A Basket of Chips: An Autobiography

Basket of Chips, page 092

A Basket of Chips which gave her such pleasure. She soon won the love of the nurses and she loved them in return. And a dear little girl, Emma, a patient that had been there for four months, did much for her comfort. She was up on crutches and she spent many hours holding my wife's hand and consoling her. Two or three hours each day I was with her, but the long, long hours be- tween my visits dragged for her. Ruth went over the first week and gave a little reading of her poetry to the nurses and patients in the ward. That was such a pleasure to the little mother. The X-Ray treatments were given as long as she could be moved, but with no results. The first evidence of her sinking came in different ways. Signs of delirium were the first symp- toms; she began to see things, and she told me that she would find herself under the bed and was too weak and cold to move. She would have to stay there until the night nurse found her. She was in a two bed ward, and the patient in the other bed would be asleep. I told the doctors about it. She didn't want to make any complaint because it would get the nurses in trouble. The next I noticed was the flower in the pot that she watered was dry, and she didn't ask for the children's letters. Then I felt that the end was near. I took Ruth and James over the next day. She knew them and joked with them and insisted on James and me sharing her lunch which we did to please her. It had been her habit and pleasure to tell James where he could find some what candy. Today she told him where there was some. I had taken to her, but she had passed all desire for It was sweets. That was the last nourishment she took except a little eggnog. The next day I took June, but her mother didn't recognize her. Her tongue was thick and coated and it was hard to understand her. All she could do was moan and toss from side to side. I took June to the ferry, and then returned to the hospital. I tried to spend as much time with her as my nerves would stand. She knew me all the time. I sat by her and told her how I loved her; that she was more to me than all else on earth. I saw her sweet contented smile, and she nodded her head to say she knew it. That was the last lover's tryst that we ever had. 92