The Lexington intelligencer. [volume] (Lexington, Mo.) 1901-1949, 1903-10-10
pIsHEs FOR %sICK.CHAMBER.
WeI-Meant Offerings Which Can Sell
dom Be Used.

tCAHAu- HtN eNNR ~ARAAhNA
table pi ed to the edge with Gov
cred dishes, fancy baskets and
boxes, and bullying paper sacks.
The country relation, says the
New York Times, stopped on her
way out and looked at the cOllec-
ton curiously.
whats all this stuff" she
asked. Then she lifted the lid of
one of the small dishes and shifted
at the contents.
THAT" said the nurse, who had
followed her out, "it a new-fan-
gled kind of meat jelly. 1t has
been sent to tempt the appetite Of
my patient. All the rest of these
things have been sent for the
same purpose. Here are fruit,
soups, puddings and %jellies, and
even substantial fare, such as
game and roast beef with gravy.
With all those culinary cOntribu-
tions to fall back on, our friend
will never die from lack of nOur-
ishment, at any rate"
The country relation groaned.
"Where did all the truck come
FROM" she asked.
'The neighbors sent it in"
"Neighbors?" cried the country
cousin. 81 didn't know there was
any such thing in New York. I
didn't suppose the people here
took enough interest in each 9th
er to imperil a sick PERSONS life
with gastronomic attentions"
ooh, yes, they do" said the
nurse. "They are very friendly.
l have never attended a person
who did not become the object Of
neighborly sympathy as soon as
the news of his Illness began to
travel about. / have nursed peo-
pie who were comparative
strangers in the block where they
happened to be living at the time,
but the report of sickness called
forth choice samples of cookery
from all the women in the build
ing, and even from adjoining
houses. No matter how poor or
how rich the patient, his we'll
wishers seem to think they can
best manifest their sympathy by
sending him something to eat, so
the contributions come pouring
in"
The country relation looked
puzzled. 81 don't see" she said,
"why people should send food to
a rich man. He is able to buy
whatever he needs"
$50 he is" assented the nurse.
Nevertheless, a rich man who
happens to be popular in the bar
gain is the recipient of enough
nOurishing viands to keep a small
family going for days on An ex-
ira allowance. And the funny
part Of it is that many of these
contributors are in poor circum-
stances, and could utilize their
soups and buildings much more
adyaptageously by setting them
en- Weir own table"
The country relation had anoth-
er point to make. "The spirit Of
altruism is beautiful" she said,
"but | must say that if l were sick
l don't think I should like my
room to be turned into a market
by strangers. | should be afraid
to eat the stuff they sent. ! should
be afraid somebody might try to
poison me. Did you never strike
a case Of that kind?"
mo-, said the nurse, 81 have
never experimental enough with
the food to find out whether it
was seasoned with rough.on-rats
or not. That plan of doing away
with your enemies could probably
be worked if nurses fed their pa.
tents indiscriminately. Fortu
nately, they do not, If we allowed
sick people to even nibble at the
d~ainties sent in to brace them uT
they would be dead from some
thing worse than poison before
the doctor could find out whai
allied them, so most of these sick
room offerings generally find Their
way to the garbage can"