Milford chronicle., 1903-03-27

some nurses who go about their tasks
with the soured visage of an undertake
ers assistant rather than with the ra-
diant face of one who is trying to cheer
up those who are pain raclied and de-
pressed. They never seem to realize
that a true nurses facial expression
should be full of sunshine as we'll as
her fingers touch gentle and true.
But, outside Of her duty toward the
patient, there is another reason why
the ideal nurse should be happy. Her
life is one Of self sacrifice. II is a life
which-ha in it Il sweet consciousness
that she is trying to help her fellow
men. 1t is not life of mere money
making, as many suppose. After the
trained nurse has taken out her legiti-
mate expenses she has little money to
save. 1t is life of sweet and noble
self sacrifice IN 1859 Mr.. Il. C. Fahne-
stock, wealthy merchant, gave $780,
coo to enGow a training school for
nurses because he had seen two nurses
tenderly care for his dying wife He
knew they were worth all the help that
he gave; be knew that the ideal nurse
whom such an institution would devel-
op was a woman capable Of self sacri-
flee, a woman WHO trusts in him who
/ said. He that loseth his life for my
sake shall find it,"
The JOY OF Self sacrlace.
Oh, the transcendent JOY Of the
Christian nurses sacrifice for others!
1t is the same joy that came to that
young girl of DR.. Kcigwin's church at
Wilmington, Del. Her little brother
had a diseased limb. The flesh over the
bruised bone would not heal. The doc
tors told the father that unless they
could get some little child who was
willing to have her flesh grated on to
his he must die The young sister
heard what the doctors wanted. She
offered to lie down and let her tender
flesh be taken. The father refused He
felt that in the dangerous operation
both children might die. She finally
won his consent. There, for three long
weeks, the little girl lay with her arm
bound to Dor brothers while the flesh
was healing his wound, ard during all
the time, with a happy smile, she kept
saying: Brother is going to get we'll
Yes, my brother, because l am lying
here, is going TO get we'll" Young wo-
men who are about 70 enter the nurses /
profession, if you are TO become idea! /
nurses, this is to be your joy. You /
will be happy because you will know /
that your sacrifice and devotion and |
faithfulness win save other lives. You /
will have the sweet consciousness that I
you have been able to lead a sufferer /
back from the dark valley of the shad-
ow of death. or, if you have to close /
the eyelids of the dead, you will know
that you have been able to place their
hands in the saving hand of Jesus.
Christian women about to enter the no
bic profession of trained nurses. l con-
gratulate you. l give to you a gospel
salutatiOn. l wish you godSpeed.
have chosen this subject OF the
Ideal Nurse" for two reasons: First,
want to remove the prejudice which is
harbored in many minds against hOsp-
tails and trained nurses. Some people
think that a hospital is only an adjunct
to a cemetery ard that Il trained nurse
in Il hospital is not nearly as cOmpe-
tent or faithful as the average mother
caring for her sick child. The simple
fact is many a life would have been
saved if the patient had been sent to
q hospital instead of being kept at
home UEder the parents charge. Some
time ago l was called to see a young
girl sick with pneumonia. The pa
tient Law in IA room that was damp and
cold. The mothers every action proved
she was incompetent to care for the in
valid | gently told her so alU- suggest
cd that she send her daugltCS 20 hos
pital, where she could be properly cared
for. She answered that that was what
tine doctor wanted her to do, but size
could not and would not let her dauSh-
ter be under any other care but Ler
own. Within few days the young
girl died. | ofiiciated at the funeral
They had a beautiful casket and plen-
ty of flowers, but the whole service
seemed to me mOckery. l do rot say
that mother killed her child, but | do
say that if she had been taken to the
hospital and received the right kind Os
treatment the daughter might have re-
covered.
Second, l have preached this sermon
because want to throw wide open
door Of usefulness for Christian wom-
en-. Nursing is essentially woman's
work. 1t is as much woman's work
as caring for baby is a mothers
work Therefore | want to show to
young women field in which they can
not only make an honorable living, but
in which they can do an infinite amount
of good. Sisters and daughters. Chris
tian girls, it is time for some of you to
stop learning to play upon the piano
when you have no musical talent and
trying TO paint upon china when you
have no artistic talent and learn to do
something practical in the higher train
ing schools for nurses. You will there
find Il womanly vocation. You will find
here a course of study which will fit ;
vOu to become bpttpr wives and moth ,