Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1913-04-13

has won for her as queens nurse pen
sion from the crown Of England. Yet
this modest little woman has enjoyed the
distinction of being a classmate OF Eng
lands present queen. She is fragile In
appearance and under five feet in height.
Hers, however, is an interesting person
atty, aside from the distinction of her
diploma honors, and altogether she has a
countenance that attracts and claims by
the mind that shines out of pair of fear
less brown eyes.
II cannot see." she began. why my
part in this workaday world should be of
interest to the reading public. 1 am fully
alive to the honor of my calling, that of
queens nurse. because that degree Is
conferred only upon those who have by
hard work acquired five diplomas, in or
der to qualify for the name and the privi-
lege Of the pension fund. This fund was
created when Victoria celebrated her
golden jubilee. Just what direction the
generosity Of the English women would
at first take was a problem that was at
last settled by the venerable queen her
self. The English women decided to levy
a tax for money gift to the queen. but
when she heard of it Vic oria issued a
proclamation that no one should be al
lowed to give more than one penny to
the fund, and in that way the money
subscribed might be an expression from
all of her subjects And so it happened
that Queen Victoria foresight was pro-
ductive of a wide and generous donation
from the farthermost quarter of her en-
pire.
Money poured In from all Of Great
Britains colonies and the sum totaled a
fortune, which the queen duplicated and
named the queens nurse fund. This fund
provides a life pension for the diplomaed
nurses who have reached their fftieth
year. and no matter in what part Of the
world one is living nor whether you are
doing other work or not, this pension is
paid over or allowed to accumulate with
interest for the nurse who has been for
tunate enough to pass the rigid examina-
ton.
Queen Alexandra was appointed the
custodian of the fund by Queen Victoria.
All examinations for the queens nurse
fund are oral. They are also rigid and
most trying. and the physicians conduct
ing them are experts and specialists.
'In England all nurses are assigned to
different hospitals to serve an apprentice
ship in the various wards until they prove
an efficiency that will entitle them to
diploma. If they fail in this they are
sent away and room Is thus made for the
better equipped to serve in the work.
One must have diploma for surgery.
chronic diseases and so on to the number
of FIVE including the knowledge Of
specialist in nearly every disease that
the flesh is heir to. except that of the
nerves. That disease is almost unknown
in England.
Il think 1 experienced one of the most
trying ordeals of my life when l stepped
upon the stage for my last examination.
And 1 am sure that IL had been
timid aspirant for the degree l would
have failed. The examining physicians
seated in the audience below greeted me
with unmistakable laughter. They
thought my appearance joke and said
so. They were judging from my stature
and apparent physical condition. which is
fragile. but one of the physicians knew
of my accomplishments and was quick
to change the direction of ridicule into
serious channel.
1.-The class was a large one. and only
three aspirants passed the examination.