Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1929-10-25
Visiting DaY."

"Just as IT," sputtered red-haired
Eileen Donnelley, f1rst-year student
nurse at E. c. H, I'VE girls didn't have
work enough to do without getting a
whole flock of rlbbernecks around to
ask silly questions and make idiotic re-
marks! Ouch! My feet ache" And
lovely Rusty subsidized into chair in
the diet kitchen and rubbed tired hands
across her eyes, as though to wipe away
the purple shadows OF overwork that
fingered there. We'll, I'll say this Is
no rest cure, keeping this health fac
tory going according to Ryder! But It's
worth it, and you know, Rusty. darling,
If any of us were acting 'supe,' we'd do
Just as Ryder does, only more sol" COM
forted Sylvia Cranston, as she weighed
and measured the difficult baby for
mula.
'Oh, I suppose So" grumbled Eileen
deiectedly but it seems like an awful
waste of energy. Seems as though a
sick person would be lot safer If his
nurse didn't have to work to the point
of dropping. One of us will have night
duty. If it's poor me, I'll do nice
King Tut act in some quiet corner"
"Rusty's peeved because we have
visiting day, and I'm not sure blame
her" explained Sylvia, pursuing her lips
and souinting at the dubious looking
fluid In tall glass measuring can.
"Oh, boy, If that's all that's troubling
you, cheer up! Wait till you've been In
this health factory another year. then
range the unloved events in order, and
maybe Visiting day will be away down
the listl" remarked Eleanor. as she dis
appeared with a swish of stiffiy starched
skirts.
"Eleanor's right, Rusty" said Sylvia,
as Rusty got YEARLY to her feet and
started for the linen room, hoping fer
vently that she would never have to
make another bed as long as she lived.
She was thinking a few uncompll-
mentary thoughts as she skillfully
tucked in the sheets and smoothed
blankets on the umptieth bed when the
smartly coiffed and charmingly waved
gray head Of Miss Ryder appeared In
the doorway.
Miss Donnelley, there's a glass of
water in and it's not covered and
there are quite a few specks of dust on
it. too. I should never forgive myself
If any Of our visitors should see such q
disgusting example OF laxneSS!" ana
Miss Ryder departed, her fine Roman
nose wrinkling in panied disdain over
the tragedy of a Specked glass of water.
Eileen smiled grimly, yet she con-
tinued making the bed until 1t was
marvel of unwrinkled, smooth perfec-
ton, and then, with bits of ice glinting
in either violet eye, she started for the
stairs and went noiselessly to No. Z, her
trained ears catching and identifying
the sounds below as that of the arrival
Of the first coterie of visitors.
"I'n bet look like hot sketch, with
my hair flying in every direction and
my stockings so damp from perspira-
ton that they cling in wrinkled punches
all the way up, and If this uniform is
Miss Ryder's idea Of soothing land
scape for a dying man, deliver me from
her jurisdiction soon, 0 Lord, or else
I'll get reckless and cut my hair!"
Down, down, down; one. two and
three flights of stairs, for the elevator
was reserved for the visitors today and
the nurses must walk. And had Eileen
had a pedometer attached to her ankle
1t might have registered in the vicin-
ity of IL miles. not counting the stairs.
Voices, high and shrill, low and gut
tural, soft and eager; voices asking
questions and making comments and
delivering CHEEKY messages to the tacit-
~ silent patients of E. c. H. floor ward
(street IeveD. Soft watts of costly per-
fume, soft rustic of exquisite silks,
soft CLEAN from exquisite jewelry and
the white perfection of hands that
toll not carrying costly gloves and
purses from Paris. Ironic comparison
of such visitors with the Woodworking,
haTd-scrubbing, tired and detected
squad of nurses atsE.aC. H. Small Won
der that Eileen paused a long moment, |
hands clinching the railing to the
stairs-paused to gather her self-con-
troll and summon her sense of humor-
above all, her fine loyalty and enthusi-
asm for the nursing profession, before
she went to retrieve the offending
specked glass of water from No. 7. The
voices were coming up the elevator
shaft now and the iron grill changed
softly as Miss Ryder led her visitors
down the corridor that bounded No. z
on the north side.
And as she made that brief pause