Page:Popular Science Monthly Volume 9.djvu/194

174 possibility of self-command, that has led the mother to flee from the bedside of her dying child, the wife to turn away from the failing sight that yearns to gaze upon her face while life yet lingers! The contemplation of pain could not be borne, because the mind was weakened and enervated by a selfish habit of yielding to the dislike of bravely facing anything disagreeable. Let all true women train themselves to possess self-control, calmness, and patient courage; let them strive to acquire a certain amount of knowledge of the cares and duties of the sick-room: let them not shrink from hearing-the details of this or that form of suffering and disease, and gladly and readily offer help (when they rightly and safely can) outside the bounds of their own immediate home circle. Let them rejoice in any fitting opportunity that may come in their way of perfecting themselves in this, the highest and holiest of woman's duties, so that when their own time of trial comes they may not fail!

Taking it for granted that there are many who will gladly take a few plain and practical hints on this subject, I shall condense the result of a somewhat long and wide experience into a short space.

And, first: It is in things which of themselves appear trifling, and even insignificant, that the comfort of a sick-room is made or marred. For instance, an energetic and amiably-intentioned person places a cold pillow beneath the shoulders of a patient suffering from pneumonia, that is, inflammation of the lungs; a fit of coughing, perhaps a restless night, is the result. Five minutes' warming of the pillow at the fire would have prevented all this mischief, and even conduced to sleep.

Dress, again, is a matter of great importance in a sick-room, and here I must enter a protest against that very common practice of the amateur sick-nurse making a "guy" of herself. I really have seen such startling and unpleasant costumes donned "for the occasion," as seemed to me enough to cause delirium in the patient, if long contemplated—shawls, and dressing-gowns, and wraps, of such an obsolete and awful character, that the shadow of the watcher, cast upon the wall by the dim light of the night-lamp, must form a horrible "old granny," and be by no means a pleasing reflection to meet a sick man's eyes, as he wakes weak and confused from an opiate-won sleep!

The best dress for a sick-room is plain black—for the simple reason that no stain shows upon it—an old silk is the most economical, but silk rustles, and is therefore objectionable. Black lustre is very serviceable—not made long enough to trail, upset chairs, and get under the doctor's feet; and not having hanging sleeves, but fitting close and neat at the wrist, so as to be finished off by nice white linen cuffs. (I have seen a hanging sleeve catch on some projecting point of chair or table, and convert a glass of egg-flip into a "douche" externally applied, swamping the patient in a yellow sea, besides