The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1904-03-20

than they would have been with more
special diet.
As she grew stronger the days were very
long, but when she grew able to sit up a
little she could have her chair in a position
whence, in a narrow rift between the walls,
trees were visible-beautiful Indiana trees.
They were leafiess but the intricate inter-
lacngs of their boughs against the sky
beauty and delight to begulle many
an hour.
The nurse had patients who needed atten-
ton far more than the convalescent did
She could not ask her for anything more
than necessary attention. Friends came
and made happy some lonely hours.
Once or twice one of the pink-cheeked
Protestant sisters who conducted the hos
pital came in TO inquire kindly after the
patient. bringing a pleasant air OF calm
unworldliness with her, looking sweet and
sanctified and complacently religious.
Finally the convalescent grew strong
enough to venture out into the hall, and
received a welcome invitation from the lit
tie auburn-h woman across the hall.
please come in and talk to me-. The little
woman was all life, energy and fire-one
OF those women common in America who
dents wife. but their lot being otherwise
cast have dgnified that of a poor working
mans wife instead. A relative had LETT her
a small legacy and she had come TO the hos
pital to have a long-needed surgical opera
ton performed. All had been done success
fully. and she was soon to return home
Her husband would come to see her, forlorn
and respondent, after the manner OF man
deprived of his home maker.
Il hope you'll be able to come home soon,
Mary" was the burden of his conversa-
ton. Il try TO manage carefully, but L
don't know what becomes of the money-it
Just melIS away.
How many a man, the other woman re-
Elected would make the same discovery If
the wife he thinks rather extravagant were
away and he had to manage the family ex-
penses!
Then came the great man of her hus-
bands family. The great man happened to
be woman, which made Ii all the worse.
She came in, big and important-not that
she was a stout woman, but that the
sweep of her black silk train and her grand
furred mantle seemed to leave no room for
anything else, to sweep the rest OF the
world off into holes and corners. Her
business was to bully the sensitive little
woman because the Contemporaries boy
had been staying out of school in his moth
er's absence. The other woman OWNED
the situation and the type of boy-the way
ward. unmanageable youngster, to whom
his mothers love was the only restraining
force in the universe.the boy that the
mother could save, If they would let him
alone, but that little injudicious outside
interference would drive off into defiance
and outlawry.
patients talked together. as if they had
been stranded on a desert isle-toid each
| other their past lives, and discussed every
| thing. from theology and evolution to do
| wigs of the Cabbage Patch.
| But the day came when the little woman
was dismissed TO go TO the home where
| she was eagerly awaited and, being dressed
| in regular clothes for the first time in a
| month. departed, leaving the other woman
I forlorn.
The room across the hall stood empty
| for two days. then late one night there
| came sound of-hurry and scurry, of hyS-
| terical sobbing and swift orders. AN
| emergency case brought in from the rail-
| road station the information vouch-
safed by the busy night nurse who had all
I the restless invalids on two whole floors OF
i H. ~srrlze
| Before the morning broke the emphatic
] proclamation of very indignant boy baby
/ (no one could hear his voice and not know
| his SEX that he did not like this world he
| had come to, and he did not think he was
| treated right enlightened the listener as
| to the nature of the emergency case across
| the hall.
The young mother had been returning
| from the bedside of dying sister to her
! home in another State and the young man
| had arrived Unexpectedly with his care
| fully prepared wardrobe some hundreds OF
miles away. He was wrapped in piece OF
| heavy cotton-fiannel many times washed,
in a nest of pillows in a rocking chair and
| informed that IL he wasn't warm he ought
| TO be-there was the radiator. 1t was also
| Notwithstanding TO the latest dictates OF
| science-that he didn't need anything to
| eat for two days. The young mother was
| not allowed the privilege of touching her
| first-born; she must not dream of having
| him beside her; that would disturb her. So
| by way of keeping her quite calm and easy
| the youngster lay wrapped in his stin
| hard square of cotton flannel. on the other
| side of the room and yelled Justify day and
night for somebody to come and pick him
| up and put him with his own mamma. The
| neighbor across the hall sometimes slipped
! in, in defiance of all rules, and turned the
| screaming mOrsel of humanity on his ether
i side or even picked him up and cuddled
| him and soothed his woes. Great was the
| Indignation of the nurse when the inter
loper was finally detected in one of these
| unauthorized acts. She was doubtless very
| naughty, but she could not help rejoicing
| that none of her own babies had received
| scientific hospital bringing up.
| The young mother was shielded from the
terrible electric ught-overhead in the cen
| ter of the room, that there was no es
Gaping it-by thin paper bag drawn ovei
the globe. Ii did not perceptibly decrease
| the intensity, but ii made the color yellow
| instead of white In the course or TWO OF
| three days the doctor came In with whole
| outfit of dainty clothing which one mother
in the city had loaned. or possibly tbs
| young mans own rousseau mad Deen tele
| graphed for and sent by express, and the
| youngster was fttingly arrayed But they
| still kept him away from his mother, ane
| by this time he had become a confirmed
| miSanthrope and pessimist, and hourly pro
| claimed his wrongs in the only Language
| of which he was master.
Meanwhile. the convalescent daily grow
ing stronger and more restless, wandered
| up and down the halls and saw many sights
| of heroic courage and patience. There
was the boy. whose right arm, terribly
| mangled and torn by a mill accident, IL
which his brother was killed. had been am
putated and who was proud and happy be
GAUGE. after two months on his back. h
was able to sit up in bed. In a few week
more he could go home and they had prom
ised that he should have his place in tn
mill again. Except for the loss of hi
brother he seemed TO think his cup of 10,
was full and to have no doubt that h
could do his work without a right arm
There was a middle-aged business man
with z thin. sensitive face, one of tn
typhoid fever patients. who seemed in
fair way TO be a martyr 10 his own polite
ness cheerful. blooming old gentleman
well along i'm the eighties discharged tn
duties OF friendship by coming 10 see hin
almost daily and discoursing cheerfully 70
an hour or two in voice like rumblinl
thunder
Most of the inmates on that floor wer
typhoid fever patients. though a few wer
recovering from medical operations and
few were convalescents. able To be around
and eager TO get away.
And everywhere were the busy, cheerful
Woodworking nurses. sustaining daily labo
Of such severity that the patient wondere,
why they did not all break down few
Of the younger ones might occasionally b.
careless or flip. but the whole the
all discharged their arduous duties with
faithfulness and gentleness worthy of al
| praise.
babe farewell 20 her own nurse with sincer
gratitude. but the beautiful Kentuckian oil,
not unbend 10 be cordial; she felt an in
ward conviction that the patient had al
| ways been rebel.