The Tabitha Hospital's Training School for Nurses is in the headlines again. Everyone says that it is the leading school in Chicago. It is the outstanding monument that will make the Scandinavian name live forever in Chicago.

Dr. Karl Sandberg of the Board of Directors, awarded the diplomas to the graduating nurses, congratulating them in his original way.

Then, Dr. Marie Olsen sent them on their way with the following words: "We are here tonight to celebrate the graduation of the second class of nurses from the Norwegian Hospital Training School for Nurses.

"This is the second class, the second crop of trained workers in the sick room that this school is sending out; it is an occasion of equal interest to the school and to the nurses.

"A school is naturally interested in securing for its pupils the best advantages for a thorough education. This is required because of pride, moral obligation and competition.

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"1. A school takes pride in having a fine class of students. By the word "fine" I mean good, well-bred, industrious, intelligent students. It takes pride to secure for this class the best teaching, the best instruction that will make them the most competent to exercise this responsible vocation.

"It takes pride to see that these pupils, after having finished their course of instruction and started out for themselves, are doing well, both for others and for themselves, rendering efficient service and being well-compensated for it.

"II. The school feels that it is under a moral obligation to all its pupils, not only while [they are] in the institution, and is ever ready later to assist them in any way possible. We like to secure employment for our graduates, the kind of employment for which they seem most fitted, aid them with advice, invite them to visit the school occasionally to refresh their memories and absorb new ideas.

"III. It is quite natural as a matter of business that we should endeavor to keep our school up to the highest standard; competition is so great, and progress 3so rapid that if we don't want to fall behind, we have ever to strive onward and forward. The hospital is young as yet; the training school small; the number of our graduates small, but if we look back upon our short existence of three years, I think we may safely say that what has been accomplished is very satisfactory.

"The equipment of the hospital is fully modernized, the instruction of the nurses is equal to the best in the city, and I think that I can safely predict that in years to come the young graduates that are leaving us now will be proud to think of this place as their Alma Mater.

"There is no doubt about it; the Norwegian Hospital has a great future before it; the best guarantee for its establishment is the great need of such an institution in the West, and the earnestness and integrity of the people that stand by it.

"Chicago is fast becoming the great medical center of the West, not to say of the United States and so many of our countrymen have settled on these western plains and are often in need of hospital accommodations. They will now take 4to Chicago instead of going to the East or even to the old country as formerly. They will now be coming to us; they will find that the facilities that we can offer in every branch of medicine and surgery is as good as anywhere; and, moreover, they will find that for which our people have yearned for years; they will find a homelike environment where everyone within its walls is able to understand them and is able to talk their language. Some of you may have an idea of what this means, if you have come upon strangers in this country without being able to understand or make yourselves understood, but how much it means to the suffering patient who may be waiting for hours until the set time for the attendant to come around again, not being able, in the meantime, to express his wants and needs, perhaps few of you can realize; truly, those hours must be long--they must seem endless.

"By supplying the need of such a home institution, (if I may call it so) the founders of this hospital have certainly rendered our nation the greatest service here in a foreign land--a God sent blessing to the afflicted it truly is. And it is to be hoped that the spirit of mercy that moved the hearts of these noble men and women to take up this task will always live in them and 5will spread and penetrate as far as the Norwegian language goes, and that everyone--high and low, rich and poor--will feel that it is his duty, his interest, to support it and promote its welfare in every way.

"We know that the highest degree of success in an enterprise in a community is obtained only where there is harmonious co-operation; every individual must turn his efforts towards the common good. We are aware that even friends may hold differing views on various subjects and have controversies on certain topics, but there is a universal sentiment all over the world, with which we all agree, that is, that the sick, the aged, the homeless and friendless should be dealt with kindly; they should be properly cared for in every respect. The more highly civilized, the more highly developed the individual and the nation, the more highly developed is this sense of responsibility towards the weak. Let us, therefore, put aside personal interest, personal feeling, if it should be incompatible with the common good. Let us join hands and stand together as friends in this understanding in order to make it a success, of which it is deserving by virtue of its noble aim.

"Among the workers within this institution, whose lot it will be to do the greatest amount of good, whose services and influence will be the most far-reaching, 6is the trained nurse.

"We must naturally suppose that she is a woman of refined feeling, of noble sentiment and thought, possessing extraordinary tact, in short,she must be a person with a true education of the heart.

"Not every woman who is able to fulfill these requirements usually demanded of her for admission to a training school for nurses is qualified for this calling--for a calling it should be.

"If she seeks entrance into this profession with only the aim of securing an education in order to make a profitable living, in ninety-nine cases out of a hundred she will be a failure financially and otherwise. If she seeks the occupation, because, in her mind, it puts her above the level of ordinary laboring women whose labors she is inclined to call drudgery and menial work, she will make a grievous mistake. Just as surely as the other type is a failure, this one also is heading toward her doom.

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"No, young women! Don't make either of these mistakes! If you are not inspired by a desire to do good, to relieve sick and suffering humanity, to go out into the darkness of ignorance and spread the light of truth and knowledge; if you are not imbued with enthusiasm to add your mite for the betterment of the human family, I am afraid that you have missed your mark; I am afraid that you are going to be a disappointment to yourselves and to your friends, and not at all an honor to your profession.

"As far as the work is concerned, I think there is none harder; there is no hardship, no menial work, no sacrifice too great, too severe for her to carry. She enters the home of sickness and sorrow and everyone within that household is ready and willing to turn over all their cares and worries to her; she relieves the suffering patient, consoles the troubled and anxious relatives and friends and by her very presence and bearing she inspires everyone with confidence and hope in this home, which a few hours ago was one of pain, despair, and hopelessness. She has worked a wonderful change. The patient is slumbering peacefully, the anxious countenances have smoothened out and broadened into a confident smile.... Let us follow her into the night; while the world is asleep she is still standing guard. She is watching the failing pulse that tells of 8the ebb and flow of human life; she is watching the countenance of the sleeping patient, over whom hovers the angel of death. She has taken up the fight between darkness and light; she is adding strength to the flickering flame of life and you will still find here at here post of duty when the Giver of all glory sends his reassuring greeting with the morning twilight.

"It is not only in the mansions of the rich, but also in the hovels of the poor that we meet this merciful sister.

"Many of our trained nurses would much prefer to go among our sick and suffering poor, because, as they say, 'They need me the most.' The value of her services and influence among this class of people can hardly be overestimated. She does not minister only to their bodily ills, she also serves as a guide to their resurrection.

"With womanly instinct, keen perception, knowledge of human mature and its failings, she clearly sees where the trouble comes in, and realizing that disease, sin, and sorrow most frequently are fruits of ignorance, the lack of knowledge, 9she spends as much of her energy as she can in order to teach and uplift these unfortunate friends. And they know that they have found a friend. She does not come there as a person of great power, as an officer of the law who is going to enforce certain rules and regulations, but she comes there in their trouble to offer them a helping hand. She comes there as "a friend in need." Her entrance is hailed with a welcome as are her suggestions. People will wonderingly inquire, "How did this happen?' And every member of that family will gladly give her the credit and say, 'She did it.'

"Thus it is brought about that light and sunshine with all its blessings have fallen upon this family. The very air is purified; the dust of carelessness and indifference has been dispersed, the rust of neglect, mismanagement and hatred has disappeared. There is order and cleanliness; there is content and well-being, there is death (sic), happiness, and good morals (sic). She has taught them the necessity of looking after the welfare of the human body and its surroundings. She has proven to them the value of fresh air and sunshine, cleanliness, proper food, and clothing, the value of rest and good habits.

"Thus, she wanders on from house to house giving aid and spreading blessings.

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You may see this lonely wanderer by day of night courageously and fearlessly traveling through the poorer districts of our large city. There is no need of fear because every one knows her mission. There is no wretch so wicked that he would want to attack her. Most likely he feels a pang of remorse as he passes her on the streets.

"You may think that hers is a lonely and dreary life. But if we ask her, I am sure that she would say she would not exchange it for anything in the world. She gets more pleasure, more satisfaction out of this work than from any other she could imagine. She sees friends and smiling faces at every turn--the reflection of her own image.

"I have drawn for you the pictures of noble women, doing good work each in their sphere. You will find as many types of them as there are shades of color. In the measure of their fitness and abilities, their opportunities are their success."

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(Continued from the Last Issue)

Later, Dr. A. B. Oyen, president of the medical staff said, in part, the following:

"Mr. President, Ladies and Gentlemen:

"The Training School for Nurses of the Norwegian Lutheran Tabitha Hospital tonight sends out its second class of trained nurses. Beginning in a small way, the first class graduated numbered two members. The class that is graduating this evening consists of four members--not a large but still a gratifying increase.

"The aim of the training school during the three years of its existence has been to furnish its pupils with such theoretical and clinical instruction as shall prepare them for careful nursing at the bedside, as well as in general surgical work.

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"In harmony with this purpose, every year the various members of the hospital staff deliver from forty to fifty lectures to the student nurses including such subjects as are necessary to give them a fair understanding of the fundamental principles of medicine and surgery. Notes are taken on these lectures, and certain hours of the day are devoted to study and reading of textbooks. At different times during the year both oral and written examinations are held, and the standing of each pupil is carefully marked.

"The clinical instruction of the nurse is as varied and comprehensive as the number of patients admitted into the hospital. By observation and actual contact she has opportunities to notice various symptoms and manifestations of disease, the general remedial and hygienic measures instituted for the relief of the patient, and the particular diet ordered for each case. This practical, everyday experience becomes valuable in proportion as the pupil uses and develops her powers of observation and comparison.

"In surgical work the nurse receives special training. After careful instruction from the head nurse, she is given the care and responsibility of the operating 13rooms for a month at a time, and several times during the course. During this period she is required to keep the operating room most immaculately clean, and to have the appliances and surgical supplies always in readiness for any operation or emergency. The different operations that are performed by members of the staff from time to time, instruction for the recuperating interval and the surgical dressing of the patients also give the nurse most valuable experience and training, which fit her for active work when she leaves the hospital.

"Thus, practical and theoretical training go hand in hand.

"Not every young woman has the requisite qualifications for the development of an efficient nurse. In order to be able to stand the strain that will be frequently brought to bear upon her, a sound constitution and good physical health are indispensable. Then, too, she must be a person of intelligence, with the foundation of a good, common school education, and the ability to apply herself to reading and study. She should also be endowed with a fair amount or ordinary, everyday common sense that will enable her to adapt herself to the changing circumstances that arise. Education and training cannot take the place of tact, foresight, and good judgment.

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"With all this, the young woman who aspires to become a trained nurse, should possess a special liking and aptitude for the work. Her work should not be done in a perfunctory manner, but with a cheerfulness and heartiness of spirit, born of love for Her chosen profession. With patience in dealing with the fretfulness and irritability that often accompany diseased conditions, with kindness of heart and sympathetic tone of voice, the nurse who has received a thorough training and is firm and conscientious in the performance of her duties, will achieve success in her vocation.

"This may not always mean pecuniary success. For in the lire of the nurse, as well as in that of the physician, services will at times need to be rendered gratuitously, or nearly so. This cannot well be avoided and, if inspired by a genuine love for one's work, it will not be felt burdensome.

"But on the other hand, the "laborer is worthy of his hire." The kindness of heart and generosity of soul which may inspire those who care for the sick, should not lead them to spend valuable time and effort without proper compensation.

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"To the class that graduates tonight. I would stress the importance of keeping up your studies. Do not throw aside your books because you have passed your examinations. Lay out a plan of reading on subjects that have a bearing on your work. Observe closely the cases you are taking care of, and during your spare moments read up on matters that you do not comprehend. Keep yourselves informed. The science of medicine is making steady advancement, and, in order to be successful and abreast of the times, you must keep yourselves informed. Subscribe to some good journal on nursing and kindred subjects and thus keep yourselves in touch with the most advanced thought in your line of work. Like the physician, the nurse is apt to forget herself and neglect her health. You cannot work night and day for any length of time without injuring yourselves. Sleep is nature's great restorer. By all means, arrange for certain hours of sleep day or night.

"See to it that you get your meals regularly, and thus avoid indigestion, with all its misery and early breakdown.

"Your work will bring you in most intimate contact with the home life of the 16families you enter, and in the course of your stay you may come to possess various individual and family secrets. Let me impress upon you the fact that these are professional secrets and that, like the physician under similar circumstances, you are to keep them inviolate and sacred. The gossiping nurse will soon discover that there will be little or no demand for her services.

"You have chosen a noble profession, and it opens great possibilities before you. Concentrate all your efforts on one object; throw all your energies of soul into it, and you will achieve true success in life."