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[Page 3]
On Melbourne Cup day a patient in labour came in and we tried to get her Dr. , in fact any Dr. or a Double Certificate nurse, but could not get anyone. They were all busy at the Cup. Sorin desperation we got a midwifery book and as one of us attended the patient, telling her to be calm, not to press down but take things easy, the other read feverishly. We knew if everything was normal we had nothing to worry about and thank heavens it was. We delivered our first baby quite satisfactorily. She paid her Dr. and we had a few grey hairs.
Patients paid in those days $.2. 2. 0 weekly including all but the Dr's fees.
I decided when my sister came back and took over the hospital I would go on a working holiday. I wrote to India where a position was vacant and wanted a nurse right away for a three year term.
In the meantime a Miss Cappin came in as a patient. She had just returned from Hawaii and told me what a dream place it was and how I would like it.
By the time my sister came back she did not want to take over the hospital again. She was a wonderful nurse but it took too much out of her as she was chief mourner at every death and worried herself sick. It was then decided that I should stay another year and she would look around for a buyer for the hospital and find other work for herself. Eventually she took over a cake shop "lThe Cabin" in Centreway, Melbourne, and was happy there.
In March 1911 we left Australia - two nurses to work and see the world. We travelled on the Makura bound for Honolulu and then Vancouver. We had letters of reference all over the place but only used two, meaning to return to Australia in two years. I was away from 1911 to 1934 and I certainly saw the world.