The Chipley banner. (Chipley, Washington County, Fla.) 1893-1943, 1912-03-14
17fe Newest
Probationer
By Annie Hhieh.en

Ccopyrirht. 1911. By Associated Lltsrary Prs'')
The young physician looked at the
girl with the helpless evaporation
induced by long and unsuccessful ar
gument.
"Can you not realize the absolute
slavery to which you are sentencing
yourself?" he demanded,
Miss Helm tilted her chin trihe
higher. 'To me it will not be slav-
cry. l have chosen my life work. ]
shall be very happy in it"
ain month you will &c glad to
give it up"
CT am tired of hearing that" she
flared. every friend / have has
said the same thing-that I shall
give it up. l shall be a trained
nurse and a successful one"
"But / want you to marry me"
'1 prefer to spend my days with
the sick and the suffering"
"Don't do it, Janet, dear. Marry
me and"
81 won't marry you, Lester" she
said irritably, "and / want you to
stop asking me-" ~,
DR.. Melville's patients at st. Ma
rvs received a great deal Of his at
tention, especially the ones in the
charity wards. In these wards the
probation nurses worked. Hospital
custom DEGREES that the newest pro-
bationer shall do the most mental
tasks in the institution.
Each morning when DR.. Melville
visited the charity wards he saw
Janet Helm, the newest probationer,
practicing the lessons the head nurse
had taught her. She secured brass
and woodwork and bathtubs. She
washed bottles, cleaned instruments
and polished floors. One day he
stopped beside her as she knelt on the
floor.
"Miss Helm" he said with a mali
cious emphasis, Show do you like
nursingP"
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't
disturb me. And be careful not to
track dust over my clean floors"
Several days later DR. Melville
found Janet sitting beside the bed
of the hospitals Oldest inhabitant.
81 have been promoted" she an
nounced proudly. 81 no longer scrub.
/ have a patient"
"Glory be-" calculated the old
lady. at is sure a blessed saint
they have given me for my nurse.
Such tenderness and gentleness we're
never before in a woman's fingers as
are in these lily hands.
"Now, am / not a real nurse ?"
asked Janet, triumphantly. Her
voice was lowered and the deaf old
lady could not hear her words. 81
am bringing happiness and comfort
to this helpless old woman. Can
there be nobler task? What sweet
er compensation can there be than
the gratitude of this poor, unfortu-
nate woman2"
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,
eyes," said DR.. Melville, under
the continued storm of Mrs.
0'Brien's maledictiOns, ''you will
find no sweeter compensation than
the gratitude Of this helpless old
lady"
Three months after Janet had en-
tered the hospital she and DR., Mel
vile we're leaving the ward together
one evening.
"Miss Helen" 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 person.
al communication with her nurses. A
nurse was never summoned to her
e.fItor. ....-..A -. 1. =. s........ka..k - =