The Richmond Virginian. (Richmond, Va.) 1910-1920, 1911-10-12
BY ANNIE
Copyright, 1911. by Associated Liter
airy Press.)

airy Press.)
The young physical looked at the
girl with the helpless evaporation In
ducsd by Ions and unsuccessful argu-
Inent.
can you not realize the absolute
slavery to which you are sentencing
yourself 2" he demanded.
Miss Helm tilted her chin s. triife
higher. ITO mo II Will not be slavery.
] have choseIi my life work. 1 shall
be very happy In IT."
In Il month you will be glad TO
give it up
Il am tired of hearing that" she
fared. Every frien@ | have has said
the same thing-that | shall give ii
up. / shall be q trained nurse and a
successful one"
But | want you to marry me"
y prefer to spend my days with the
sick and the suffering"
Don't do 1t. Janet, dear. Marry me
and
Il won't marry you, Lester" she said
irritably, and / want you to stop = k
ing me-
Or. Melville's patients at ST. Mary's
received q great lea OF his attention.
especially the ones in the CHARITY
wards. In these wards the probation
nurses worked. Hospital custom de-
crees thai the newest probationer shall
do the most mental tasks In the insti-
tito
Each morning hen DIR. Melville Wis
tied the charity wards he saw Janet
Helm, the newest prohationer. prae-
ticing the lessons the head nurse had
taught her. She secured brass and
~eedworn-snd Observation-Disclosures
bottles, cleaned Instruments and polish
ed floors. Ons day he stopped beside
her as she knelt on the floor.
Miss Helm" he said with a mali
| cious emphasis. how do you like nurs-
ing?'
She shook out the oiled floor cloth
she was using and smiled merrily UP
at him. 81 love It. ] am perfectly
happy. Go to your patients and don
disturb me. And be careful not te
track lust over my clean floors
Several days later DIR. Melville found
Janet sitting beside the bed OF the hos
pitfalls Oldest inhabitant.
Il have been promoted she an
nounced proudly. Il no longer scrub
/ have a patient"
GLORY be-" calculated the old lady
ut ia sure a blessed saint they have
given mo for my nurse. Such tender
ness and gentieness were never be-
fore In a woman's fingers as are II
these lily hands"
Now, am | O a real nurse" asked
Janet. triumphantly. Her voice was
lowered and the deaf old lady could
not hear her words. Il am bringing
happiness and comfort to this helpless
old mt Can there be a nohlel
task? What sweeter compensation car
there be h the gratitude OF this Roor
unfortunate woman"
AS she spoke. the o with which
she was feeding her patient slipped
and the hot broth spilled on Mrs
O'Brien's neck. There was a yell OF
Two skinny fists were shaken
savagely at the girl. From the old wo-
mans toothless mout came oaths and
fearful ob%jurgations.
Yes said DIR. Melville, under the
continued storm of Mrs. O'Brien's NAL
edictions, ~"you win find no sweeter
compensation tina the gratitude Of this
helpless old lady"
Three months after Janet nae en-
tered h hospital she and DIR. Mel
Vile were leaving the ward together
one evening.
Miss Helm" said the head nurse OF
the ward. Miss Sprague wishes to see
you in her Office"
Janet face whitened and a lool
OF anxiety came into her eyes. Mis-
Sprague was the superintendent Of
the hospital. She held little persona
communication with her nurses. A
nurse was never summoned to her of
flee except for an important reason
! She was the absolute dictator Of the
hospital. and her rule was a ster1
one.
When Janet had gone, Leslie Mel
Vile walked up and down the Ions
corridor. He vas heartsick with
anxiety for the girl who had beer
called to the superintendent office
He knew well what Miss 6prague'.
summons had meant to many nurse.
as Woodworking and as faithful a,
Janet. He had seen them come from
her Office with white faces to leav,
the hospital. taking with them tn,
stigma of expulsion. He knew tn
severity with which Miss Sprague.
rigorous discipline was enforced
Breaches Of hospital etiquette, limo
cent breaking of rules. Harmless
lapses from the strict hospital stand
ard had been charges SO serious tina
a record OF faithful service had no
prevailed against them. He knew
that Miss Sprague held a prejudice
against society girls az nurses.
was impossible that Janet, h petted
INDUCED. undisciplined child OF a lux
urious home. had been able to ODE,
implicitly every rule of the institu
tion.
In half an hour Janet appeared, H
49, - cA> 49,,