The Caucasian. (Shreveport, La.) 1900-192?, 1903-03-26

some nurses who go about their tasEs
with the soured visage of an undertal.-
ers assistant rather than with che &C.
diant face of one who is trying to- cfese
up those who are pain raclrd and Ge-
pressed. They never seem to realize
Chat a true nurses facial expression
should be full Of sunshine as we'll as
her fingers touch gentle ard true
Out, outside of her duty toward the
patient, there is another Reason " ny
the ideal nurse should be happy. Her
life is one of self sacrifice. 1t is Il life
which has i'll it a sweet consciousness
that she is trying to help Ter fellow
men. 1t is not q life of nerr MONEY
making, as many suppose. After the
trained nurse has taken out her lpgi-i-
mate expenses she has little money %
save. 1t Is a life of sweet and noble
self sacrifice. Oh 1880 Mr. II. G. tntlne-
stock. a wealthy merchant, gave &1ID,-
600 to endOw q training school for
Hurses because he had seen swo nurses
tenderly care for his dying Wifi" ,se
knew they were worth all the hefp that
he gave: ne knew tha, the ideal nfrSe
whom such an Institution would drvcl-
Op was Il woman capable of self surri-
tice, a woman who trusts in him who
said, He that loscth his life for my
sake shall find it,
@be Coy 81 scis sAcsifss.
Oh, the sranscendcIt joy Of ,he
christian nurses sacrifice for others,
It is che same joy that camc 20 that
young girl Of Br kpigwinS church at
Wilmington, 6'cl. 4l"r little brother
had q diseased limb. The flesh over the
bruised bone would not heal. The doc
8brs 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 i'll the dangerous opera ton
both children might die She finally
won his consent. There, for three long
weeks, the little girl lay with her arm
bound to her brothers. while the flesh
was healing his wound, and during all
the time, with a happy s.nile she kept
saying: "RrOthCr is going to got we'll
Yes. my brother. because | am lying
here, is going to get well.' Young Wo
men who are about to enter the nurses
profession, il 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
Pxt4 r., Gal,
will have the sweet consciousness that
you have been able to lead q sufferer
back from the dark valley of the shad-
ow of death, Or Il 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.
BILE profession of trained nurses. I con
graduate you. / 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 hospi-
tails and trained nurses. Some people
think that hospital is only an adjunct
to a cemetery and that trained nurse
in a 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
a hospital instead of being kept at
home under the parents charge. Some
time ago | was called to see a young
girl sick with pneumonia. The pa
tient lay in a room that was damp and
cold. The mothers every action proved
she was incompetent to care for the in
valid. l gently told her so and suggest
ed that she send her daughter to hos
pita1, where she could be properly cared
for She answered that that was what
the doctor wanted her to do, but she
could not and would not let her daugh-
ter be under any other care but her
own. Within a few days the young
girl died. / officiated at the funeral.
They had a beautiful casket and plen-
ty of Mowers, but the whole service
seemed to me mockery. | do not say
that mother killed her child, but / do
say that If she had been taken to the
hospital and received the right kind OF
treatment the daughter might have re-
covered.
Second, have preached this sermon
because l want to throw wide open
door of usefulness for Christian wom-
en-. Nursing is essentially woman's
work It is as much a woman's work
as caring for a baby is mothers
work Therefore l want to show to
young women a 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
tan girls. it is time for some Of you 70
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 a womaniy vocation. You will fiEd
Lnrn q course of atTJdy which will fit