Montgomery County sentinel. [volume] (Rockville, Md.) 1855-1974, 1911-01-27

Ill Association. iii
Joe was Portuguese urchin, six
gears old and untidy with the accu-
mulated soil of all his seasons. lie
lived with his father and mother and
numerous brothers and sisters in d.
iapIdated cabin in the outskfrts OF the
city.
Their neighbors were fellow expa-
trates speaking their own tongue and
continuing their own customs, and
Joe's only knowledge of the world that
lay beyond the truck farms had been
gained when he went with his father
to peddle vegetables in the city.
A bullet intended for rabbit enter
ed Joe's leg, and he was brought to the
hospital.
Miss Merton, u senior nurse, was his
lady" She wa1 with him through the
days when all his world was full Of
horrors.
She was his first nurse and the one
he first felt was his friend.
In hospital living and dying move
according to certain laws. The prog
ress of Il case is routine to the expert
enced ones. Dissolution takes place In
certain known steps
But one element of which no account
Is taken, for which no calculation Is
made, Is the love of man and a wo-
man.
In the hospital life there is no place
for 1t. A nurses time and thoughts
are devoted to her work. Her love
and sympathy belong to her patients.
Concerning the relations Of doctors
and nurses hospital etiquette Is strict.
1t demands that these relations be alb
solutely professional. The reputation
of a hospital depends on the discipline
maintained within Its walls, and the
laws Of st. Annes were enforced with
severity.
When interests quite unprofesslonal
drew together a senior nurse and one
of the young physicians Of the hospital
stan there appeared difficulties and
embarrassments, and the courtship, un,
der the adverse circumstances Of dis.
appreciation, conscience and hack OF
time, place and onnortunitv. made
slow and III
quent bach
"Will you 60 for walk conightr'
asked DR. Knight one morning when
with Miss serton's assistance he was
dressing Joe's wound.
"WIth your
Certainly"
"And meet all the heads and few
doctors and nursesT'
There are places where heads and
doctors and nurses don't 60"
Yes, on back streets. hate that
sort Of thing going out alone and
meeting you on "a corner and sneaking
along back streets"
There IL no other way we can see
each other You will come tonight,
won't your
She shook her head. Il graduate
next spring" she said, little visit
fully. Cant we wait TIL then to be
friendsT
What's the use Of waiung2 No one
Will know But IL you are found out
your previous good record will save
you"
The words and tone were blunt and
careless.
Miss Merton did not answer She
fastened Joe's bandage and left the
room.
As she passed him DR.. Knight saw
her face, hurt, proud and angry, all its
sweetness gone.
For many days MIR. Knight saw Miss
Merton only In the presence Of others
She avoided him In the corridors and
met him only In the rooms Of patients
There was nothing he could say to
her.
A man cannot apologize with words
for wOrdless insult, and he cannot
by appealing, penltence expressing
looks affect moving, marble statue
that never gees him.
Christmas was near, and the nurses
were preparing for II. Joe was po
litely interested In the decorations OF
the ward, but he seemed unconscious
OF the reasons for them.
Those are Christmas greens, Joe, y
said Miss Merton In answer to his In
quiry.
Joe looked puzzled.
Have you ever seen Christmas
greens before. JOeT
"No'm; never seen Christmas
green's before"
But you know all about Christmas
don't your
"No'm; | didn't never know nothln
at all about that"
Joe. have you never heard OF Christ
masr
"No'm. No one never tole me about
1t neither.
"Nor OF Santa ClausY'
"NO'm. Who's Santa Claus7 No
body never tOle me about Santa Claus
"Haye you heard Of Christ, dearr'
"NO'm."
"NOr Of GOdl"
Joe popdered. He believed he had
heard something about God
In words simple enough for the child
10 understand Miss Merton told lin
the story Of the Christ Child.
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