HOSPITAL HUMOUR AND PATHOS.

Wairarapa Daily Times, Volume LIX, Issue 9212, 3 November 1908, Page 3

HOSPITAL HUMOUR AND PATHOS.

tSo boundless is the confidenco which io authorities at tho "London" inspire in some of their patients that they are often asked for things which only a faith that removes mountains could expect to be supplied. For instance, Mr Sydney Holland, the chairman, tells the story of how he met a girl crying iv one of the passages: "What's tho matter?" "Booo! Buoo! Booo!" "Well, what is it little girl?" "Booo! Booo!" "Well, tell rue. I may be able to help." "8000 ! 8000 ! I want to be a Roman Oatholic!" •'So you shall, aud anything else you like!" The chairmau also tells the following story: "The Sisters of the London Hospital wear long tails to their caps as ii distinctive uniform and are naturally proud of this mark of superior rank. The pride of one sister was somewhat disturbed by hearing herself thus described by a child: "I want the nuss 'oo 'as got 'angiugs on 'er 'at." At One little girl would insist on oallflftig thu Sister of the ward "Lidy!" Hshe continued to do so, in spite of all remoustrauce. At last she explained : "Well! You war a lidy, warn't you, afore you was a nuss?" Tlie'touches of unconscious humour so often supplied by little patients have their counterpart in the pathetic incidents, such as the following: Teddie was a small patient, who was caught carefully wrapping up his pudding in his pocket-handkerchief—or rather in a square of linen such as is given to the children to do duty as a handkerchief. "Why, Teddie, what are you doing?" "Well, nuss," he explained, "I'm only just, keeping it for my Nellie, 'cause it's so good, you see, and she won't get no pudding, she won't!" Nellie was a little cripple sister, and tiie brother and sister were devoted to each other. When their mother came up to the hospital one day Teddie asked if she might not take a toy which had been given to him home to bis sister. This Dome was a very poor one, and, as Teddie vary well kuew, neither puddings nor toys were often seen there. Bui at least Teddy would find love waiting for them in his poor, bare time. This, alas! is not the case with 1 the children who leave the hospital. "No! I don't waut to go 'orae, I don't!" a nurse once overheard one child saying to another. "Father, 'c beats me, 'c does! Aud wheu 'c comes 'ome the worse for drink 'c takes the shovel—and we— well, we just .jolly well makes ourselves scarce—that wb does, I can tell you !"—Westminster Gazette.