The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1911-10-11
THE EVENING STORY
The Newest Probationer.


''Can you not realize the absolute
lslavery to which you are sentencing
I-ourself?' he demanded.
Miss Helm tilted her chin a trife
higher. ITO me it will not be slavery
I have chosen my life work. I shall be
very happy in it,
I'm a mouth you Will be glad to
give it up
hared. Every friend 1 have has said
the same thing-that 1 shall give it
up. 1 shall be a trained nurse and
successful one"
But I want you to marry me-"
81 prefer to spend my days with the
sick and the suffering"
Don't do it, Janet. dear. Marry
me and
Il won't marry you. Lester" she
said irritably, "and 1 want you to stop
asking me-
DR.. Melville's patients at St. Mary's
received a great deal of his attention,
especially the ones in the charity
wards. In these wards the probation
nurses worked. Hospital custom de-
crees that the newest prObationer shall
do the most mental tasks in the insti-
tuition.
Each morning when DR.. Melville
visited the charity wards he saw Janet
Helm. the newest probationer, prac-
ticing the lessons the head nurse had
taught her She secured brass and
woodwork and bathtubs. She washed
bottles, cleaned Instruments and pol
ished floors. One day he stopped be-
side her as she knelt on the floor.
Miss Helm" he said with a mali
cious emphasis, chow do you like nurs-
ing?"
She shook out the oiled floor cloth
she was using and smiled merrily up
at him. Il love it. I am perfectly
happy. Go TO your patients and don't
disturb me- And be careful not to
track dust over my clean fioors.''
Several days later DR.. Melville found
Janet sitting beside the bed of the
hospitals oldest inhabitant.
Il have been promoted" she an
nounced proudly. L no longer scrub.
1 have patient
GLORY be- calculated the old lady.
1T is sure a blessed saint they have
ness and gentleness were never be-
fore in a woman's fingers as are in
these lily hands"
Nov, am I not real nurse ?' asked !
Janet, triumphantly. Her voice was
lowered and the deaf old lady could
not hear her words. ct am bringing |
happiness and comfort to this helpless !
old woman. Can there be a nobler |
task? What sweeter compensation can
there be than the gratitude of this 1
poor, unfortunate woman?"
AS she spoke, the spoon with which |
she was feeding her patient slipped |
and the hot broth spilled on Mrs
O'Brien's neck There was a yell of |
rage. Two skinny fists were shaken
savagely at the girl From the old
woman's toothless mouth came oaths
and fearful objurgations.
Yes said DR.. Melville, under the
maledictions, you will find no sweeter
compensation than the gratitude of !,
this helpless old lady
Three months after Janet had en-
tered the hospital shy and DR.. 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's face whitened and a look of
anxiety came into her eyes. Miss
Sprague was the superintendent of the
hospital. She held little personal com
munication with her nurses. A nurse
was never summoned to her Office ex-
cept for an important reason. She was
the absolute dictator of the hospital,
and her rule was stern one
When Janet had gone, Leslie Mel
vile walked up and down the long
corridor. He was heartsick with anx-
iety for the girl who had been called to
the superintendent office. He knew
well what Miss Sprague's summons
had meant to many nurses as hard
working and as faithful as Janet. He
had seen them come from her office I
taking with them the stigma of ex- '
pulsion. He knew the severity with (
which Miss Sprague's rigorous discip- s
line was enforced. Breaches of hos J
pital etiquette, innocent breaking of
rules, harmless lapSes from the strict
hospital standard had been charges so
serious that record of faithful SER
vice had not prevailed against them.
He knew that Miss Sprague held a
prejudice against society girls as !
|
the petted INDUCED, undisciplined
child of a luxurious home, had been
able to obey implicitly every rule of
the institution.
In half an hour Janet appeared. He
hurried to meet her. She had been :
crying, and the tears still chung to her :
lashes. He drew her to a window :
recess +
what was it?" he asked anxiously. t
WAS it very serious? ~ :
1T was the most serious thing that :
ever happened to me" t
ssTell me about it." he urged i'm !
patiently. Janet, dear. tell me; do c
you leave the hospital?' 1
II feared it. She is cruel and IN
reasonable and unjust. You do not de- I
serve her treatment of you. 1t is an 7
outrage" [
she is not unreasonable t
81 have hoped you would tire of the /
work and leave the hospital 1 wanted h
you to give it up and marry me. But, 7
for your own sake. did not want you
to be expelled. Miss Sprague's cruel l
act will compel you to give up the pro-
fession. Won't you marry me? I love
YOU more than ever, Janet
you would marry nurse who has
been expelled, discarded ?"
Il would marry you under any cir !
cumstances.
Lester, why did you not ask me to >
marry you before decided to become !
4 nurse %