AMELIA.

Otago Witness, Issue 1851, 30 March 1904, Page 78

AMELIA.

By C. E. H. (IFor the Witness.) I was nursing in the city of M. when first I made her acquaintance. She wis a brovrn-haired little woman, with great hazel eyes that seemed to look apgealingly into one's very soul. My district was a large one, and thickly populated, so that, as a rule, one could not find time, to take more than a professional interest in one's patients. But Amelia, was one of the exceptions. She was only 21, and in spite of the hard life she had led in her single days and the suffering she had had to endure of later years, she did not look more than 18. Like most girls in factory districts, she had married young, and during the greater part of her married) life she had suffered most acutely from, an internal complaint. Her husband, a tall, rawboned, red-haired 1 boy of 25, worshipped his "little babby,"' as he was wont to call Amelia. Her bed was in the kitchen for the convenience of the neighbours, who generally attended to her wants during her husband's absence. "Ay, nurse," she said when I paid my first visit, "I hope you'll have patience wi' me. I get terrible fretful at times." Knowing the nature of her complaint and the tendency it had to make those suffering from it- irritable, I assured her that she would not find me lacking in that quality. '"You are not the first nurse I've had," she continued." "I had three before I moved into your district, and -they were all kind. And then Dr S sent me to St. Mary's Hospital ; but- I'm no better, not a bit," she added pathetically, "and I don't suppose I ever will be. I wouldn't mind only for George," she continued. "It's been such a disappointment to him. We thought we were going to be so happy and comfortable when we got married j and so we have been happy,"' sh-e added with eagerness," "only I've been so poorly all the time it's spoiled everything. Neither of us had a proper home before. George wa« brought up in the workhouse. He learned his trade there" (George was a baker, I discovered later on), "and I were worse off. My father and mother drink, and' mother is the worst of the pair. Many's the morning I've tramped to my work without a bite, and no prospect of dinner unless I had a copper to buy some with. Aye, but she's a bad 'un is my mother, God forgive her. George and I were keeping company, and one day when she chased me out of the .house and threw a paraffin lamp at me, he said we might as well get mai-ried as for her to be spending all my earnings in drink and him spending all his to r>ay for lodgings. And so we got married, nurse, and for seven months we were real happy and comfortable. I still went to the mill so as to help pay for the bit of furniture, and we managed fine till this terrible complaint cam« on me ; and now for 12 months I've been nothing but a burden on him. And he never grumbles, does he, Mrs Smith?" she asked, turning to a neighbour who was waiting to be of service to me if needful. "Grumbles! — George grumble ! Why, he don't know th' meaning of th' word."

Lafer on I made George's acquaintance. He_ was all that his wile had said. A better-natured fellow one could not wish to meet. All his spare time from his work was devoted to Amelia, trying, where it was possible, to ease her pain and render life less irksome to her. The neighbours were kind, and did what they could — helping at frequent intervals to eject the drunken mother, wlio would make her way up to her daughter's in the hope of getting a few coppers for drink. In the evejit of her failing to do so she would invariably create a disturbance, using the most dreadful language. Sometimes I happened to arrive on the scene when things were at their liveliest. She had a wholesome feai^

perhaps mixed with respect, of me, if such a debased creature could be said to have any respect foi anything or anybody, and generally made a speedy exit upon my airival. A more inhuman mother I have never met, and, unfortunately, inhuman rnothiro and fathers and sons and daughters are not altogether a rarity in my experience. I had bten -t tanking Amelia about 18 months, and on going one afternoon found G^oige sitting by her bed, looking dreadfully ill. I inquired what was the matter, und G-aorgs replied, as wa« his Trout, in broad Lancashire, 'Aye, nurse, but Awm bail! A win going to dee rcight cnoo." I helped the pooi fellow to his bed, and, concluding that he was suffering from pneumonia, from what observations I was able to make, I turned at once for Dr M , who was, in attendance on Amelia r'u ilipl time The doctor, returning to ihe house with me. ]iuiified my conclusions a 5 *, to ihe nature of the complaint, and decided that our be«l plun would be to send him to the local hospital, as my other duties did not allow o! my making a "orolongsd stay with any one patient. Alas ! four short days, and T had to break the +£rrib 1 c newr to Amelia Ihni. George had been call-d home. No task during my nursing career was ever apnointed to me that I found so difficult. Poor Amelin — her grief wp»s too terrible for words. "Oh, nurse," she cried, "I don't wont to set b°tfer now. It was only for George's "sake ; and now he's pone, and me a poor, helple^f creature left." ■»

We did vhat we could for her after t.he funeral, and managed things so that she could reran in in b°r little home for the rest of her life. Poor rn'rl. she did' nnt reau ; re our help long. Just eisht weeks nfter Georce's death she passed quiet! v nwrv, ela^l to join the husband she had lovcl sn well.

The mother and father soon despoiled the lioinfi of its few bel-onerinore. mifeincc *T»p event a time for a gieat carouse. The mother Ins since been rnlled in hpr lnn» home. wher° I nrav Hod may deal more nvrci fully with her than she deserves.