Did It Hurt You?

The old hymn in Saín Taylor's "Original Poems" beginuing with " Who ran to help me wheu I feil?" ought to have a provisional clause added to it. The person who hastens to help a sufferer who has been shocked by a fall shonld not say a single word. Of course the beuevolent bystander is brimful of qnestious: "Where are you hurt?" "Have you sprained your ankle?" and lastly the insane request to know whether you eau fall down a fiight of 20 steps or frorn a piazza 10 feet above ground and not be daruaged any more Lhan if you had throwu yourself on a down pillow only a foot away. Of course you are hurt, and the nerve shock is so great that auy sort of question, even if "they" shall fetch hot water, is an additional blow to the nervous systein. You are suffering, perhaps, too much to speak, yet they peït you with questions while every power of your body is endeavoring to regain self control. You ought not to answer. You would like to screarn that "it iinrts" a hundred times inore for being eurumoned t0 speak and to diagnose yourself. All instructions in the line of "First aid to the injured" should begin with, "Be perfectly silent when you run to lift or help a person who bas been tnocked down or who has fallen and is still partly dazed with the tremendous shock." Let it be for the sufferer to say, "Oh, ruy head!" or "Oh, my leg!" or back. He will indícate as soou as it is necessary the injured part, but rneanwhile you are driving him nearly frantic by asking about it. These simple yet important directions do not seem to.be irnpressed upon the average helpful mind. Tact, of all things, is as neeessary as a kiiowledge of a tourniquet m.ide from a stick and a pocket handkerchief. Hot water, of course, is required for all bruises and sprains, but let it be brought without asking. The relief to the victim of au accident in having swif t and noiseless heipers about him or her - absolutely silent, yet kuowing exactly what to do - is very great. Any one who "haa been there" knows it all. Yet how quickly is it forgotten when we run to ïift up sornebody else and begin to pelt him with: "Where did it