109 
FLOWERS FOR A SICK-CHAMBER. 
“ Along her cheek the deep’ning red 
Told where the f ev’rish hectic fed; 
And yet each token gave 
To the mild beauty of her face 
A newer and a dearer grace, 
Unwarning of the grave.” 
In a valuable and instructive book by Miss Nightin¬ 
gale upon “ Nursing” and the duties and cares of the 
sick Miss Nightingale thus speaks upon the value and 
restorative power of beautiful flowers. 
As a proof that flowers are beneficial in such a place, 
The Herald of Health endorses this practice. 
“ I have seen in fevers (and felt, when I was a 
patient myself) the most acute suffering produced from 
the patient not being able to see out of the window, 
when the view to be seen 
was nothing but a clump 
of trees. I shall never 
forget the rapture of pat¬ 
ients over a bunch of 
bright-colored flowers. I 
remember in my own case 
a nosegay of wild flowers 
being sent me; and from 
that moment my recoveiy 
became more rapid. Peo¬ 
ple say that the effect is 
only on the mind. It is 
not so. The effect is on 
the body, too. Little as 
we know about the way 
in which we are affected 
by forms, by color, and 
by light, we do know this, 
that they have an actual 
physical effect upon the 
body. Variety of form 
and brilliancy of color in 
the objects presented to 
patients are actual means 
of recovery. 
“ Do not be afraid to 
place shrubbery, plants, 
and bunches of cut flow¬ 
ers in the patient's room. 
There is a ‘ learned ignorance,’ common to nurses and 
physicians, that such things are injurious, on account of 
the carbonic acid they are supposed to give off. Of 
course, if you should fill a room like a hot-house with 
plants and flowers, some evil effect of this kind might be 
expected. Besides, plants only give off carbonic acid at 
night. And even if they should be left in the patient’s 
room at night, which is not at all necessary, the 
amount that would be given off by a good-sized plant 
or bunch of flowers would hardly poison a fly. As to 
cut flowers, the actual is the reverse of that feared. 
If they are placed in a tumbler or vase of water, as 
they generally should be, they absorb carbonic acid 
gas, decompose water, and give off oxygen, which is a 
healthy process. Some flowers are not healthy. The 
smell of the Lily depresses the nervous system; so the 
Jessamine; and some other flowers, of a disagreeable. 
faintish, sickening smell, though ever so handsome and 
brilliant, should not be brought into a sick-room. The 
Rose, the Pink, the Geranium, and such flowers of 
grateful smell are beneficial, on account of their 
healthful and agreeable fragrance, as well as their 
beauty and brilliancy of color. Brilliant colors are to 
be preferred. Red is the best color, blue the poorest. 
Blue seems to be a depressing color to the sick.” 
“ The power of kind words and soothing sounds appease 
The raging pain and lessen the disease.” 
ANG-ELS WHISPER SWEET GOOD-NIGHT. 
[The following beautiful song of “ Sweet Good- 
Night ” was sent to us by a sweet little child, with a re¬ 
quest for us to republish it.— Ed.] 
Close your eyes, my little rosebud, 
Lay your hand upon your breast, 
It Is time, my little darling, 
Now to tuck you in your nest. 
PAPA’S SLIPPERS. 
‘On the perch your birdie’s sleeping— 
He will call you when ’tis light; 
And around your pillow, darling, 
Angels whisper: “Sweet good-night.” 
With the break of early morning 
You will hear the birdie sing; 
He will raise the head that nestled 
Underneath his golden wing. 
With a trill that is enchanting, 
He’ll awake you from repose; 
Eor the faintest rays of daylight 
Rouse him from his quiet dose. 
Then adown the dewy meadows 
You can trip, with joy and glee, 
And awaken from their slumbers 
Yellow butterfly and bee. 
They will all be glad to meet you, 
In the sunshine warm and bright. 
So, my little darling, kiss me, 
While the angels say: “Good-night.” 
HUMORS OF THE TIME. 
“Qui s’Excuse s’Aoctjsl. ”— Officer (visiting rounds, 
midnight) to sentry: “How is it you did not challenge 
us?” Private: “ Sure, sir, I did not knowwhoyou were.” 
— Fun. 
.... “ Will you please insert this obituary notice ?” asked 
an old gentleman of a country editor. “ The deceased 
had a great many friends about here who’d be glad to hear 
of his death.” 
.... An old Negro fiddler of Cuthbert “ got religion ” a 
few days ago; whereupon he shivered his fiddle on the 
doorstep, saying : “ No man kin hab religion an’ be a fid¬ 
dler.”— Columbus ( Oa .) Sun. 
... .A beautiful little Brookline girl, being reproved the 
other day by her elder sister for using a slang expression, 
sharply retorted : “ Well, if you went into society more 
you would hear slang.”— Brookline Chronicle. 
-We heard of a Sunday-school scholar who, being 
told how God punished the 
Egyptians by causing the 
first-born of each house¬ 
hold to be killed, rejoined 
with : “ What would God 
have done if there had 
been twins?” — Boston 
Transcript. 
- Professor: “What was 
the state of French affairs 
at this time?” AT(rapidly): 
“The majority ruled the 
minority, and consequently 
the minority was ruled by 
the majority, a6 it were.” 
Professor (sternly): “Sit 
down, sir 1” — Yale Jtecord. 
-A But and a Sell.— 
Operator (apropos of cus¬ 
tomer’s beard): “ Yes. 
Great improvement, in¬ 
deed, sir, since you took 
our ‘Balm of Illyria.’ Of 
course, you will try another 
bottle ?’’ Customer (drily): 
“No, thanks. Haven’t tried 
the first yet. ” 
-“Ouida,” the gush¬ 
ing novelist, asks : “What 
will the children now grow¬ 
ing up with us know of our 
Italy ?'’ Well, they will know that “ our Italy ” furnishes 
this country its dirtiest organ-grinders and the sorest- 
eyed monkeys.— Norristown Herald. 
_“ Leave your great-coat, sir, if you please 1” said a 
theater cloak fiend. “ Oh ! with pleasure 1” assented the 
gentleman, taking it off (he had no other on) and walk¬ 
ing toward the stalls in his shirt-sleeves ; but the fiend 
relented.— London paper. 
....Small Hartford Boy to Police Commissioner: 
“ When’ll you buy dogs, Cap’n, and give a dollar apiece ?” 
“Why, my young man?” asked the Commissioner. 
“Corz I’ve got six in the suller and Tom White he’s got 
twelve. We’re keepin’ um for the dollars, you see.” 
....In a recent case for assault the defendant pleaded 
guilty. “ I think I must be guilty,” said he, “ because 
the plaintiff and I were the only ones in the room, and the 
first thing I knew was that I was standing up and he was 
doubled over the table. You’d better call it guilty.” 
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