Atlanta semi-weekly journal. (Atlanta, Ga.) 1898-1920, 1902-08-11
RY cLARANcE AMMAN.

A number of Atlanta girls are in cores
pondence with eastern hospitals with a
view of entering these institutions on
ap probation to study to be nurses. One
of the largest hospitals replied to an APP
plicant here that IL had a waiting list OF
over q hundred southern girls The nurses
are taken in on probation, and II they find
they can go through the ordeal, and have
strength and nerve enough for the work,
'they continue. They receive small sal
airy at first and their clothes and laundry.
An Atlanta girl who will leave soon for
New York, where she will enter one OF
the largest hospitals, is Miss Ruby Ras-
berry. Miss Raspberry was cashier for one
of the Whitehall street dry goods estab-
lishments, and has resigned that position
to prepare for the hospital work.
An Atlanta girl who spent some time In
one of the eastern hospitals tells an In
teresting story of her experiences. She
says:
IT had been disappointed in love af-
fair, and decided that there wasn't much
of interest in the world. 1 did not think
Of suicide or anything of that kind, but
somehow 1 had an opinion that while the
sun would shine every day, it was for
some one else, and not for me.
"Just whe nthe day seemed darkest
was struck with bright idea. Why not
be a nurse? Some of my friends were
dressing in one color, looking very sweet
ana picturesque, anu uIdWl16 NWChNg "a
twenty-five per week, and thought II
they could do the work could, too.
"You know / am very decided In my
views, and while slow to make up my
mind 1 generally cling to the decision af-
ter it is made. So after giving the sub
ject a great deal of thought, 1 suddenly
decided that 1 should be nurse.
when 1 told my parents and my inti-
mate friends they were shocked, and
then tried to dissuade me in every posi-
BILE way 1t was useless, however, for
/ had made up my mind. I did not know
how to go about getting a situation, but l
had an idea that young, pretty girls with
a grim determination to succeed would
not be looked upon with disfavor even In
a hospital So / sought out Catherine
Davenport who went to school with my
older sister, and who has been nurse
for several years. Catherine. is charm
ing GIRL who understands human nature,
and she saw in a minute that I was in
earnest, so she made a clean breast of af-
fairs gave me a straight, sensible talk,
telling me Just how l should proceed,
and when 1 left her knew pretty nearly
all the ropes, and just about what was
to expect.
',Then I sat down and wrote a letter OF
application to several famous eastern hos
pitfalls. 1 neglected to enclose stamps, and
waited several feverish days for replies.
Just when 1 thought that my letters would
not be answered because I had been so
unbusfness> like as to fail to enclose
stamps l got five letters in one mail, a
reply to each Of mine. They looked very
cold and formal. Each was a circular let
ter, asking some grave, serious, ques-
lions about myself and my experience
They also contained information as to
some of a nurses qualifications and re-
quirements. 1 picked out one of the let
tiers, answered it, and after some more
correspondence accepted their proposition
that I should report for duty in a few
months, the date specified by them. l
sent them a couple of names for REFER
ences, and / afterwards ascertained they
had written to these references for In
formation about me-
''Then came a period of anxiety, hope,
despair, and a confiiction of emotions such
as l never want to again experience. The
topic of nursing was uppermost on my
mind and 1 was hungry for information.
did not need to urge people very much,
however, for they insisted upon telling me
stories of the life of nurses without much
solicitation, and such stories as they were.
They almost drove me insane. One woman
would paint out nurses life as the life
of hell; another would use the language
brush to do a sketch entirely different.
." You will never be able to stand it,,
said one good friend. 1t is not so hard
as people imagine, said another. the
agony of mind nearly fioored me, but I
had told people I was going and did not
inte n. to back out.
But. thank goodness, the day finally
arrived and after much heart-burning.
bitters tears, sorrowful good-byes. and
numerous kisses, l was off. 1 tried TO
read one of Opie Reads novels going up,
but could not, which would aptly illus
trate the maelstrom of my mind.
when I reached my destination. how
ever, l had arrived at a firmness of mind
that was simply splendid and passed
through all the preliminaries Of entrance
into the hospital, even telling a false
hood about my age, with grim success.
You know that in many of the hospitals
q girl must have reached a certain age.
In the hospital which I entered. nurse
had to be %. OF course. wasn't that
age, and didn't look 1t. you may be sure,
but there was no doubt expressed and 1
got by that point in safety.
cat first / was not allowed to wear the
uniform and the day when 1t was given
me was the happiest in my life. I felt
as proud when 1 put that uniform on
as a boy does when he gets his first pair
of trousers, at least, as 1 suppose a boy
would feel.
THE first week was very interesting.
There was some stunningly, good looking
young doctors floating about, and they
helped me all they could. 1 afterwards
found out, by the way, that the doctors,
as a class, haven't much use for the
nurses, as a class, but so long as they
didn't show II 1 didn't care. They forget
their antipathy every once in while by
running away with and marrying one OF
their fair enemies, and you would readily
believe that such romances should be fire.
Quent if you would see some of the hand
some doctors and some Of those bright