'We have seen nurses of all kinds to-day,hospital nurses, strictly amenable to the rule and orders of the doctors and surgeons; neighbourly nurses, who go in and out to their sick neighbours who cannot afford to pay any one for so doing; and professional nurses, some of whom, alas! profess

NURSING THE SICK.

much more than they are competent to perform. Then we have seen some first-rate home nurses, in the shape of wives, mothers, daughters, and sisters, and as it is more than probable that it will be your lot to belong to this last class of nurses, you cannot do better than take this opportunity of asking Dr.

Hopeful what qualifications it will be necessary for you to possess in order to fill the office satisfactorily.'

'I shall be very much pleased to tell them,' said the doctor, as I have half an hour to spare before leaving for home.'

'And we shall be delighted to hear,' said Gertie. 'Well, then,' said the doctor, 'intelligence, gentleness, firmness, and patience are the main points I should look for in choosing a nurse. If I had to look outside my own home for one, of course I should add sobriety and honesty, for unhappily these qualifications are sometimes lacking in hired sick

nurses.

'Every medical man will tell you that a good nurse is sometimes more essential to a patient's recovery than a good doctor. The sick-nurse is. with a patient day and night, and is responsible for all the surroundings which tend to his recovery or retard it. She should be very careful not to irritate the patient by undue bustle and noise; thoughtful to rearrange the room occasionally, so as to present a little change; scrupulously clean, neat, and cheerful in her appearance; and diligently careful to present everything to her patient in its nicest style. Sick people are often tempted to eat a dainty morsel if served up nicely, when they would not taste it if not temptingly prepared and brought to them. Whatever they cannot eat should be taken out of the room immediately, or the sight of it will often prevent their eating the next thing that is brought.

A sick-nurse's intelligence is often put to the test, and not least so in the proper ventilation of a sick-room. Pure air is highly essential in all cases of sickness, and a nurse must know the difference between ventilation and draughts. I have known

some lamentable results to accrue from lack of knowledge upon this point. Remember, cleanliness and fresh air in a sick-room are most powerful enemies of fever, and must go hand in hand with disinfectants in order to prevent the disease from spreading.

But while a nurse's first care must be for her patient, she must not entirely forget herself and others. She must be careful not to inhale the patient's breath, especially if he be suffering from a contagious disease, and watchful that nothing from the sick-room may come in contact with anything or anybody in the house. All linen from the sick-room should be plunged into water containing some disinfectant, such as chloride of lime, directly it is taken from the patient or the bed, and the same precaution should be taken with regard to the nurse's own clothing. Carpets and curtains should be conspicuous by their absence from a sick-room where any infectious disease is.'

I suppose, Dr. Hopeful,' said I, 'you would scold a nurse if you thought she had dared to put damp linen on her patient or the bed when changing?'

6

Scold, did you say? That word does not half express what I should do. She would not care to meet me any more, I can assure you, after saying all I should say upon such a subject.

'But our old enemy, time, bids me remember that I must reach home to-night, and I must leave you to digest my remarks on sick-nursing at your convenience. We might well spend another hour on the subject, but time forbids at present, so I must wish you good evening. If ever it falls to your lot, my young friends, to become sick-nurses, mind that your patients shall not have to complain

of your want of care and thoughtfulness, nor the doctor hurl his anathemas at you for your ignorance or stupidity in failing to carry out his orders.'

One fine summer's evening, when taking a leisurely stroll into the country, I came up to a charming little cottage about two miles from the town in which I lived. The very picturesque appearance of the spot attracted my attention, and as I was somewhat tired with my walk, I stopped to rest and peep over the gate at the well-kept garden.

A respectable-looking man, who was busy weeding, very kindly asked me to step inside and rest on the garden seat. I had not sat there long before a clean, neat little woman, and three equally clean-looking children, came out of the cottage to ascertain who the newly-arrived stranger was.

They all seemed highly delighted with my unqualified praises of their pretty home, while I

was personally impressed with the whole scene of house, garden, and family, as forming one of the best demonstrations of industry, economy, and thrift that I had ever witnessed.

I had heard the merry-faced little wife call her husband John, and as I was not aware what other name he bore, I ventured to address him by the

same one.

'Who is your landlord, John?' I said; 'for evidently he has a good tenant, whoever he may be.'

'The place is our own,' said he with a look of honest pride; we purchased it about three years ago, when our old landlord died.'

'Indeed,' said I; 'then there is great credit due to you for having been so industrious and thrifty as to possess it. I daresay my income has far exceeded yours, and yet I have not yet been able to purchase a home for myself. I think I must try to learn a few lessons from you while I stay.'

were

'Well, madam,' said John, 'when we married, our income was very small, and is so still; but we determined to save a little out of it from the commencement. We found we could live much cheaper a little way out of town, and that fact induced us to search out this little place. It was in a sad condition when we took it, for it had been uninhabited for two years. However, my wife set to work inside, and I outside, and soon things presented a different aspect. We soon became so enamoured of our little home, that we wished it might one day become our own.'

But I presume it was not the wishing that bought the house, John?'

'No, madam; I am afraid we should have been wishing still had that been the only step we had