The gold leaf., 1911-01-26

Well, here am again, a little dis
figured, but still in the ring -" down.
bnt not "out." | am improving ur-
der the kindly care OF the hospital
and the intelligent treatment OF nv
good doctor, and feel much better
almost like a Kentucky thorough
brel i'm fact. II the prOvement COT
tinues will soon he myself again.
Unlike jim .Jsffries can ''come b lck'
he couldn't. There are other differ
ences between u5, however.
Last week | expressed II fear lest
nv STAY in the hospital would spoil
me | know right now | will be worse
than spoiled; will be somewhat 10
the plight of the hairIip fellow at the
Methodist experience meeting. Asked
to tell what good thing the Lord had
done for him, with his mouth twisted
to one side Of his face and talking
through his nose, i'll Il gurglIng halt
inteIIigible voice he said the Lord
had come pretty near running him.
Nv hospital experience | am afraid
has come pretty near doing the same
thing for me. Think of having moth
inc to do but be ministered tO-and
by such minstering angels. Already
| have fallen quite in love with the
situation and the surroundings.
1t is not such n hardship as had
imagined to be shut up in hospital
the Virginia Hospital especially
and am enduring it like little tin
soldier.
They tell me am II good patient,
but nv rpply is that do not deserve
q particle Of credit for that. My case
is an exceptional one; ! do not suffer
i'm anv way and there is no cause Tor
me to be irritable, impatient, noisy
or hard to control. | am deprived
of nothing but my ability to get
about and the privilege Of working.
No dope habit, liquor, tobacco, pipe,
cigars, cigarettes to be cut of from
and craved for One would be un-
reasonable and ungrateful indeed il
he would not "be good under the
circumstances. My every want Is
supplied even before the wish is ex-
pressed Some one is constantly
giving me something, medicine, fruit,
nOurishment, refreshment OF some
kind-if only mustard plaster.
Now, wouldn't you like to be the
man in the hospital? Barney ArOn-
son might write vaudeville song
with that title.
A sweet and thoughtful young lady
friend in a distant town sent me II
lovely bunch of flowers one day last
week which | enjoyed and appre-
ciated very much. White carna-
tiOns, the card accompanying them
fastened with bow of dainty white
ribbon, emblematic of purity, SO like
the character of the one who sent
them. After feasting my eyes on
them for half II day and enjoying the
exquisite fragrance that filled the
room | sent them to the children =
ward with request that each little
patient be given a flower, If there
were enough to go around, If not to
place them where they could be view
ed by all as did not want partiality
shown
Talking about children reminds
me. There is a little boy here, a
strong, fine looking little fellow, who
was operated on three weeks ago for
some throat trouble and is still wear
ing tube in his throat One OF the
nurses brings him in to see me Occa-
siOnally and he seems to enjoy the
privilege as much as do his coming
Bless the children, what a lonely,
dlsOlate old waste of a world this
would be without them-and the
women. Well, | would not care to
live i'll it; and as for staying in hos
pital or home where there was no
woman about, just wouldn't do it.
Women are necessary to put things
to rights around the hOuse-even il
they can't make the men folks let
them stay so. A few deft touches
here, a tasty arrangement there, and
what transformation they can
work in the appearance OF things
and how much they add to the com
fort and pleasure of those they serve
Think of the tremendous inhuen e
OF women upon the world. What 6
power for good they are. BEHIND
every good man there is some gOoC
woman, either his mother, wife, sister
or sweetheart But it does not fol
low that the same rule works boil
ways, and behind every good woman
particularly wife and mother, ther,
is a good man-far from it. II thi
were so there would be = great man,
more good men in the world thar
there are.
have been impressed with the wa,
these hospital nurses do things
They can change the bed linen from
bottom to top with the patient in i
without exposing his toes to tn
daylight. If he is able to help him
self he moves to one side and ha1
the sheet is put down and pinne
tightly head and foot and on th
side. Then he moves back and th
other side is fixed in the same man
mel. If he cannot move himself the
lift him or roll him. This done th
top sheet is spread over him, h
takes hold Of the upper end, an
spread, blanket and sheet are pule
from underneath across the foot {
the bed and the thing is done, til
spread and blanket then being pu
back in place. And the person VIII
performs the trick does not kno,
whether you have been wearing sock
with no heels in them or not.
While on the sub ject of nurses ar
going to relate the following, even
the Joke was on myself. When | frs
came to the hospital did not shaw
until | had a week S growth OF bear
on my tace-and it is not altogethe
as dark as it used to be either. Their
had been a barber around but
didn't like the idea OF being shaved
bed-toO much like fixing up a dea
man. DR.. Brown said he would allo
me to sit up in a chair long enoug
to be shaved. That much concede
an ordinary sitting chair to be uset
not at all suited to the purpose an
very uncomfortable, why not sha,
myself using my Gillette safety?
would tire me less and my improv
ment had been such that | was r
etricted less in the use of nv arm