PRESENTATION.

Bush Advocate, Volume XXII, Issue 61, 14 March 1910, Page 8

PRESENTATION.

NURSE M'LARNON HONORED

A quiet little meeting of ex-pa-tients of the Hospital was held in Mrs Morgan's tea rooms on Friday evening, tor tlie purpose of making a presentation to Nurse M'Larnon, who lias left that institution.

Dr. F. Raid Mackav, who was voted to the chair, said that it gave him very great pleasure to be present, and \n behalf of the ex-patients, to have tx e honor of presenting to Nurse M'Larnon an illuminated address, which read as follows : To Nurse E. M'Larnon,

Dear Madam, —We, the undersigned ex-patients of the Dannevirke Hospital desire, on your retirement from the duties of nurse at the above institution, to express our warmest thanks for the care and devotion you have shown m carrying out your duties.

Your unfailing attention, your kindenss, and your extreme desire to give the patients the best of nursing possible, added to your true womanly nature, has been marked and noted by all the patients under your care. We take this opportunity of wishing you every happiness and prosperity in your future life. Signed on behalf of the subscribers, Dannevirke, March 7, 1910. Dr. Mackay said that, as one of the medical staff of the Hospital, who had every opportunity of judging Nurse M'Larnon's work since the opening of the. institution 3J. years ago, he had found that her duties were always performed in the most thorough, conscientious, and impartial manner. Her quiet and genial disposition, accompanied by a bright cheerfulness to the patients under her charge, supported by the strictest impartiality, rich and poor being treated alike, had justly caused her to be not only held in high esteem, but to be respected and reverenced in a manner which was quite pleasing for him as a medical man even to see. Her duties were always performed with a cheerfulness which gave pleasure to those on whom she attended. He had also great pleasure in presenting her with a fully equipped nurse's wallet, bearing the following inscription: —"To Nurse E. M'Larnon, from ex-patients of the Hospital, as a token of esteem, 24th February, 191u." He sincerely hoped that wherever her lot would bo cast in life, Nurse M'Larnon would be attended with good luck and prosperity, feeling assured that here would always be a life of usefulness, her qualifications for a nurse's calling being the highest. From enquiries made during the three and a half years she was here, he found that she was always most popular among all the patients Mr VV. Bell, who responded on behalf of Nurse M'Larnon, said that as an ex-patient he felt in a somewhat difficult position, as firstly he had to thank all those ex-patients who had so liberally and heartily assisted him in organising this presentation. Amongst the many letters he had received, some of'.the writers thanked him for having given them the opportunity of assisting in the recognition of the numerous acts of kindness received from her while they were inmates of that institution. On behalf of Nurse M'Larnon he said that she had only followed what was her clear conception of her duties, and she was glad to know that it had met with their approval. Speaking on behalf of himself, he said: "I take this opportunity of thanking you for the many acts of kindness received at a time when away from home among strangers, you, although a stranger to me, made no trouble of." Addressing Dr. M'Kay, he said: "I shall never forget the night of the crisis in my own case, when I discovered that she was not only one of the most humane of nurses, but she was something very much more than a nurse, viz., one of the most sincere Christian women it had been his privilege to meet, one whose genuine Christianity permeated through her work, developing and ennobling her womanhood so that a patient could not only look to her alone in her capacity as nurse, but also as a true Christian friend, whose sympathies were ever going to the weak and afllicted. Mr Bell emphatically endorsed all Dr. M'Kay had said in reference to her impartiality. The onty partiality he could see Avas that her greatest attention was always given to the worst cases. Speaking on behalf of the ex-patients, he said that he felt sure he was echoing their sentiments unanimously when he said that in losing her from the district they were losing a true friend, and one whose absence would be sincerely regretted. On their behalf, as well as his own, he earnestly wished her God-speed, good health, and prosperity wherever her lot in life is cast, and trusted that she would ever cherish in her mind a kindly feeling for the ex-patients of the Dannevirke Hospital.

Mr W. J. Castles said that he heartily endorsed everything the previous speaker had said, but Avould like to add that there Avas one trait in Nurse M'Lamon's character that had been omitted, and that was that, added to her kindness, there Avas a quiet firmness that had the effect of keeping in check any one who had any tendency to break the rules. This Avas ahvays done in such a quiet, gentle way as to invariably cause the offender to feel very small. He reiterated the good Avishes for her future Avelfare.