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

at the beginning To make it worse, she
was away from home. visiting her sister at
the latter's boarding house Her presence
was naturally unwelcome in the boarding
house. and her sister. who had imperative
business duties which could not be alto
gether neglected, was almost killed by the
pressure of double work and anxiety. Still.
the doctor said the patient was too I'LL to be
moved: but after fortnight or so, he pro-
nounced her sufficiently improved to be
safely transferred TO the hospital.
She was carried down the stairs and
placed in one of the dilapidated old rat
tletraps which serve the city Of Indian
apolis for ambulances. She viewed 1t with
amazement, for in her own very much
smaller city the ambulance was a thing of
elegance and luxury, with mattresses and
springs so perfect that no jolt could reach
the sufferer within. However, alPs we'll
that ends well. and she was soon deposited
IN comfortable bed in the hospital. feel
ing the intense relief of the escape from
anxiety-her sisters anxiety for her, and
her own anxiety for her sister.
The nurse assigned. her was a beautiful
young Kentuckian. with a noble head
superbly set upon a splendid figure. low,
broad forehead, dark blue eyes under level
brows. features perfect in every line, and
complexion pure as a snowdrops and
almost as colorless. She performed her
duties skillfully. and the mere sight of her
beauty was a pleasure and refreshment,
and yet, under all the faithful care the
one side and grateful courtesy on the
other. there was a deep underlying antag-
onism. Both knew it, though neither ex-
pressed IL. The fact was. each She
who-must-b In the case of the
nurse. her natural dominance had been re-
inforced by years of absolute authority; in
the case of the patient, there was the anna
BILE. unconscious despotism of the mother
for many years a widow, and sole head of
her family. Even though her chief aim in
life might have seemed to spectator to be
10 find out what the dear children wanted
and 10 give it TO them If possible even
though she never uttered commands, only
advice and requests, yet the piety and
affection OF her children had made her
rule absolute; she was accustomed to run"
things. to do what seemed right in her own
eyes Why. even the family physician for
many years had only been called in consul
tation. it were-to add his scientific
knowledge of diseases and remedies to her
personal knowledge of this special case,
whether her own or a child's.
1t may well be suspected that the ex-
perienced middle-aged matron is the most
recalcitrant subject with whom the trained
nurse has to deal. The idea that she should
be turned over absolutely to the automatic
rule of that resolute young person. and be
compelled. in the absence of the physician,
to carry out directions that he left twenty
four or forty-eight hours ago, regardless of
the fact that her condition and SYMPTOMS
have entirely changed meanwhile and what
was salutary then would be Injurious now
II may be remarked in passing that gentle
obstinacy is a great force, and that the
patient succeeded in managing her case
pretty much she thought best in spite
of the nurse and all her authority.
When the sick woman had a little re-
covered from the fatigue of removal she
began to look about her. She was i'm a
large square ROOM rather too handsome
and handsomely furnished. 1t struck her.
Tor hospital. There was too much mold
Ing about the woodwork too much carving
on the furniture, too much lodging for dust
Moreover, she soon learned that the hard
working nurses, each of whom had four
patients under her care. also had to sweep
the four large rooms. No ng-handled
brushes for the polished floors were fur
niShed them. they were obliged to SWeep
them laboriously with a broom i'm a bag
The worst thing about the room was the
handsome chandelier. with two electric
lights and two gas jets. hung high up in
the center OF the room. There was no
possible way of screening IL of shielding
the patient from the torturing blaze of
electric light. switched on whenever the
nurse entered the room, and sometimes for
gotten when she left IL. At 10 the electric
light was turned off. and gas jet lighted
TO burn all night. However, at a protest
from the patient this was turned off. and
the blessed boon of darkness was obtained.
From the moment when she entered the
oil RI hn
running water. running down the pipes by
the head of her bed. apparently She ex-
pected 1t to stop presently. but it went on
forever. like Tebnysons brook. She tried
to imagine that IL was the soothing sound
of a running brook. but her mind remained
oostinateiy 5 aware that IL was nothing of
middle of the night did IL starte her by
stopping for an hour or two. The second
night a lucid explanation of the matter oc-
CURED TO her. why, OF course" she re-
Elected. lin the night they turn the water
system OF the hospital upside down, to re-
store the balance of what has run away
through the day. When IL is balanced il is
still for a while. until IL gets started again. .
She had not been really delirious at any
time during her illness. and had had scarce
IN any fever since her removal to the hos
pital vet she implicitly believed in this
theory. as a clear and satisfactory scientific
explanation, for several days. Then she
began to see flaws in H.
The question of commissary began TO be
interesting. Her physician had found her
almost too well SatiSneu WITH the diet OF
ice cold milk prescribed for her. and when
she was removed TO the hospital admon-
ished her that she was now able 10 take a
little more substantial food. and should
make effort TO do so. The nurse con-
suited on the subject OF what there was "a
eat, mentioned soup, which sounded prom
Using. In fact, soup was served twice a
day always. and was unusually gOod-not
greasy. agreeable in flavor and generally
warm The iced milk was the same as the
article served in hotels under that name
that is chopped ice was put into the milk
the resulting compound possessing the
merits of neither of its constituents being
too fluid TO be ice and too dilute 10 be milk
After the first day her nurse used 10 get
her undiluted milk in some way-she had
a suspicion IL was 'swiped" from the sup
ply sent up for tea and coffee.
ON the whole. considering the very mod
crate rates asked by the hospital. the fare
furnished might be called generous. The
menu was better than the cooking. though
IL seemed TO the sick woman to have little
special adaptation TO the needs OF invalids
but this was probably a mere personal
preference. Most people object strenuously
! u being fed Stops when they are sick,
end they were doubtless better satisfied