The Republican., 1925-10-01
Newspaper Woman Has a Grand
Time in Cumberland Institu-
tiOn; Writes Her Experience

county. Sara, with that wonderful
/ tact natural to womenfolk in times of
travail and pain, tells of her expert
ences in the hospital in an article
| printed in her paper of last Satur-
day. Being a home body and the
story woven by her being of more
than passing interest, especially to
her hundreds of Garrett county
friends, The Republican republishes
it in full.
! Her story follows:
I've had an Operation. All my life
I've dreaded such a possibility, and
now it's over. True, it was called a
Minor Operation, but it held the same
horrors, the same thrills, and please
! God, it holds the same promise of
better health for which ofttimes a
major operation has been required.
This is how it happened:
I've been very sick, physically and
mentally, for months, every part of
my anatomy took a turn in aching.
| One examination revealed that my
nasal appendage was o. k, for which
| was devoutly thankful. 1t does get
red, but judicious use of my powder
puff can cover that. l was sick men
tally nervous and irritable.
| imagined nobody loved me. | had
evidence and assurance from at least
! nine-tenths of my friends that this
was not true, but l could not believe
it. | wanted to 'go out in the garden
and eat worms" | even doubted the
affection and good will of the Daily
News staff, and here they have been
all week doing their own work and
mine and insisting upon my taking a
Vacation.
Of course any medical man will tell
you that when you get into this codi-
tion nothing but an operation will
help you-that's what they told me-
Horrors! | would have to go to a
hospital something l never intended
doing except as a visitor to less fav-
ored friends.
1 came home and got ready, pack
ing my pretty embroidered nighties
that l had gotten for Christmas, with
caps to match, and my incest kimona.
| wanted to look the best for the Or
deal. And now, with tears of self
pity, most of my pretty things are
still waiting to be unpacked, unseen
and unused,
Then | decided to make my will. |
am not a good mathematician, but af-
ter adding the combined total of my
three Bank Accounts, | found that
even depending upon my friends for
flowers there would only be enough
left after it was all over to give me
decent burial. A few hundred copies
of Little Songs of Every Day" and
seven pairs of old shoes were all |
had to give and bequeath" | tried
to think of some one who would want
either, and couldn't, so | wept again.
l entered the hospital at two a. M,
Monday morning l insisted upon
working Sunday night. How the rest
of the force ever stood it, l do not
know, if | looked as felt. The NJ. E..
was particularly kind and insisted
that | remain at home until real
strong. I've since wondered if they
were not devoutly hoping it would
take all summer. The night super
intendent welcomed me sweetly and
graciously and took me to a room
where a pretty little nurse from old
Garrett county (think what that
meant to me) helped me undress,
tucked me in, took my temperature
and left me, but not to sleep.
l said my prayers and after awhile
l remembered to name the bedposts,
even though l knew it was of no use,
and then | lay wide-eyed, tensely
waiting for what the morning would
bring. The words of the song "All
Alone" swept through my brain in
unwelcome reiteratiOn like a requiem.
Morning brought the doctor and
nurse, my pretty kimona was folded
away, was wrapped in sheet and
put on a stretcher and with a nurse
at either side | was taken to the
Operating Room. AS we went down
the elevator l tried to pray, but all
| could say was, Lord. You know
what | want, but give me what | de-
/ serve"
AS | was wheeled into the Place of
Horrors two doctors with instruments
of torture and healing, and looking
/ like the Grand Moguls of the Ku
Klux Klan, smiled encouragingly at
ne, but once in my life | could not
respond. | waited in limp, tense ter
ror for what was to follow. My arms
were bound to the board upon which
| had been placed, a cone shaped
Something was placed over my face
and a voice said: breathe deeply,
please" and | drifted off, down thru
the poppy laden lane into the Land