The Catholic bulletin. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1911-1995, 1914-08-15

went as matter Oh course, They
do the thing hansomeIy at the Krodin
Sanitarium; it was full-dress affair.
| dozed a little, a very little, during
the valedictory-the girl who read it
might be really pretty if she could
only manage to secure little more
reserve of manner. | can't see how
they ever let her through, anyway;
she's too fussy to be nurse. Then
came lot more music-two brawny
girls beating an inoffensive piano
encores and all. And after that
How well I remember! Even be-
fore she had spoken word, jerked
on my glasses and fumbled with the
program. Helen Carmichael I've
always had prejudice against the
surname, and most of the Helens I've
met either didn't live up to the stand
ard of beauty set by the Homeric
dame or else more than surpassed
her standard of trouble-making. So
was not biased in favor of Helen
Carmichael.
But, We gods, what queen she
looked! I've never found anything
particularly effective in the nurses
costume, but this girl was different.
Like all the other graduates, she wore
white uniform with a strip of black
velvet around the border of the cap.
But the others looked-well, like
graduate nurses; she looked every
inch princess; the nurses cap,
crown.
Then she spoke. The program called
it a recitation. 1t was more than a
recitation; it was an artistic master
piece. What do you think she rem
dered? Browning's epilogue to "The
Two Poets of Croisic"i And it was
fawless- absolutely fiawless. Not
single point she missed We saw
the poet sitting by the fire; we heard
the wife chatting on, sweetly, win.
somely We heard the music of the
competing bards; we saw the chirp-
ing cricket win the prize. And then,
for encore-and she earned her en-
core-Miss Carmichael showed her
astounding versatility by giving one
of Tom Daly's dialect poems For the
time being she was an Italian peanut
vender, deliciously true to life Oh,
that girl is an artist!
The moment she left the stage
got up and made for the door. In
the hallway Miss Nolan, the mistress
of nurses, overlook me. Miss Nolan
is all angles and antiseptics and starch
and Imperialism. How dare | leave
so soon-I simply must stay for sup
per. l fear Miss Nolan considered me
rude.
II have no intention of leaving"
said. "But l want information.
Who is that girl, and what on earth
does she want to take up nursing
! for?"
Miss Nolans black eyes, behind her
bullying glasses, pierced my immortal
soul. But | didn't vince; | had moth
ing to vince for. | merely wanted to
know.
Miss Carmichael is a girl we are
all very proud of, DR.. Farraday She
is just bubbling over with talent And
she will make a splendid nurse"
Eyes, yes; know. But why? That
girl is an exceptional girl can see
that at a glance. She would be a
leader in any profession; her artistic
endowment amounts to genius-posi-
lively genius. Why the mischief does
she waste her time in sanitarium
She's too good for nursing"
That shocked Miss Nolan, of
course. AS though anybody could be
too good for nursing! The mistress
pulled her mouth into a thin, straight
line and glared at me politely; that
is Miss Nolan's way.
Il am glad, Dr. Farraday, that you
are SO interested in Miss Carmichael
She is much engrossed in her profes.
sion. In fact-and | think l may tell
you this without any breach of con.
fidence-she intends to make it her
life-work. "
ooh, bosh. That's what they all
say. The rank and file of our gradu.
ate nurses is made up of mob OF
mobile maidens meditating matri
mony. They live on twenty-five dol
lars week, pretending they like the
work, until they get hold of an ailing
millionaire in sentimental mood
But Miss Carmichael strikes me as
well, as not that kind of a girl"
Miss Carmichael is not that kind OF
a girl | should have been more ex
plicit. She intends to enter the Sis
tiers of Charity, and in that way make
nursing her life-work. And / pre-
sume," Miss Nolan continued acidly
with that fact in mind. you nee6
have no fear for your millionaire in
a sentimental mood"
The irony was lost on me for the
time. A Sister of Charity! What
the deuce,
Look here" said brusquely grip
ping Miss Nolan's arm. Il want tc
get this thing right. Do you near
to tell me that that girl, that genu
inc artist, that-that-oh, hang it
that everything that's wonderful
going to shut herself up in 9
nunnery?"
Il should hardly put it in just those
words" replied Miss Nolan frigidlY
"but you appear to have grasped the
al Il