University of Virginia Library

LETTER XIII.

Dear Mother,—I have only just received your
letter of April 9. I cannot think why it was so
long coming. I suppose you will have my long letter

to Sabra a day before this reaches you. This morning
was a very busy one; it was inspection day. Sunday
is the day appointed. I thought that while the
M. D.'s were going the rounds I should write to you;
but, no, the Doctor tranquilly informed me that he
wished me to accompany him. I was to be in the
first ward he entered and join him there. I began
the day as usual, with a visit before breakfast to some
of the wards. After breakfast, again in the wards,
looking after nurses and seeing how the sick were
doing. At ten, I was awaiting the Doctor. The form
is this; the wards are put in perfect order; then, when
the Doctor comes, the steward enters and commands,
Attention! All the men who are able rise and
salute the Doctor and suite. So we go through all the
wards, kitchens, and dispensaries. We wound up today
by getting into an ambulance, as many as it would
hold, that is, and went over to Benton Barracks, where
there is an army hospital, of which our Doctor is
superintendent; I have nothing to do with it. There
are not many sick there. After we came home the
Doctor said to me he wished to have a long talk with
me about my duties. I felt something as I have done
on entering a dentist's room. We had our long talk,
and he defined my work exactly; he says I have a large
field to work in, and so I have, it almost dismays me;
indeed, it would quite, if I did not hope I should be
guided and protected. I will tell you how my work is
laid out. I have direct and complete control over the
female nurses, I also direct all the male nurses; I do the
latter work mostly through ward-masters who are here
simply head nurses. They have the care of directing
all the cleaning of the wards and changing the patients'
linen. I tell these men what I wish to have done, how I
wish to have it done and when they are to see that it is
done; I tell a nurse myself if necessary. I see that the
wards are kept clean and properly arranged, &c., &c. I
have now to train the female nurses; they are to give
all the medicines, see that the special diet patients get
all they are ordered to eat and that it is properly served
out to them; and to watch the patients and do for
them whatever they require. This I have to teach
them so far as they do not know it, and they have not
generally much experience. I was sent in town by the
Doctor to-day to see Mr. Yeatman about more nurses.
I passed some time looking over a list, and selecting
from it those who appeared suitable. I have one nice
one in the amphitheatre in one of the new wards,
whom I like very much; I put another in to-morrow;
I have been regulating one very nice ward, and have
the nurses working well. The surgeon told me he
was very glad to have me there. To-morrow, I
expect—

Tuesday.—Are you used to my stoppages yet?
This morning I went as usual into the wards, and
found so much to do at once that I did not get back
till breakfast was half over. Then out again to the
wards, seeing to this thing and that. The place is
very beautiful, though in summer very hot, the Doctor
informs me that the mosquitoes have bills immensely

long, regular Sangradoes. I am now in search of a
suitable man to be my orderly; his duty will be to follow
me round and do my errands; the difficulty is to
find one strong enough. One of the ward-masters informed
me that he would not undertake to follow me
round, for I seemed to be everywhere. You need not
send me a lantern: I have one, and go about evenings
with it slung on my arm. My evening visits are important
ones. One of the men who died here the other
day interested me very much. I sat by him some time
the evening he supposed would be his last; when I got
up to go, he bade me good-by so touchingly, holding
my hand in his poor trembling ones. I wonder
whether I shall ever meet these dying ones again. I
have watched by some I should like to see again
bright and happy. This is a curious sort of life and
there is one thing trying about it; every night when
I review the day I see something which I could have
done better, or ought to have done differently. It
is rather discouraging to see one's self so far from
being just what one should be, or near it. I am
improving, I hope, and I am certainly learning. I hope
I shall be able to discharge the duties rightly. This
afternoon I had to give a reproof to a ward-master for
doing something without my sanction, which he ought
not to have done. I do not know which felt the worse,
he or I. I have a new nurse to train to-morrow, she
looks pleasant and good.

Wednesday.—The new nurse has come; I have set
her to work. I wish I had a set of nurses who knew

just what to do, and would take right hold; however,
all can learn.

Dr. Russell says he knows Dr. Wyman and also Dr.
Bowditch, very well; he himself is from Natick, Mass.;
his family are there now; his whole name is Ira Russell.
As he is the head here, I thought you would like
to know of some who are acquainted with him. It is
very interesting here: I am beginning to love the place
very much. I made a short tour with the Doctor this
morning, which resulted in more work for me. Mr.
Yeatman says he wrote to you last week; he was so afraid
you would send for me: what he said in the letter I
do not know, except that I was out here. I have been
very ill from malaria. I actually grew thin; one friend
told me I looked peaked; so I got to the glass to see,
and I did. I am quite well now, or I could not work
as I do. My little room is very pleasant: I have some
lovely flowers on my table, from Mr. Yeatman's garden;
they are the flowers you have by and by. I
have been giving several of the caps the Club sent on, to
soldiers who had neuralgic pains in the head: they were
very much pleased with them. The pin-cushions excited
great interest; they are all appropriated. The
bandages have already come into use. A box of anything
is acceptable. I was interrupted by the arrival of
a new nurse; I have taken her to her ward, given her
general directions, and left her to domesticate. Then
other business; I was about so much this morning
I am resting a little while.

I wish you could see this place and the men in

it; there are more coming out; I suppose we shall
by and by have two thousand patients. Some of the
men are sinking; it is sad to see it. They are very
good and patient, but so subdued sometimes by their
long suffering, it is very sad; you have no idea of the
weariness produced by long, sad sickness away from
home and woman's care. The peculiar sort of submissiveness
it causes is like that of a poor tired child
who wants somebody to take care of him, and is too
weak to do for himself. When you see it in a man
who should be strong and well, it is very sad. The
men are beginning to care for me; as I stop at the beds
as I go round, the hands are put out to take mine,
and I must hear how they are, and say something to
them. One poor fellow who did not get his strength
was too sober to be enlivened by anything, till I remarked
very gravely, "I was very impatient for my
children to begin to walk," the idea struck him as so
comic that he laughed right out, and became quite
bright. One has to think of all sorts of things to say
to them.