The Bismarck tribune. [volume] (Bismarck, N.D.) 1916-current, 1934-11-01
en- raising Is his lire Of business.
Not An Easy Job

Not An Easy Job
Miss Lift has had to use some In
genrity.
would you like something to read?"
she asks Of the ward inmate who lies
staring ct the ceiling al day long.
mo, thanks" he mumbles. "All
ever read Is the headlines and the
sport page" il
On her second trip, she discovers
that he Is intensely interested In con-
struction work. She happens to have
q good book Of fiction, q story about
the construction Of . dam in the West
which, he Is told, might interest him.
On her third trip, the patient volun-
teers, Il guess you can leave another
book today. This one sure Was GOOD >
Just before leaving the hospital, he
inquiries, Say, can fellow get books
like this to read ct the public ubrary?"
And 50 another enthusiastic library
patron. z'.@
Opinions expressed on reading in
general frequently are cheerful and
breezy. Say, the time surely goes
fast when read" This Is another,
T like book with plenty Of style In
It," What the man meant was q book
by Zane Grey. In contrast to this WAS
the wistful comment, @You have, 20
many good books, I wish I had time
to read them all"
Patients Like Sugeestions
One patient In moment Of conf
dence divulged the fact that his pet
hobby was the study Of wild animals.
On the next visit to the ward he was
brought a new, illustrated volume from
the public library. With shining eyes,
he queried, Did you pick this out for
me? I'll say you're some picker"
From then on he read q great many
out-of doors books and had q grand
time doing it.
It Is Z Joy to Miss Lit to Sc the de-
lighted faces Of children in the pedi-
atric wards Is they see the approach
Of the book truck. Reading aloud
puts some Of the little patients to
sleep and makes others forget their
pain and inconsistencies. One small
child, too young to read, stretched
out his arms and cried, Book! Book!"
he was contented when handed 4 mag
azine with q bright cover.
Miss Lift has found that books can
play an important part In the life Of a
convalescent and can offer q few sug-
gestions to those who have invalids
In their own homes.
Books" she comments, can cheer
or depress; they can create q keen
interest In life and living; they can
dispel melancholy: they can educate
and entertain, and they can bring
peace and comfort"
Fiction Is most popular with the
convalescent.
Sick Like Mystery Stories
Mystery stories appeal to . large
number Of patients and, because Of
their power to absorb and transport
attention, they are highly beneficial.
However, they have to be chosen with
discretion in order to avoid too great
excitement for the patient or too much
violence and tragic suggestion.
Books Of hun1or are desirable.
Light romance pleases and helps a
great many sick people Is do the sen
tinental stories OF Zane Grey and
Harold Bell Wright. Many patients
begin with the popular type Of fic-
ton and develop taste for something
better.
One woman In the ward seemed to
be happy to have the book truck
wheeled to her bedside but was great
~ disappointed when she could not
find her favorite magazines Of the
more popular type. One day Is she
happened to have nothing to read. she
rather reluctantly accepted some
thing other than her "fayorites." The
next time came the remark, "You
know 1t Is nice to have q change once
in . WHILE" She read Z good many
books before she left the hospital and
procured . reading list from the IL