It would be a double charity, charity to those who would willingly
embrace the life, and charity to those who might require their
assistance. It is well known how difficult it is to obtain a sick nurse
in London. It is an avocation seldom embraced by people, until they are
advanced in years, and all feeling has been dried up by suffering or
disappointment. Those who undertake the task are only actuated by gain,
and you can expect but eye-service. Not being very numerous, and
constantly in demand, they are overworked, and require stimulants in
their long watchings. In fact, they drink and dose--dose and drink
again.
But how different would it be if the establishments, which I have
referred to, were formed! those who are wealthy would send for one of
the sisters when required, and if the illness were tedious, her services
could be replaced by another, so that over-fatigue might not destroy
watchfulness and attention to the patient. You would at once feel that
you had those in your house in whom you could confide. If your means
enabled you, you would send a sum to the funds of the charity in return
for the service performed, and your liberality would enable them to
succour those who could only repay by blessings. A very small
subscription would set afloat such a charity, as the funds would so
rapidly come in; and if under the surveillance of the medical men who
attended the hospitals, it would soon become effective and valuable. I
trust if this should meet the eye of any real philanthropist who has
time to give, which is more valuable than money, that he will turn it
over in his mind:--the founder would be a benefactor to his country.
CHAPTER TWELVE.
May 25.
"A man cannot die more than once," is an old apothegm, and it would
appear bold to dispute it; but still there are lives within lives, such
as political lives, literary lives, etcetera, and there is also such a
thing as being dead in the eye of the law; so that it is evident that a
man can die twice, that is, once professionally or legally, and once
naturally.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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