Norwich bulletin., 1910-06-10
A FINE ADDRESS TO GRADUATES

read the address of William A. Slater 10 the graduates Of the William w. I5ackus training school for nurses on
 "Wednesday evening, has been pleased By its 7f1ne spirit and practical com mon sense, and those who have not read 1t should do so at the first op- portunity for the pleasure it will afford them
 Be 1t said that MT. Skaters love of Norwich as one of her sons is so well known by his gifts for the advance ment of his native town, his modesty and generosity so impressed upon the men end women of his time and gen. eration, that it is and has been a real grief that he should have found it necessary to have gone elsewhere to live, for Norwich fully appreciates him for what he has been and is to her. Ills declaration that T have the same ansotion for the dear old place where my boyiaeod and many of the best years of my life were passed" warm ed up the hearts of all his fellow cit- izens.
 And this little quotation from his address reflects his deep-rea ching sympat4ly for all of the people of the Rose of New England When you enter upon a new case" said MT. SIa- ter. make ID your mind that it shall be your supreme effort to adjust your self to the routine of the household so that, as far you are concerned. there shall be no friction Sometimes your service will be in a household where the occupants are poor or where the machinery does not run smoothly. In such cases it will be necessary to exercise se1f-restraint and sometimes seh-sscrifce. but your calling is wor- thy Of such sacrifice.
 One of the most difficult experf- ences you will have to contend with will be to work in perfect unison and good wtil with the servants of the house, and here will come in the neces- sity for the exercise of a tact such as you will, perhaps, never have greater need of. The fatal thing will be to give them fhe impression that you feel yourself their superior. Rather make them feel that you are both, for the moment working together for the good of your patient, and that you count upon their assistance to that end. You should thus gain their respect and willing cooperation.
 Your effectiveness will be largely increased if you improve yourself in every way within your power By improvement I mean that you should cultivate yourself by reading. etc, so as to aaake yourself intelngently com panionabse and entertaining to your patents You should, above all. per feet yourself in reading aloud. afa<u
 because by 1t you can give great pleas Ire and the soothing influence of such reading is enormous. providing 1t is well dene. Don't read too fast or too loud, and cultivate 9 pieSsing voice and distinct utterance. and. above all, read understaRdingly. I would even strongly advise taking lessons in this desirable accom- mp1ishment for it is a most essential one in the sick room. and only accomplishes its object if so intslligently done that the listener has to make no effort to understand, but, on the contrary. is soothed as well as amused If I were asked what I con sider from my experience one of the highest qualifications of a good trained nurse aside from a thorough training in her profession, I should say an absolute freedom from self -assertive- ness"
 It is apparent enough that no one better equipped could have been called for this pleasant and impressive duty and it is doubtful if any one could have more effectively treated the sub ject more practically or impress sively advised a class of trained nurses just going out into the world
 This advice, faithfully followed would produce capable and successful nurses-nurses who would add to the name and fame of Backus hospital
 We hear the Inieratory birds wing