Manchester Democrat., 1909-11-24

and forthwith left the school. She
soon afterwards obtained position
ss Postmistress in her native town.
It is regrettable we cannot change
those mannerisms which compose our
make up How cheerful we would be,
and how happy others would feel 1t
would save them annoyances, and
ourselves, intermittent discomfort.
Their growth often acts as noun
tain in the path of our progress; and
we go round to our friends seeking
the cause of our inactivity in worldly
and spiritual things, while others are
machines of success and beings Of
ecstasy.
The postmaster who preceded Miss
Vincent was in the habit of obtain
ing information about the townspeo-
pie from carelessly gazing at the
foolish and improperly sealed mail
that passed through his hands. He
became so proficient in this business
that it was common talk he could
tell some tales, if he cared to- Now,
If some of the people of that locality
had not bluffed it. he might not have
beer SO socially dreaded. When Miss
Vincent succeeded him she still had
in mind the undoing of some peoples
enjoyment, and at every opportunity
she placed unwomanly constructions
on the affairs of the cadet and her
rival. She had ample opportunity for
this, for was she not postmistress,
and didn't she know? Eventually,
she succeeded in her desires and the
woman she now hated and the man
she adored found it necessary to part
company. But God, in his wisdom,
ordains it, even though it may be
imperceptible to us, that the meek Of
heart shall see and know him in the
performance of his works. The
young man continued his life in the
service of Uncle Sam and the young
woman entered local hospital to
study for nurse.
A few years later she graduated,
and for short time thereafter was
attached to one of the local institu.
tions, but, as she was of progressive
manners, and, in view of her loneli
ness-her father and mother having
died-(she had no other relatives ex.
cept a married brother) she decided
to come north and take post-grad.
uate course in one OF the New York
Hospitals. She arrived in the Met
ropolitan City in 1899, a month pre-
vious to the triumphant return OF
Admiral Dewey from his victory in
Manila Bay. Being of saving meth.
DDS, she had enough money laid by
to sustain her until she found suit
able opportunity in - Hospital.
Much had been written and said
about the good sisters enrolled in the
habits of the different denomina-
tions; those pure and meek angels
who devote their life's work, like
| ministering spirits, to the cause of
the sore and physically sick; but how
seldom does one hear of the nurse
student, who has no religious garb
to sustain her; nothing but the pal
try pittance of about 5000 year,
and enveloped with the groans and
walls of those patients who inhabit
the different institutions to which
they are assigned.
Peep into one of the wards of these
places at midnight, when the toilers
of the great cities are at rest, and
observe the white gowned spectres
| (there are usually three of them to
a ward) gliding from bed to bed, al
leviating the pain of one unfortunate,
and soothing the mental sufferings of
another. Take life of this kind,
| incessant in character, save for what
| joy may be gained from the inter-
mittent daylight shift, and those few
hours at night, from six to nine which
they may be permitted to call their
own, and you have fairly good pic.
ture Of the practical side of their
education. Some OF the patients over
whom they dwell, as it were, reward
the soft velvet touch withysa smile;
others are more thoughtful and, make
some present of practical value; but
these cases are few and far between,
as the. onerous demands Of some OF
their charges are impossible of full.
filment.
The celebration of Dewey's victory
was of a wide scope, and in order to
properly care for the maze of people
who would come from all over the
States, the authorities foresaw,
among many other things, the neces-
sity of having proper hospital facili-
ties at different points throughout the
city, and Miss Kathers was placed
at exactly the same location at which
we found her at the beginning of this
story.
AS Dewey's fleet came up the tar-
bor, an accident in handling one Of
the guns killed one of the crew, and
an officer of the deck, needless of
himself, tried to conserve the inter.
ests of the men. 1t was never ex-
planned publicly what happened, but
his efforts strained his weakened con.
stitutions, so that hemorrhage re.
suited. Just as soon as the fleet an.
chored, launch brought the injured
man ashore, and, as the surgeon in
charge of the hospital tent at which
: Miss Kathers was located saw the
impossibility of getting the victim to
!. the ambulance on account of the
densely packed crowd, he had him
brought to his tent.
[ Time changes us in many ways
but each one possesses some distin.
gushing mark which makes him or
her known to those who now, or at
some future time, had a more than
passing interest in us. She recog.
nized. Lieut.. Lyons. but kept her
nerve. He was mortally hurt. but
even in his agony, he knew the nurse,
Miss Fathers. The sailors, who as.
sisted the Lieutenant, and the Sur.