Radio mirror (Jan-June 1948)

f v#-^«;»teai^4|/^ '/^ *fmii''')$mm wm m:m "^J^Vi\iifj^*v,; Life Can B* BMutlfal, written fay CaH Blxby ■ Ihaud Monday Uinnisfa Friday at U PSTt 1 P.M. MSTi 2 P.M. CSTt S P.M. EST. on NBC. BEHIIVD THE BLANK WALL Radio MiiTor^s Best Letter of the Month Dear Papa David: This story goes back to the days of depression. I was a registered nurse, and tiiere was plen^ work, but people were unable to pay. I worked in some homes for a very low wage, sometimes not only cooking for the patient but the husband as well. On some cases I would do the house work — ^and even the washing. It had always been my desire since my training days to have a hospital of my own — and specialize in obstetrics. Due to the fact muring was slow I decided to go toCalifomia and take a Post Graduate Course in obstetrics and prepare myself for this kind of nursing. While I was taking this training I would tell others of my plans, and they said it was impossible. How could I ever expect to get money for hospital expenses when people could not really afford a doctor's bill — much less a hospital? After I finished my Post Graduate Course I went back to the State of Washington. I arrived in this small town of about 2.0,000 with no money, but fixed with ambition to make my dreams come true. I talked it over with a nurse friend of mine. One day I decided to call on an old patient of mine, so we did, and we were able to borrow the large sum of $100. Then we began to look for the house that would be suitable for our nursing home. We finally found a large two-story house and it was just what we wanted. The building was so riin down that we were given two months' free rent for cleaning it up — ^and it surely needed it. We could hot afford to hire anything. So we worked one month by ourselves getting it in shape, we payed one month's rent and we had to buy furniture, a stove, washing machine and many small itemis. We were fortunate to obtain some antique hospital furniture for the small sum of $10 down and $10 a month. Everything we bought was bought on the time payment plan. After we had the hospital furnished we had just $11 to buy medicine so we made a hst of the important things such as cotton, ether, chloroform, alcohol, etc. Then we felt we were ready to announce our opening. We were svirprised with a shower of gifts for the hospital, so many useful things. ■At first the doctors were not too anxious to cooperate— as they were satisfied with the one large hospital in the town. But when we told them we were . going to save money for the patients and they looked our small hospital over they decided to do what they could to help. Now we were waiting for that first day and it wasn't long before an emergency came in. Everything worked out wonderfully, although our first little one weighed only three pounds. But we gave it the best of care and it gained every day, and from that time on we were kept plenty busy. We worked day and night and it was only a little while before we had to hire help. We were averaging around forty babies a month and finally had . to move to a much larger place. There are many things that happened and lots of stories could be told about the hospital but to me the biggest satisfaction was the realization of our dream after the difficulties we had to overcome. Mrs. D. B. B. Ten-dollar checks have gone to the writers of the letters that follow: BEAUTY FOR ASHES Dear Papa David: I was not inclined to forego my constitutional rights of life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness. It was not necessary. My husband's sister had cared for her invalid mother for thirty years. Suddenly the picture completely changed. My sister-in-law passed away. "Ma" was in her nineties. My blissful companionship with my husband was rudely broken. When either of us went out, the other stayed home. I became positively resentful. One evening I took inventory; where was my courage? The authorities agreed that married folks were better oflE by themselves. Experience proved it. Why not challenge that overwhelming evidence to allow the exception to prove the rule? An unflagging spirit of romance in the blind old woman was deeply touching. So together we traveled the high road of fiction, waiting in suspense for the prince to claim the bride. My ■ mother-in-law was gifted with a remarkable memory and from her storehouse of poetry there came treasures new and old. I responded with exciting colorful tales of life in New York. When the family thought it wise to shade the truth, I was frank. The lonely hearted came to trust me as she did no one else. When the tired spirit began its long journey through the shadow of death, the oldest daughter traveled thousands of miles to her mother's bedside. But the only coherent words the dying lips uttered were addressed to the one who had given her beauty for ashes: "Cannot you be my nurse?" Truth is stranger than fiction. But the common clay which my Maker used to form me, is deeply satisfied when memory brings that beautiful light of gratitude into the eyes of my husband. This is my rare jewel. Mrs. T. McQ. (Continued on page 80) RADIO MIRROR OFFERS $50 EACH MONTH FOR YOUR LETTERS Somewhere in everyone^s life ia hidden a key to happiness. It may be a ha If -forgotten friend, a periml of suffering, an nnimporlant incident, which suddenly illnminated the whole meaning of life. If you are treasuring such a memory, won^t you write lo Papa David about il? For the letter he considers best each month. Radio Mirror will pay fifty dollars; for each of the others that we have room enough to print, ten dollars. IVo letters can be returned. Address your Life Can Be Beautiful letter to Papa David, Radio Miiror Magazine, 205 East 42 Street, New York 17, New York. Soon or late, there comes this li^U^t ave the mind hjiRssness: bo wall is utterly Hank, b« misery IS less