above a hundred beds, and is divided into
four departments,—for men, for women, for
boys, and for children, including girls under
seventeen, and boys under six. The wards
are small; none of the female wards have
more than four beds; they somewhat resemble
in their character and discipline well-ordered
private chambers. A spirit of delicacy and
refinement governs every arrangement.
Nothing is done for worldly gain: the chief
worker lives as simply, and remains as poor
as any one of the subordinates. The sisters,
who in the hospital are trained to nurse,
have nothing provided them but mere food
and clothing, with the opportunity of spending
labour in good work. Before they are called
deaconesses they are received for a period of
from one to three years on probation, being
every day free to quit their occupation if they
find imperfect satisfaction in it. When they
become deaconesses, they receive a solemn
blessing in the church; and, if their course
of life do not remove them afterwards from
the establishment, they are paid with a simple
maintenance in health, and sickness, and old
age. A deaconess engages to remain five
years, but she does this with the understanding
that "should marriage, or her parents, or any
important duty claim her, she is free; she is
never held fast to conclude the term of years.
The institution," says Miss Nightingale,
"may thus be said to be a school for wives
as well as for sisters, as no one can suppose
that these women are not the better fitted
for the duties of wives and mothers by their
education here."

London has a training-school for nurses in
the St. John's House at Westminster.
Founded like that of Kaiserswerth in a
religious spirit, it is associated closely with
the Church of England. Its declared purpose
is "to improve the qualification and to raise
the character of nurses for the sick, by
providing for them professional training, together
with moral and religious discipline, under the
care of a clergyman, aided by the influence
and example of a lady superintendent, and
other resident sisters." In many respects,
this training institution, which is now but
ten years old, follows the path taken by
Pastor Fliedner. The religious basis of the
effort is not less firmly defined, although
defined of course according to the English
manner. The president of the St. John's
House must be the Bishop of London, and
none but members of the Church of England
may sit in its council, or serve any of its offices.
Its officers are a master, a lady superintendent,
and two orthodox physicians. The
master must be a clergyman in priest's orders,
married, or a widower, exclusively devoted to
his work. He is answerable for the good
order of the establishment, for daily prayer,
weekly catechising, and the discharge of the
duties of secretary and treasurer. The lady
superintendent has immediate control of
the sisters and the nurses. The physicians,
having passed them for admission, take
charge of their health.

The inmates of the institution fall into
three classes,—sisters, probationers, and
nurses.

Sisters are ladies who wish to employ
themselves in attendance on the sick and
poor, and in the education of others for those
duties. They must be communicants of the
Church of England. If they be under thirty
and unmarried, they must come to their
work with the sanction of parents or
guardians, and in every case they must bring a
certificate of baptism, and a testimonial from
a clergyman. The engagement they make
they may break suddenly, with the approval
of the council, for any adequate cause; or
they may give three months' notice of
withdrawal. They pay for their own cost, according
to their means, and subscribe if they
please to the funds of the institution from
their yearly incomes, while they remain
members; but they may only subscribe out
of the year's income; the institution will
not accept from them any gift of property.

Probationers are women who are being
trained for work as nurses. When they
come to the St. John's House they must be not
younger than twenty-five, and not older than
forty, and able to read and write well. They
must produce certificates of baptism and
character; also, if they be widows, a
certificate of marriage. They receive board,
lodging, washing, and medical attendance. If
she be not discharged as unsuitable after the
first month's trial, the probation of each
woman is continued until she is competent
to be admitted on the list of nurses.

Nurses of St. John's House, therefore, are
probationers whose training is complete.
They are under the authority of the master
and lady superintendent. They receive
board, lodging, washing, medical attendance,
four pounds a-year for clothing, and fixed
wages on a scale rising from ten guineas to
twenty pounds during the first five years of
service, with a gratuity of three pounds ten
at the end of the fifth year, and five shillings
a month extra pay when in attendance on
the sick. Their earnings belong to the funds
of the institution, and they are forbidden to
receive from patients or their friends, any
gratuities in money or clothing. Whoever,
being thankful for the service of a nurse from
the St. John's House, desires to pay more
than the fixed charge of a guinea a-week and
all expenses, is requested to send his gift to
the master, who will add it to a general fund
for the benefit of deserving nurses, more
especially for those who have bestowed care
on the poor, and for the superannuated. For
sick nursing of the poor there is, of course,
no charge.

Finally, there is a class of associate sisters,
meant to comprise any ladies who are able
and willing to be generally helpful to the
institution, and who will communicate the