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which, in girlhood, she had dedicated her-
VIRGINIA'S SISTER OF CHARITY.
self. Public health nursing under the di-
Exacting always, the code of noblesse
rection of the state department of health
oblige was doubly difficult to apply in Vir-
required organization-would Miss MINOR
ginia during the thirty years after the war
direct it? With the modesty that graced
between the states. Those on whom the
her every act, she doubted her qualifica-
obligation rested most heavily, by reason
tions, but, when she was prevailed upon to
of their birth and station, often found them-
undertake it, she threw into it all the tact,
selves so impo ished and SO engrossed in
all the experience, all the ripe judgment she
the ugly struggle for existence that they
had developed in twenty-five sacrificial
had few hours to give to the service of their
years. By 1931, the commonwealth was
fellow-men, and little money with which to
subsidizing forty-five nursing services, and
perform those gracious courtesies that
the public health nurses of rural Virginia
brighten life. In hundreds of cases, noblesse
were holding 100 classes in home nursing
oblige could be practiced only in the narrow
and hygiene. Much of what had been so
circle of family and intimates. The result
admirably done in Richmond was develop-
was that manners remained unimpaired, but
ing in the state.
that the relief of illness, the care of de-
Then, at length, nerves long overstrained
pendent children and provision for the aged
would bear no more, and a weary body had
progressed slowly. The impulse was epres-
to be given rest. In 1932, Miss MINOR re-
ent, but the means were lacking
signed, and spent the last months of her
It was late in the 90's that conditions
life in personal combat with the enemy she
changed. Then there grew to manhood and
so often had fought in the homes of others.
womanhood in Virginia a generation that
It could be said of her in all reverence that
had an acute sense of obligation for the
she saved others but could not save herself.
betterment of the commonwealth. In a few
Death yesterday was perhaps as much a
instances, these young idealists came from
boon to her as it was a grief to the people
the middle class, but most of them were of
of her native state.
the old families that had cherished the
In spirit, Miss MINOR was one of the
code, though they had not been able to apply
great American women of her generation,
it in the larger social life of Virginia.
and one of the foremost in Virginia history.
This has always seemed to us a most sig-
The Old Dominion has been blessed with
nificant fact and a complete answer to those
many women who bore famous sons, with
who argued that the greatness of Virginia
other women who wrote distinguished books,
perished at Appomattox. It was not by
and with still others who possessed ex-
chance that in the same ten years, from the
quisite charm and social graces; but our
same social background, the old families
greatest women have been those who have
of Virginia and West Virginia produced
lived on our frontier. To see Virginia
such men as JOHN W. DAVIS and NEWTON
womanhood at its most heroic, one must
BAKER, and such women as SARAH CABA-
read KERCHEVAL'S History of the Shenan-
NISS, AGNES RANDOLPH and NANNIE MINOR.
doah Valley, or stand inside Fort Lewis, or,
It will be admitted, we think, that these
in fancy, dwell for a season in Abb's Valley.
women probably did more than any other
It was fitting that Miss MINOR should have
three women of their day in Virginia to
died at Lewisburg, which once was on the
apply the doctrine of noblesse oblige. Miss
border between Virginia and the wilderness.
CABANISS was of splendid ancestry; Miss
She had been born in a day when the physi-
RANDOLPH was directly of the line of
cal frontier had ceased to exist, but she
THOMAS JEFFERSON, and Miss MINOR was
had lived on the spiritual frontier that
the inheritor of a great name and the daugh-
never disappears. As surely as any woman
ter of one of Virginia's most distinguished
who came to Jamestown, she was a pioneer.
teachers.
But she was more than a pioneer. Al-
Courage was required for these young
though she had the vision and the courage
women to become professional nurses, but
to go on, she did not wish to journey alone.
courage they possessed, and with it, from
Her dream was not that of some new ad-
the day they entered training, a determina-
venture beyond the traveled world; it was
tion to lighten the load of human misery
that of a city eased of pain, a social order
in Virginia. Miss CABANISS, the senior of
free of injustice, a society of happiness.
the three, preached daily to her pupil-
How readily the historian of Virginia will
nurses the gracious gospel of social service.
find and fix her place, we cannot say; but
Her group was small-but so was that of
always in the memory of those who knew
LOYOLA and so was that of WESLEY. By
her and were privileged to share even to a
1900, Miss CABANISS and her girls had
small degree in her work, she will remain a
pledged themselves to establish the Nurses
gracious and appealing figure, Virginia's
Settlement, to make it their home and to
Sister of Charity.
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Context sent to Scholar
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"ocrText": "which, in girlhood, she had dedicated her-\nVIRGINIA'S SISTER OF CHARITY.\nself. Public health nursing under the di-\nExacting always, the code of noblesse\nrection of the state department of health\noblige was doubly difficult to apply in Vir-\nrequired organization-would Miss MINOR\nginia during the thirty years after the war\ndirect it? With the modesty that graced\nbetween the states. Those on whom the\nher every act, she doubted her qualifica-\nobligation rested most heavily, by reason\ntions, but, when she was prevailed upon to\nof their birth and station, often found them-\nundertake it, she threw into it all the tact,\nselves so impo ished and SO engrossed in\nall the experience, all the ripe judgment she\nthe ugly struggle for existence that they\nhad developed in twenty-five sacrificial\nhad few hours to give to the service of their\nyears. By 1931, the commonwealth was\nfellow-men, and little money with which to\nsubsidizing forty-five nursing services, and\nperform those gracious courtesies that\nthe public health nurses of rural Virginia\nbrighten life. In hundreds of cases, noblesse\nwere holding 100 classes in home nursing\noblige could be practiced only in the narrow\nand hygiene. Much of what had been so\ncircle of family and intimates. The result\nadmirably done in Richmond was develop-\nwas that manners remained unimpaired, but\ning in the state.\nthat the relief of illness, the care of de-\nThen, at length, nerves long overstrained\npendent children and provision for the aged\nwould bear no more, and a weary body had\nprogressed slowly. The impulse was epres-\nto be given rest. In 1932, Miss MINOR re-\nent, but the means were lacking\nsigned, and spent the last months of her\nIt was late in the 90's that conditions\nlife in personal combat with the enemy she\nchanged. Then there grew to manhood and\nso often had fought in the homes of others.\nwomanhood in Virginia a generation that\nIt could be said of her in all reverence that\nhad an acute sense of obligation for the\nshe saved others but could not save herself.\nbetterment of the commonwealth. In a few\nDeath yesterday was perhaps as much a\ninstances, these young idealists came from\nboon to her as it was a grief to the people\nthe middle class, but most of them were of\nof her native state.\nthe old families that had cherished the\nIn spirit, Miss MINOR was one of the\ncode, though they had not been able to apply\ngreat American women of her generation,\nit in the larger social life of Virginia.\nand one of the foremost in Virginia history.\nThis has always seemed to us a most sig-\nThe Old Dominion has been blessed with\nnificant fact and a complete answer to those\nmany women who bore famous sons, with\nwho argued that the greatness of Virginia\nother women who wrote distinguished books,\nperished at Appomattox. It was not by\nand with still others who possessed ex-\nchance that in the same ten years, from the\nquisite charm and social graces; but our\nsame social background, the old families\ngreatest women have been those who have\nof Virginia and West Virginia produced\nlived on our frontier. To see Virginia\nsuch men as JOHN W. DAVIS and NEWTON\nwomanhood at its most heroic, one must\nBAKER, and such women as SARAH CABA-\nread KERCHEVAL'S History of the Shenan-\nNISS, AGNES RANDOLPH and NANNIE MINOR.\ndoah Valley, or stand inside Fort Lewis, or,\nIt will be admitted, we think, that these\nin fancy, dwell for a season in Abb's Valley.\nwomen probably did more than any other\nIt was fitting that Miss MINOR should have\nthree women of their day in Virginia to\ndied at Lewisburg, which once was on the\napply the doctrine of noblesse oblige. Miss\nborder between Virginia and the wilderness.\nCABANISS was of splendid ancestry; Miss\nShe had been born in a day when the physi-\nRANDOLPH was directly of the line of\ncal frontier had ceased to exist, but she\nTHOMAS JEFFERSON, and Miss MINOR was\nhad lived on the spiritual frontier that\nthe inheritor of a great name and the daugh-\nnever disappears. As surely as any woman\nter of one of Virginia's most distinguished\nwho came to Jamestown, she was a pioneer.\nteachers.\nBut she was more than a pioneer. Al-\nCourage was required for these young\nthough she had the vision and the courage\nwomen to become professional nurses, but\nto go on, she did not wish to journey alone.\ncourage they possessed, and with it, from\nHer dream was not that of some new ad-\nthe day they entered training, a determina-\nventure beyond the traveled world; it was\ntion to lighten the load of human misery\nthat of a city eased of pain, a social order\nin Virginia. Miss CABANISS, the senior of\nfree of injustice, a society of happiness.\nthe three, preached daily to her pupil-\nHow readily the historian of Virginia will\nnurses the gracious gospel of social service.\nfind and fix her place, we cannot say; but\nHer group was small-but so was that of\nalways in the memory of those who knew\nLOYOLA and so was that of WESLEY. By\nher and were privileged to share even to a\n1900, Miss CABANISS and her girls had\nsmall degree in her work, she will remain a\npledged themselves to establish the Nurses\ngracious and appealing figure, Virginia's\nSettlement, to make it their home and to\nSister of Charity."
}