The Birmingham age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1902-1950, 1924-04-04
Home Nursing
Sleep For The Convalescent


The woman who was caring for her
sick son, boy of nineteen, came down
stairs and sat down by the kitchen
table with such a sign of WEAKNESS that
the new housekeeper looked at her in
quiringly.
as it anything 1 can do?' she asked.
Tom Rays mother sighed again. a
little hopelessly.
I'm afraid not" she said. you sec,
Tom has been so nervous and irritable
the last day or so that he snaps my
head off If l speak to him. The doc
tor says it's a good sign--that men
are almost always that way when they
begin to recover from an illness as try
ing as Toms has been"
"A woman can always have a good
cry and be done with it." said the house
keeper Understandings, 80 l suppose
men have to do something to express
themselves and that's the way they take.
It's weary business being shut up be-
tween the same four walls for two
months. especially when one is so
young"
Then she volunteered the information
most twenty, and that she had had some
practical experience during the influ-
enza epidemic, caring for the sick.
I'm fairly handy in the sickroom,' -
che said. Perhaps 1 can take your
place for a while and you 20 out and
have a walk. It's a wonderful spring
night and the air will do you good" A
trifle reluctantly. Toms mother con-
sented. THE whole trouble seems to
be-" she explained, that Tom can't go
to sleep. He is so wakeful and restless
that / can't sleep either, in the next
room, and by morning we are both
wrecks. I'm sorry now that let the
nurse go until he was up"
The housekeeper went upstairs in
her capable way and Tom was consider
ably more gracious to her, a perfect
stranger, than to his mother. Such
conduct is one of the discouraging fac
tors when one is taking care of ones
relatives.
First, Mrs. Andrews carried the cut
flowers out of the room and set the
room in order. Tom watched her with
half interested eyes. This darn room
gets on my nerves." he said.
Perhaps you could be moved to an
other room, suggested the house
a wan smile to the boys face. Funny
we never thought of that BEFORE he
said. III get moved into the south
room tomorrow" The thought pleased
him and with something to look for
ward to on the morrow he submitted to
having a warm sponge bath and his
hair and teeth brushed like tired child.
Gee, its a lot of extra trouble" he
said, "but it feels refreshing to be all
dolled up to go to sleep. Poor mother
thinks more of having me all polished
up for the doctors visit than at night
and it's at night, when / want to sleep
and can't, that ! get so tired and
twitchy-and nervous"
The bed having been remade, pillows
turned and patted into place. Mrs. An
drews brought a glass of-hot milk and
some crackers which the boy ate with
enjoyment, because it was unexpected.
His mother always asked him If he
wanted such and such a drink, not
realizing that invalids like surprises a
little better than any one else in the
world.
A hot bottle near his feet, a window
lowered from the top so that April
scented air caresSed his face. a dark
shade over the lamp, and Tom said
drowsily, Thanks awfully much-l'n
be asleep before you can say Jack
Robinson Almost before the house
keeper left the room he. fell asleep.