Granny 20 was in one of her most garrulous moods, but who was there to
listen? She tried to catch a nurse or probationer as they hurried by
the end of the bed, with a "Listen to me now, nurse." But a smile and a
nod and a "By-and-by, Granny," was all she got for her pains.
Her nearest bed-fellows were too sleepy for anything, and she had to
content herself with murmuring to an imaginary audience until Sister
had a moment's leisure, and came to her bedside.
"I was saying, Sister, that Mrs. 21 there is one with me. We both rue
our wedding-day! And we thought--bless yer!--we thought, when we stood
up so proud and made our vows, that we was the luckiest women in the
world."
"And it all turned out badly, Granny?"
"Oh, well! It might have been wuss for some of us. I won't say it
mightn't; but me was in too much of a hurry--that was the mischief.
Why, bless yer! Mrs. 21 there says she wasn't more'n sixteen when she
took a 'usband! And me? I was only just turned eighteen. We didn't know
no better. We were took by a 'andsome face."
"Well, Granny, I cannot err on the side of marrying too young, whatever
I do."
"Sister! You ain't never thinking of matrimoany? Don't 'ee, dear! Don't
'ee! Just take the advice of a old woman what _knows_. This is what I
say. If a man comes to you and seems true enough, don't trust him! No,
not if trust was to sparkle like a diamond from the end of every hair
on his head, don't trust him!"
Hardly knowing how to contain herself for laughter, Sister promised to
be very careful, and thanked Granny for her wise words.
"They aire wise. You may well say so," chuckled the old lady. "Now I
could tell you----"
"Another time, Granny dear--and see! Here's nurse with your tea. A cup
of tea! There's nothing like it, is there?"
"Bless yer--no!"
And Nurse Hudson--what of her? Had the episode of yesterday's
carelessness with the words of reproof that followed been the warning
Sister Warwick hoped? The watchful eyes could detect very little that
was amiss that day. But she was obliged to acknowledge that the nurse's
manner towards herself was not what it should be. With her new efforts
not to repel her nurses by the stiffness of her own manners she ignored
what she could. Later she felt glad she had done so.
After tea the medicines were given out. It was the staff-nurse's duty
to-day, and following the instructions on her chart, Hudson went to and
fro, pouring out the draughts, and bringing them to each bed in order.
Sister, seated by No. 10, watched her silently. But when she brought
the dose for this "typhoid," she took it from her hand to administer it
herself.
What instinct made her pause, before giving it, to ask:
"Is this the new medicine, nurse?"
"Of course it is, Sister!" The tone was offensive, but, ignoring it,
Sister Warwick leant forward to hold the glass to the girl's lips.
Again she paused. What was it stayed her hand?
She raised the glass, smelt it, and then put it to her own lips and
tasted the liquid, her eyes on the chart.
"This is an overdose!" she said sternly. "Here are four times the right
amount!"
For she knew in a flash what the nurse had done, and she shuddered
at the thought! Hudson had certainly, as she said, given the fresh
medicine the chart directed, but in her heedlessness she had not
looked to see if the quantity was altered too. She had poured out two
tablespoonfuls instead of two teaspoonfuls--a dose that would have
caused intense suffering, if nothing worse, to the sick girl.
Sister Warwick rose from her chair and looked Nurse Hudson full in the
face. Her utter scorn and indignation at this culpable carelessness
rendered her speechless.
But her glance was enough!
Turning on her heel, she carried the medicine-glass into her room,
placed it in a cupboard there, and locking it up, removed the key.
Nurse Hudson watched it all--miserable and self-condemned--knowing
what the action meant. Now that it was done, she would have given
anything to have been more careful. Her colour came and went. She
stood irresolute. Her better self was urging her to go at once and with
a humble apology plead for another trial with an earnest promise of a
different course in the future. But she could not bring herself to do
that. Pride and Selfishness had been too closely her companions lately,
excluding better impulses.
No, she would not believe that Sister Warwick meant to report her to
the Matron. Perhaps she would only ask for her removal to another ward;
there she could make a fresh start. But she did not ask herself with
what motive.
Nurse Hudson's work had always been tarnished with the discolouring
influences of her own low aims. No wonder now that she failed, and did
not take the one step that might have saved her nursing career.
She left the ward that evening without another word with the
Sister--miserable, self-pitying, undecided, little thinking that she
would never enter it again.
* * * * *
"The whole affair shall be stopped at once!" The Matron's voice was
full of decision and very stern. "I will send for Hudson and tell her
I cannot keep her here any longer. Nor will I sign her certificate! I
am not justified, after all you tell me, in sending her away to pass
herself off as a qualified nurse."
"You take a harder view of her conduct than I do, Matron." And Sister
Warwick then and there began to plead for the nurse who had been such a
"thorn in her side."
"You will not move me, Sister! Hudson will go! It will seem right, from
many points of view, when you can look at it dispassionately. I am only
very thankful that we so rarely have such a failure among the nurses,
and thankful most of all that no worse harm has been done. We might
have had a case for the coroner."
Sister Warwick knew the Matron's words were just. She left her and
went back to her own room, sinking into her leaning-chair with the
consciousness that an upset like this "took it out of her" far more
than even an operation involving pain and suffering to one of her dear
ward babies. And, sad at heart, she began to think of Ellen Hudson's
future, then to search back in her own mind for possible opportunities
missed in the past when she might have helped her more kindly. She
realised bitterly that she herself might have done better too.
She sat forward then and wrote a little note and sent it round to the
Nurses' Home, timed to reach Nurse Hudson just after her interview with
the Matron.
It was to ask her staff-nurse to come and see her before she left. But
she never came. She passed out of Sister Warwick's life from that hour,
and her place knew her no more.
* * * * *
Nurse Carden's bright face and ready sympathy were a pleasant
interruption to the Sister's mournful ruminations that evening. She
came in a little before her usual time, and the two had a quiet chat in
the "Sisters' Room" before the night work began.
Here Sister Cumberland joined them. These three women--so different in
character, so united in aim and purpose--felt then the sustaining power
of a friendship that was standing the wear and tear of life.
Seeing how worried the elder "Sister" was by the present, the other two
drew her thoughts back to the past and to their earlier experiences in
the ward.
"Do you remember?" was the introduction to many reminiscences Sister
Cumberland recalled that night on duty, when she fought her fiercest
fight with the craving for sleep.
Nurse Carden talked of Tommie the waif and his whimsical ways. He could
not be forgotten, for it was not many days since at the lodge-gate of
her own home she had seen the Tommie of to-day. Such a contrast! A
sturdy, ruddy, honest country lad, loving his life as a gardener's boy,
and always ready, if questioned, to say, "Oh, I belong to Nurse Carden,
I do! I ain't got nobody else! But she is good to me, she is!"
So the three talked until the hour struck which took them to their
various duties and closed the second of these days my pen has tried to
describe--days chosen not because they were remarkably different from
many others, but because they give an average picture of the cares
and anxieties, the pleasures and interests that belong to a hospital
Sister's life; because, too, they tell of an experience that had a
lasting effect in softening Sister Warwick's character and in extending
her influence over the nurses in her charge.
[THE END.]
GUS.
Ya want ti knaw aboot ma maate Gus? Set ya doon, then, an' ah'll tell
ya all aboot it.
Me an' Gus wer friends fra' t' first. 'E wer a shy, quiet soort o' lad,
an' t' other chaps didn't seem ti taake ti 'im at first, an' it wer
soort o' loansoom for a yoong chap lodgin' aloan i' a straange plaace,
specially as 'e didn't seem ti care mooch for t' public-'oose o' neets.
Soa wun evening, as we wer leavin' woork, ah says ti 'im, "Coom in an'
'ave a bit o' soopper wi' ma an' ma missus, lad."
'E looked real pleased, an' said 'e would coom, bud 'e wouldn't coom
straight 'oam wi' ma, as ah wanted 'im ti. Noa, 'e mun gang back ti 'is
lodgins an' fettle issen oop.
My missus weant best pleased when sha 'eard 'e wer coming; mebbe, theer
weant ower mooch for soopper, an' sha niver were fond o' straangers;
bud 'e 'adn't been i' oor lahtle room aboove 'alf a minute afoor ah
seed as sha'od taaken a fancy ti 'im. 'E com in rather shy an' bashful
loike, for all 'e'd maade 'issen soa graand wi' 'is Soonday coate an'
all, an' ma missus, she says--
"Set ya doon an' maak yersen at whoam, while ah get summat for ya ti
eat," an' 'e set doon reet theer by t' door, on t' edge o' 'is cheer,
an' 'adn't a woord to say for 'issen.
Oor lahtle lass Polly--she wer nobbut fooer year owd then--shoo com in
an' stood starin' at 'im wi' 'er finger i' 'er mooth, an' at sight o'
'er 'e foond 'is tongue.
"Coom 'ere, lahtle ma'ad," says 'e; "ah'm wonnerful fond o' childer.
Coom an' see what ah've got i' ma pocket."
Bud t' lahtle lass still stood beside ma, starin' at 'im as if 'e wer
summat i' a show.
Gus didn't saay nowt moor, but 'e oots wi' 'is knife an' a bit o' wood
and starts carvin' summat.
"Noo," says 'e, arter a bit, "what shall it be? Shall ah maak tha a
'orse, or a coo, or what?"
T' lahtle lass foond 'er toongue at that.
"A lad," says she, an' cooms a step nearer ti see what 'e wer at.
"Shoo'll be a rare wun for t' lads when shoo's a bit bigger, ah'se
warran'," says 'e, wi' a laugh; an' 'e goes on carvin' t' bit o'
wood in a waay 'at wer wunnerful ti me. Soon t' head an' shoolthers
appeared, an' then t' legs an' arms, an' all t' while t' tahtle lass
crept nearer an' nearer, an' by t' tahm t' lad wer doon, shoo wer
sittin' on 'is knee an' chatterin' awaay ti 'im as if 'e wer' an owd
friend.
That woon moother's 'eart, for shoo's powerful set on t' lahtle lass,
seem' shoo's t' oanly wun wi' 'ave--an' ah reckon ah weant far be'ind
'er i' that--an' befoor 'e left shoo'd arst 'im ti taake 'is dinner
wi' us Soonday next. Arter that, Gus wer in an' oot continual, an' 'e
an' t' lahtle lass wer as thick as thieves. It wer pratty ti see 'er
perched o' 'is knee, wi' 'is arm roond 'er, an' ti 'ear 'er pratty
prattle, all aboot 'er dolls an' toys an' sooch-like. 'E used ti call
'er 'is lahtle sweet-'eart, an' saay sha mun marry 'im when sha wer
growed a bit, an' t' lahtle lass 'ud look oop i' 'is faace, as graave
as graave, an' promise ti be 'is lahtle wife. 'Twer as pratty a pictur
as 'eart could wish to see them thegither, an' 'e niver seemed ti tire
o' 'er coompany, or care ti talk wi' me or t' missus when t' lahtle
lass wer theer.
Well tahm went on, an' t' job e'd coom doon 'ere for wer nigh
finished--layin' rails o' new line it wer--an' 'e wer talkin' o'
leavin', for 'e weant fra' oor parts; when wun daay--ah mind it wer t'
first o' April, for theer'd been soom foolin' amoong t' lads earlier
i' t' daay, an' t' blackthorn wer buddin' i' t' 'edges--we wer setting
on t' railway bank eatin' oor dinners. Gus wer moor talkative than
ordinary that daay; ah mind 'e'd been tellin' us o' t' waay they did
'arvestin' i' 'is parts--Lancashire waay--an' 'arvest-'oams, an'
sooch-like, when all of a soodden ah caught sight o' ma lahtle lass
runnin' along t' line. It did gie ma a toorn, for t' doon traain 'ad
been signalled two or three minutes sin', an' even as ah caught sight
o' 'er, ah 'eerd it roombling along i' t' distance.
"Ma God!" ah cried. "Look theer!"
Jack Wilson--'im as lives i' yon cottage wi' t' creepers doon by t'
church--shoots as lood as 'e could, "Get oft t' line, bairn! Get off t'
line!" Bud Polly, sha didn't taak noa 'eed ti 'im.
Then afoor ah 'ad got ma wits aboot ma, or 'ad ony idea what 'e wer
goin ti do, Gus 'ad joomped doon fra' t' bank, an' were roonnin' for
'is loife doon t' line ti meet t' lahtle lass. It wer awful to see 'im,
while every moment t' thoonder o' t' train com nearer.
"Is t' man mad?" cried Wilson. "It's certain death." An' even as 'e
spoke, t' train com roond t' corner.
Polly stood still, terrified, an' Gus ran on reet inti t' teeth o' t'
train. Ah turned deadly sick, for ah niver thowt 'e would be i' tahm,
an' it seemed nobbut a waaste o' two lives; bud 'e reached 'er joost
afoor t' train did. Ah seed 'im catch 'er oop an' toss 'er on ti t'
bank, an' then--then t' traan wer on 'im, an' we saw noothing moor till
it 'ad past. Then ah ran ti wheer 'e wer lyin', an' an awful sight it
wer. It 'aunts ma yet, thoo it's nigh on ten year sin. 'E wer livin',
poor chap, an' 'e looked up at ma wi' a smile, though t' death dews
were gathering on 'is faace.
"T' lahtle lass?" 'e asked anxiously.
"Saafe an' well," ah answered. "Eh, Gus, lad, tha' shouldn't 'a doon
it. Ah reckon she weant woorth it."
"Niver saay that!" 'e said. "Wheer is sha? Ah'd like fine to bid her
good-bye."
Polly wer cryin' wi' fright on t' bank cloas at 'and. Ah called 'er,
bud at first sha 'ung back, not knawin' as it wer 'er friend as lay
theer, a sickenin' sight, an' not fit for a bairn ti see.
"Niver mind, John," 'e said, sadly enough. "It's better soa. Ah
wouldn't like 'er ti think o' ma like this." But ah went an' fetched
'er, an' bade 'er ti thank 'im for saavin' 'er loife.
"Nay, nay," 'e said, smoilin' oop at 'er. "Good-bye, lahtle sweet'eart.
Tha'lt 'ave ti get anoother lad noo."
"Nay, ah'll waait for thee an' be thy lahtle wife," says Polly
sturdily, not un'erstan'in', poor lahtle lass, as 'e wer dyin'.
"Tha'lt 'ave ti waait till tha gets ti t' New Jeroosalem, then," 'e
answers, "if soa be as they'll let ma in." An' at that 'e looks serious.
Ah maade 'aste ti cheer 'im oop.
"Nay, lad, thoo need 'ave noa fear o' that," ah says. "Tha mind hoo He
said, 'Inasmooch as ye 'a doon it to wun o' t' least o' these, ye 'a
doon it unto Me.'"
Hoo 'is faace lighted oop at that word! Then a spasm o' agony crossed
it, an' t' death rattle began i' 'is throat.
'E couldn't speak, bud 'e maade ma a sign ti send t' lahtle lass away,
an' ah bade 'er roon 'oam ti 'er moother. Then ah knelt doon an' raised
'im in ma arms, an' it weant long--thank God, it weant long.
Well, it's ten year sin, as ah said, an' it's an owd story noo, an' t'
grass is green on 'is graave. T' lahtle lass keeps it rare an' gay wi'
flooers. Shoo's growin' a graat gell noo, an' it weant be long afoor
t' lads begin ti coom aboot 'er, for shoo's growin' bonny; bud shoo's
niver forgotten Gus, an' if shoo iver did, ah wouldn't oan 'er as ma
darter, that ah wouldn't!
ANSWERS TO CORRESPONDENTS.
MEDICAL.
FREDA.--Of the cause of exophthalmic goître but little is known for
certain. Worry or anxiety often precede the onset of the disease.
Unlike ordinary goître this affection is not limited in any way to
certain districts, but occurs in every part of the country. "Is it
curable, and if so, how long should a moderate case take to cure?"
Yes, many cases do recover. When the disease is very marked, recovery
is unusual. But now that surgeons have directed their attention to the
disease there is every reason to believe that the severer grades of the
affection may yield to operative treatment. We can no more tell you how
long an attack of exophthalmic goître will last than we could tell you
the day of your death. Sometimes the disease disappears in six months
or a year, often it drags on for many years. As a rule, if the symptoms
develop rapidly, the disease runs a rapid course. Men are comparatively
rarely attacked. We can, however, call to mind a fair number of cases
of exophthalmic goître in the male sex. Unmarried women of from twenty
to thirty years of age are the usual victims of this disease.
WORRIED.--1. In all probability your sister would get better and
stronger after marriage. Of course it depends a good deal upon the
cause of her malady. She had far better go to her family doctor and
get his advice upon the matter. We cannot take the responsibility of
giving a definite answer to your question from such a very scanty
amount of information.--2. There are so many books on travel and
science, suitable to ordinary readers, that it is rather difficult to
choose any particular volume. One of the best books on science for a
beginner--that is, a person who is beginning to read science--is a
little work called _Ants and their Ways_, by the Rev. Farren White. It
is a charming little volume which will instil into anyone who reads it
the habit of observation--so all-important in science. The book is very
moderate in price. It is published by the Religious Tract Society. If
you turn to the advertisement sheets at the back of this paper you will
see notices of a number of very good books on both science and travel.
MATRON.--Obviously the book you want is the _British Pharmacopœia_.
This gives definite instructions how to make up every official
preparation. There is a new edition just published. For the drugs which
are not in the _British Pharmacopœia_, Squire's _Companion to the
British Pharmacopœia_ may be consulted. You will do well to thoroughly
master the decimal measures, and to use them exclusively, as they
are now official and will alone be used in the future. The old and
confusing apothecaries' measures are now out of date.
ALTA.--For the bites and stings of midges, etc., rub a little dilute
ammonia on the bite. This usually relieves the pain instantly. It is
better to put a drop of dilute carbolic acid (about 1 in 100) upon the
bite after using the ammonia. The reason for this is that the trouble
from an insect's bite is dependent upon two causes. In the first place
the insect actually drops poison into the bite. This, which is usually
formic acid, makes the wound smart at once, but its effect passes off
in a little time. Ammonia neutralises this acid and so gives instant
relief. But there is a second cause of trouble which is far more
serious. The bite of a fly has caused more deaths than you would think,
and from this reason. Flies of all kinds are given to feed on garbage,
and as they have not yet learnt to use a toothbrush, their mouths are
always swarming with germs. Usually these germs are not of a very
virulent kind. But suppose that a midge has been eating the carcase of
an animal which has died from peritonitis. That fly is now more deadly
than a viper, for on its tongue it has a poison which is capable of
rapid increase if it ever finds a suitable home. If this fly bites you,
you may die from the bite. Everyone knows that often an insect sting
or bite does not ache or swell at first; but after several hours the
place becomes hot and swollen, and if the place bitten be the hand,
the arm begins to swell and the glands in the armpit enlarge. In this
case a mild dose of microbes has been innoculated. Ammonia will not
in most cases destroy these microbes. Therefore, we say, put a drop
of dilute carbolic acid on the place as soon as you can. The ammonia
simply relieves a little itching (for the poison of the insect itself
is rarely dangerous), but the carbolic acid destroys organisms which
are capable of great mischief. Rubbing the face and hands with oil of
eucalyptus, or paraffin, will sometimes prevent insects from coming
near you.
LILY, MY QUEENIE.--1. Is the skin round your eyebrows scarred? Hair
never grows on scars, nor can it be made to do so by any means in our
power. If there are no scars, try a little white precipitate ointment
applied carefully to the eyebrows.--2. Moles cannot be cured. They can
be removed by operation. If they are large and noticeable it is better
to have them removed. Otherwise leave them severely alone.
PEARL.--Take our advice and see a doctor at once. Severe headache is a
very common symptom, and though it is usually caused by some trivial
ailment, it is often the only subjective sign of a serious disease.
Your attacks suggest megraine, but they might be due to far more
serious things. Without a complete personal examination no man living
could diagnose your malady.
FOX.--What size corsets do you wear? Tight lacing is, or rather was,
a very common cause of fatness about the face. What age are you? It
is very common for women to get double chins and extra plump cheeks
when they have passed their thirtieth year. Very many diseases cause
fatness of the face. Kidney disease is one of the commonest of these.
All we can advise you to do is to be careful about your diet. Avoid
farinaceous puddings and sweets. Take plenty of exercise. No drug
is of much good in obesity of any kind. Some of the mineral waters,
especially Vichy, are sometimes useful to stout persons.
A WEARY AND CAREWORN GIRL.--We are exceedingly sorry that we could not
answer your letter earlier. The troubles that you have gone through are
enough to depress any girl of twice your age. We think that all your
sufferings are due to nervousness resulting from being "run down." What
the impediment in your speech is, is not quite clear from your letter.
Probably it is far less than you imagine, else your mother would
certainly have noticed it. The difficulty which you find in commencing
to talk is due to nervousness. As your health improves, and as you
grow older this will tend to disappear. We will publish an article on
blushing and nervousness next month. To the last of your questions your
clergyman would be more competent to give you an answer than ever we
could be. Go to your pastor and tell him your troubles. He is sure to
be able to comfort you in your affliction and to help you to bear your
cross with patience for the sake of Him who laid down His life for you.
CROYDEN.--The habit of taking acids to cure indigestion is greatly
to be deprecated. Acids and bitters are very useful in some forms
of indigestion, but they should never be taken unless ordered by a
physician. Alkalis, such as bicarbonate of soda, are on the other hand
of great value in the majority of cases of indigestion. Indeed we will
go further than this: we have never met with a case of indigestion
from any cause which was not benefited, sometimes only temporarily, by
alkalis. We have seen very few cases of indigestion which have been
relieved by acids. Our candid opinion is that the habit of taking acids
and bitters to cure disorders of the stomach or loss of appetite, is a
very fertile cause of the life-long indigestion so common nowadays.
BLACK EYES.--In an answer to "Fair Isobel," which was published some
months ago, the treatment of blackheads was thoroughly discussed.
EMILY PHELPS.--Your glasses do not suit you. Go to an oculist and get
his prescription for another pair. Your symptoms are very common in
people who use unsuitable spectacles.
BUTTERCUP.--Bunions are due to the pressure of badly-fitting boots. In
the human foot the great or innermost toe bends away from the other
toes. This gives to the inner border of the foot a direction slanting
inwards towards the middle line of the body. Most boots are made
with their inner border slanting outwards away from the middle line
so as to meet the outer border of the boots at a more or less acute
angle. We have therefore the great toe naturally tending to depart
from its fellows, and we have the boot forcing the great toe towards,
and possibly under or over, the other toes. The boot is an unyielding
structure. The inner border of the foot is also practically unyielding,
except at one spot, the joint of the great toe. The first toe is
therefore forced inwards and its joint projects as an angle. The boot
presses upon this joint, a corn forms, inflammation is set up, and
the joint becomes diseased, forming a bunion. When once a bunion has
developed, it is no good talking about its prevention. We must attempt
to cure it, and it is not so very difficult to cure it, and keep it
cured, if you fully understand how it originated. A bunion is caused by
pressure upon the joint. The cure of the bunion consists of removing
the pressure from the joint. To do this you should wear boots in which
the inner border slopes away from the centre of the boot. We advise you
to get a pair of boots of this shape made for yourself. If the bunion
is intractable, you may need a "post" in the boot between the great and
the second toe. Keep your foot scrupulously clean, and take a foot-bath
every evening.
J. S. N.--As your mother died from heart disease, it is no wonder that
you imagine your own symptoms to be likewise due to heart trouble; but
the symptoms you mention are all characteristic of simple dyspepsia;
not one of them is common in heart disease. When you say "at times my
pulse beats very fast and sometimes irregularly," we presume that you
mean that you feel your heart beating fast or irregularly, in other
words, that you have palpitation. When the heart is beating fast or
irregularly, as it frequently does in heart disease, it produces no
symptoms which might inform the sufferer of her state. It is only by
feeling the pulse that irregularities in its action can be detected. We
will not say that heart disease is not hereditary, but the importance
of this factor has been greatly over-estimated. Disease of the heart
is very frequently due to rheumatic fever; and the tendency to
rheumatism is; to a certain extent, hereditary. You will find plenty of
information about indigestion in our last year's volume.
ESTHER.--We can well understand that you feel a little nervous about
your chest, when you tell us that both your parents died of phthisis.
You know that the risk of your developing the disease is considerable,
yet it by no means follows that you will get phthisis. By no means are
you certain to get phthisis. You must be very careful about yourself,
and the least bit of a cough or cold which may attack you must be
carefully attended to. Indeed we advise you to call in your family
doctor the moment that you have any cough or other untoward symptom.
Certainly you would do well to spend your winters in Switzerland.
CANARY.--1. A little dumb-bell exercise every morning will improve
the form of your back and shoulders. The dumb-bells should be made of
wood and not weigh more than two pounds each. Heavy bell exercise is
very dangerous. It has always been considered beautiful for women to
possess broad hips.--2. Why? Why do so many of our correspondents call
themselves "constant readers"? Perhaps it is that they think that by
using that pseudonym they will get answered sooner, or perhaps it is
merely from lack of sufficient imagination to think of some phrase less
commonplace.
E. M. WALKER.--Cinnamon is more at home in the pantry than in pharmacy.
The only medicinal action it possesses is that of all aromatic
substances. It is occasionally used as a stomachic, but its chief use
is for flavouring. Sometimes it is given for diarrhœa as it is a mild
astringent. Cinnamon has no action on cancer, neither has any drug the
slightest effect upon the course of this disease. Indeed one might put
down the medicinal action of cinnamon at zero.
MABEL B.--It is not at all uncommon for the hair to fall out after a
severe illness. It is, however, rare for permanent baldness to result.
Usually after combing out in large quantities for some weeks or months
the hair grows quickly and luxuriously again. A mildly stimulating
hair-wash is often useful in these cases. Brilliantine, bay rum or
rosemary hair-washes are suitable. We much doubt whether taking
cod-liver oil would have any effect upon your hair, but it might help
to restore your strength.
FLORRIE.--1. We know of no recipe which will remove hairs from the face
without doing serious damage to the skin at the same time.--2. Try
sulphur soap for a shiny face. Do not use face powder.
HELENA.--Read the answer to "Florrie" above. The Laws of Libel prevent
us from giving you our opinion on the preparation which you mention. We
are allowed, however, to warn you to have nothing to do with any patent
medicine of which you do not know the composition. It has not been our
experience that peroxide of hydrogen makes the hair grow quickly.
STUDY AND STUDIO.
IRISH MAY FLOWER.--It is rather difficult to dispose of such sketches
as you describe. We should suggest that you took them to any picture
dealer in your neighbourhood, and asked him to try to sell them for
you. Or you might write to the Irish Ladies' Work Society, 47, George
Street, Kingstown, inquiring if that would be of any use to you.
MABEL ENTWISTLE.--We are very glad that you have been enabled through
our means "to make the acquaintance of two extremely nice French
girls." Your writing we like very much. It is clear, definite, and
has a character of its own. If we gave any hint for its improvement,
it would be to avoid the lapses in the middle of a word, making the
writing flow consecutively.
LA PETITE VIOLETTE.--We have not forgotten you, and are very glad you
have taken up some special study. We have placed your request in "Our
Open Letter Box."
WILD ROSE.--1. Your first quotation is from Tennyson's _In Memoriam_,
xxvii., stanza 4.
"I hold it true, whate'er befall,
I feel it when I sorrow most,
'Tis better to have loved and lost,
Than never to have loved at all."
2. Look through the poetry of Thomas Moore for your second extract, and
if you cannot find it there, send it again and we will place it in "Our
Open Letter Box."
CATALINA.--1. Apply to the Church Sunday School Institute,
Serjeant's Inn, Fleet Street, E.C., or to the Sunday School Union
(undenominational), 57, Ludgate Hill, and you will receive the fullest
information. The lessons for each Sunday are set forth in certain
inexpensive books in detail, with comments and information upon every
verse. In addition to these "lesson helps" you should read and study
books upon the Old Testament and upon the life of our Lord, such as
Farrar's _Life of Christ_. The Religious Tract Society has published
one (_The Life of Jesus Christ the Saviour_, by Mrs. S. Watson), which
is not too ambitious, and might help you. The net price is 3s. 9d.--2.
Your writing is good for your age, but might be improved if the tails
to your "g's," "y's," etc., were less straggling.
ERIN-GO-BRAGH.--1. We have inserted your request, but (as you give a
pseudonym) not your address.--2. Your handwriting is too upright and
irregular, but there is the foundation of a good hand in it.
EXILE OF ERIN.--The "Fragment" you enclose is above the average of
poems submitted to us, but your metre does not flow quite smoothly
enough. You should avoid too many monosyllables in these long lines.
L. A. T.--We should advise you to read Homer's "Odyssey," translated
by Butcher and Lang, and if you find difficulty in understanding it,
a "Primer" on the subject as well. But we think you will enjoy it. As
for Plato, read "The Trial and Death of Socrates," translated by Dean
Church, and consult a small history of Greece on the period (399 B.C.)
Do not attempt too much at once, nor read Plato's deeper "Dialogues"
to begin with. Your letter, which you ask us to criticise, is clearly
written, with only one mistake in spelling.
MISS BEALEY.--We undertake no communication by post (see "Rules" in our
November part and elsewhere). You will find the "Home Reading Union"
an excellent society; apply to the Secretary, Surrey House, Victoria
Embankment. Consult this column for amateur societies occasionally
mentioned.
MISS FLORENCE E. SMITH calls attention to the "Bedford Practising
Society," of which she is secretary. She will be delighted to send
particulars to any fellow reader of the GIRL'S OWN PAPER. Address to
her at Winfrith, The Crescent, Bedford.
HOFFNUNG.--Many thanks for your letter. By all means try again.
INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENCE.
MADEMOISELLE MARGUERITE GONTARD (address "Nikopal Mariopol Co.,
Mariopol, South Russia, Engineer Prauss for M. Gontard"), wishes to be
put into communication with a young English lady, resident in either of
the continents of Asia, Africa, America, or Australia. She desires to
correspond with her either in English or French. We thank Mademoiselle
Gontard for her pretty English letter. She may certainly write to us in
French if she prefers to do so.
"ERIN-GO-BRAGH" would like to correspond with a French girl of about
her own age--twenty-one.
FLORENCE writes a kind letter from which we quote a sentence. "I am
wondering whether some little girl belonging to the readers of our
GIRL'S OWN PAPER would care to have an older friend to write to; she
would receive in return sympathy if in trouble, and an interest would
be taken in all she might care to confide to one whom she could perhaps
learn to look upon in the light of an elder sister." We regret that
it is against our rules to undertake direct postal communication; but
if any little girl sends us her address, we will insert it here for
"Florence" to see. Perhaps some lonely, or motherless, or sad little
girls might be glad to find a friend.
OUR OPEN LETTER BOX.
LA PETITE VIOLETTE wishes to find a poem with a refrain to each verse
"Belle Marquise." She saw a quotation from it as a heading to a chapter
in a book entitled _Woman and the Shadow_.
MISS M. A. C. CRABB and ELPIS answer LENNOX by referring the verse she
quotes--
"Alas! how easily things go wrong,"
to a poem in the 19th chapter of George Macdonald's "Phantastes: a
Faerie Romance." They agree in saying that the second verse is not by
the same pen.
PETERKIN, GERTRUDE ASHWORTH, KLONDYKE, B. D. WARD, M. E. BATES,
"STICK," R. M. COOKE, MABEL ENTWISTLE and "THE ELDEST GIRL," inform
Ethel Rimmer that Christina Rossetti's poem beginning--
"When I am dead, my dearest,
Sing no sad songs for me,"
has been set to music by Malcolm Lawson, and is entitled "Hereafter,"
in keys E♭ and G. It appeared in the June number of the _Strand Musical
Magazine_ for 1895. "A LOVER OF THE 'G.O.P.'" says it has been set to
music by C. A. Lee, either for a soprano or an alto voice.
R. C. R. suggests to GOLD DUST that the poem "Tit for Tat" is contained
in "Original Poems for Infant Minds," by Jane Taylor, her sisters and
brother. If this is the poem sought for, we may add that the volume is
published by Routledge.
ONE OF THE FIRST READERS, AZIE, asks for the author of a poem entitled
"Maggie and the Angels," containing two lines--
"Maggie, are they the angels?
And be they always there?"
PERSEVERANZA would be glad to know the publishers of a picture-book
of performing frogs or cats from which she could copy for painting on
dessert doyleys.
L B. N. R. wishes to know the author of the following lines--
"There is a river which flows for ever,
And the flowers that bloom on its banks
Grow bright, as they glitter in grateful endeavour
To vie in a perfume of thanks."
MISCELLANEOUS.
EDITH.--The origin of the Lions as a device on the Royal Arms we trace
to William the Conqueror, who introduced those of Normandy. These two
original Lions were supplemented by a third, added by Henry III., it is
generally supposed, for Aquitaine.
MATER.--To make an economical Christmas cake, take half a pound
of butter, place in a bowl, and break five eggs over it, stirring
continuously, while a second person sifts in slowly a pound and
a half of currants (well washed, dried, and carefully picked),
three-quarters of a pound of flour, and two ounces of citron peel
chopped to moderately small pieces. Place in a papered shape--not
buttered--several folds of paper being laid at the bottom of the tin,
and bake in moderately hot oven during three hours.
SEMPER PARATUS.--We answer two questions, and you have asked nineteen!
It is impossible to describe the several Scotch tartans otherwise than
by coloured illustrations. These you will find in a book published by
W. and A. K. Johnston (Edinburgh and London), entitled, _The Scottish
Clans and their Tartans_, now in its second (if not third) edition.
Some account of every Clan is given.
ANXIOUS.--Rheumatism will, no doubt, be made worse by exposure to damp
and draughts; but the origin is in acidity, which crystallises in the
joints and muscles. You should abstain for a time from butchers' meat,
and from sweet things. Attend to the action of the liver, which may
be torpid; and if the pain be in the arms and shoulders, you should
perform all kinds of exercises with them, and employ friction and
rubbing with suitable embrocation. If you do not perform exercises, the
joints and sinews will become stiff.
A. E. C.--_Noah's Ark_, by Darley Dale, is published as a book by F.
Warne, Bedford Street, Strand. Price 3s. 6d.
HELEN OF TROY.--You will find several families of the name
Marshall--though not necessarily related--in Burke's _Landed Gentry_.
Perhaps you can claim your connection with one of them. The first on
the list is G. H. Marshall, of Patterdale Hall, Westmoreland, descended
from John of Yeadon Hall, Co. York, who made a large fortune from
the mechanical improvements in a branch of the linen manufacture.
There is Marshall of Treworgley, Cornwall; Marshall of Penwortham
Hall, descended from M. of Ardwick, near Manchester; Marshall of
Ward End House, Co. Warwick, descended from M. of Perlethorp, Co.
Nottinghamshire; and Marshall of Broadwater, Surrey, apparently the
oldest family of that name, anciently spelt Marchal, and long resident
in that county. None of these families have the same arms, nor crest.
The first-named (of Patterdale) has none ascribed to them in the
_Landed Gentry_. You had better consult the second volume in some
library.
OUR PUZZLE POEMS.
A NEW DEPARTURE.
We are publishing Three Puzzle Poems in succession dealing with
accidents and the way to meet them, and the following is the second of
the series. The lines should be carefully committed to memory for the
sake of the valuable instruction they contain.
In addition to the ordinary monthly prizes THREE SPECIAL PRIZES are
offered for the best solutions of the whole series.
The first Special Prize will be THREE GUINEAS; the second Special
Prize, TWO GUINEAS, and the third Special Prize, ONE GUINEA.
A careful record of mistakes will be kept, and these prizes will be
awarded to those competitors who perpetrate the fewest in all three
puzzles.
If a winner of one of these prizes has already received an ordinary
prize in the series, the amount of the smaller prize will be deducted.
This will then be sent to the most deserving non-prize-winner in the
list relating to the puzzle for which the prize in question was awarded.
OUR NEW PUZZLE POEM.
[Illustration]
⁂ Prizes to the amount of six guineas (one of which will be reserved
for competitors living abroad) are offered for the best solutions of
the above Puzzle Poem. The following conditions must be observed.
1. Solutions to be written on one side of the paper only.
2. Each paper to be headed with the name and address of the competitor.
3. Attention must be paid to spelling, punctuation, and neatness.
4. Send by post to Editor, GIRL'S OWN PAPER, 56, Paternoster Row,
London. "Puzzle Poem" to be written on the top left-hand corner of the
envelope.
5. The last day for receiving solutions from Great Britain and Ireland
will be February 17, 1899; from Abroad, April 17, 1899.
The competition is open to all without any restrictions as to sex or
age.
OUR SUPPLEMENT STORY COMPETITION.
SELF OR FRIEND?
A STORY IN MINIATURE.
FIRST PRIZE (£2 2s.).
Margaret A. Fish, 49, Foregate Street, Worcester.
SECOND PRIZE (£1 1s.).
Rose Cook, 2, South Cliff, Lowestoft.
THIRD PRIZE (10s. 6d.).
Edith Ivens, Mayfield, Station Road, Llandaff, nr. Cardiff.
VERY HIGHLY COMMENDED.
Emily M. P. Wood, Woodbank, Southport.
HONOURABLE MENTION.
Mary Adamson, Eastbourne; Lucy H. Chapman, Weston-super-Mare; "Conor,"
Bonchurch, I.W.; Rose L. Connor, Greenock, N.B.; "Editha," Birmingham;
Kate Collins Ensor, Atherstone; "Excelsior," North Bow, E.; Annie F.
Hepple, N. Shields; E. Marian Jupe, Warminster; "Mignonette," New
Cross, S.E.; Edith Miller, Judd St., W.C.; Agnes Osborne, Sidcup;
Minnie Reeves, Twyford; Lucy Richardson, York; Enid G. St. Aubyn,
Retford; Mary Adéle Venn, West Kensington Park; L. M. Willis,
Harrogate; Mabel Wilson, Bedford Park.
* * * * *
TO THE COMPETITORS.
MY DEAR GIRLS,--To the prize winners and to those of you also who
failed to gain prizes, I offer my hearty congratulations on the
excellent papers you sent in. The work of selecting the very best
was much less difficult than that of choosing a few for "Honourable
Mention," out of hundreds of really good ones.
It may interest you to know why some of you failed to obtain a place
in the list of honours. Twenty-eight competitors were disqualified
by breaking the rule as to size of paper and space to be filled.
Then there were several charming essays on the story which were not
miniatures of it. In a considerable number necessary parts of the
outline were omitted, hence the work was incomplete.
It gave me true pleasure to note how thoroughly most of you grasped the
lesson which the story was intended to convey.
Do not be disheartened. Try again. Such good papers cannot be called
failures, and the exercise will benefit you whether you gain prizes or
not.
Your affectionate old friend,
RUTH LAMB.
* * * * *
OUR NEXT STORY COMPETITION.
STORIES IN MINIATURE.
_Subject_:--"THE G. O. P. SUPPLEMENT FOR JANUARY."
WHEN MY SHIP COMES HOME.
BY SARAH DOUDNEY, Author of "A Cluster of Roses," "A Flower of Light,"
etc.
We offer three prizes of TWO GUINEAS, ONE GUINEA, and HALF-A-GUINEA
for the three best papers on our "Story Supplement" for this month.
The essays are to give a brief account of the plot and action of the
story in the Competitor's own words; in fact, each paper should be a
carefully-constructed _Story in Miniature_, telling the reader in a few
bright words what THE GIRL'S OWN STORY SUPPLEMENT for the month is all
about.
One page of foolscap only is to be written upon, and is to be signed
by the writer, followed by her full address, and posted to The Editor,
GIRL'S OWN PAPER, in an unsealed envelope, with the words "Stories in
Miniature" written on the left-hand top corner.
The last day for receiving the papers is January 20th; and no papers
can in any case be returned.
_Examiners_:--The Author of the Story (Sarah Doudney), and the Editor
of THE GIRL'S OWN PAPER.
* * * * *
Transcriber's Note: The following changes have been made to this text.
Page 218--prevenche changed to pervenche.
Page 222--parafin changed to paraffin.