The Dolores star. [volume] (Dolores, Montezuma County, Colo.) 1901-current, 1917-04-13
"Good-by-and God bless you"
She went cut and he closed the dool
softly behind her.
CHAPTER VII.

CHAPTER VIII.
Sidney never forgot her early i'm
pressions Of the hospital, although
they were chaotic enough at first.
There were uniformed young women
coming and going. efioient. cool-eyed,
low Of voice. There were long Wis
tas Of shining floors and lines Of beds.
There were brisk internes with duck
clothes and brass buttons, who eyed
her with friendly, patronizing glances.
There were bandages and dressings,
and great white screens, behind which
were played little or big dramas,
baths or deaths, az the case might be.
And over all Bfooded the mysterious
authority Of the superintendent Of the
training school, dubbed the Head, for
short.
Twelve hours Q day, from seven to
seven, with the off-duty intermission,
Sidney labored at tasks which revolted
her soul. She swept and busted the
wards, cleaned closets, folded sheets
and towels, rolled bandages-iid ev.
erything but nurse the sick, which was
what she had come to do.
At night she did not 60 home. She
sat ON the edge Of her narrow, white
bed and soaked her aching feet In hot
water and witch-hazel, and practiced
taking pulses on her own slender wrist,
with ks little watch. +.
Out Of all the long. hot days, two
periods stood out clearly, to be waited
for and cherished. One was when,
early In the afternoon, with the ward
in spotless order, the shades drawn
against the August sun, the tables GOV.
cred with their red covers and the
only sound the drone Of the bandage-
machine AZ Sidney steadily turned It.
Doctor Max passed the door on his
way to the surgical ward beyond, and
gave her q CHEEKY greeting. At these
times Sidney's heart beat almost in
time with the ticking Of the little
watch.
The other hour was at twilight,
when, work over for the day, the night
nurse, with her rubber-soled shoes and
tired eyes and jansling keys, having
reported and received the night orders,
the nurses gathered in their small par
lor for prayers. It was months before
Sidney got over the exaltauon Of that
twilight hour, and never did 1t cease
to bring her healing and peace. In
way,'it crystallized for her what the
days work meant: charity and its sis-
ter, service, the promise Of rest and
peace. Into the little parlor filed the
nurses, and knelt, folding their tired
hands.
'sThe Lord IL my shepherd" read the
Head out Of her worn Bible; II shall
not want"
And the nurses: "He maketh me to
lie down In green pastures: he leadeth
me beside the still waters"
And 30 on through the psalm to the
assurance at the end, .And will dwell
in the house Of the Lord forever"
Now and then there was a death be-
hind one Of the white screens. It
caused little change In the routine Of
the ward. A nurse stayed behind the
screen. and her work was done by the
others. When everything was over,
the time was recorded exactly on the
record, and tho body was taken away.
At first 1t seemed to Sidney that she
could not stand this nearness to death.
She thought the nurses hard because
they took 1t quietly. Then she found
that 1t was only stoicism, resignation,
that they had learned. These things
must be, and the work must 60 on.
Their philosophy made them no less
tender. Some such patient detachment
must be that Of the angels who keep