or thoughts. 1t is in these
that the nurse communicates the hfe-giy-
ing touch.
nothing about the ideal patient, though
there are such. but rare. The further
the divergence of patient from the
standard. the nearer must the nurse at
tain to il. AS the patient may have less
self-contrOl, you must not only have more,
but enough for both. Sick people are much
the same as children, and the keynote Of
all your dealings with them must be pa
tience and patience, and yet more pa
thence. But human nature is frail, and
sometimes a weary body is more than
well-inteHtiOned spirit can control 1t IS
against this evil moment that you must
guard
The picturesqueness of life at an army
post has its peculiar fascination The
sunrise and sunset gun-the bugle calls
the eVer-shifting play of color and sound,
the strains of the Star Spangled Banner
quicken ones heart beat / should be
sorry to give you the idea that our army
hospitals are all sentiment. because you
will find there hard work, and plenty of it.
But such things weigh light If ones heart
is in the other side OF the scale, and one
can truthfully say / love it. And this
know all the army nurses do.
Finally, one question which viii bring
you face to face with your attitude to-
ward your work, is What is my highest
motiye% Search the innermOSt receSSes
of your soul for the reply, and face it
frankly whatever it may be. IT, on thus
barring your heart to your own gaze, you
blush. abandon your object and set up a
higher and a new ideal.
Then remember that symphony of
Claiming. Seek elegance rather than lux
ury; refinement rather than fashion. Aim
to be worthy, not respectable. wealthy.
not rich Thus will your pilgrimage here
be a symphony, whose harmOnies, while
blessing your life. viii ring out yet clearer
and more beautiful into the life eternal"
Mrs. Kinney was followed by DIR. G..
Wythe Cook chief of the medical staff of
the hospital, who spoke at some length
in humorous strain, intoxicating maxims
for the guidance of the nurses in their
future career.
The diplomas We're then distributed
among the graduates by Justice Harlan
to the following graduates of the school
for nurses: Elizabeth Gladys Ryan Vir-
ginia; Nancy Elizabeth Mahan. Kentucky; :;
Elizabeth Ann Davis. Maryland; Sarah c.
Rule. Illinois, Jane Elizabeth Bontra ger,
Ohio; Mary CObean Kell, Pennsylvania; ;
Mary T. Hilleary. Maryland: Mabel
Leach. North Carolina; Lena Jane Bauer,
Maryland
The exercises were brought to a close
with a brief address by the Rev. G. N
LuccOck, who followed his remarks with
the benediCtiOn.