patient. Remember that she pays for your time, and govern yourself
accordingly.

Read to her, sew for her, play cards with her, but do not amuse
yourself or regulate your wardrobe at her expense. When I say "sew
for her" I do not mean make her dresses, but do the little odd
things that mothers of families always do, and which must remain
undone if she is sick, unless you do them. Do not write letters
when on duty, and, above all things, do not write with a scratchy
pen. To a nervous person the sound of a scratchy pen traveling
over the paper is torturing, and it can be heard even if you are
in the next room. A fountain pen is, I think, the best to use. See
that it is full before you go to your case, and it will need no
attention for three or four weeks. This pen makes no noise as you
write, and you have it always at hand, and if you have to leave
your letter in haste, you can put the cap on the pen and slip it
in your pocket, and no one is in any danger of finding fault with
the nurse for leaving an open ink-bottle for somebody to tip over.

Remember finally (and I think, from what I read in the daily
papers, you are in no danger of forgetting this), that you are not
domestics, and, while in an emergency I would have you shrink from
nothing that needs doing, I do not think you should do any
washing. Cooking you will very often have to do, but the ordinary
housework does not come at all into your province. If your patient
is a chronic invalid, I would have you make yourself useful in the
house. Do the shopping, order the meals, anything that will show
your patient you are anxious to help make the wheels of domestic
machinery run more smoothly.