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The Nurse's Clock

14/11/2014

2 Comments

 
Picture
Many years ago, in the 1930s, a young woman left her (Victorian) country home and set out for Melbourne to become a nurse.

Her family was very proud of their daughter and sister and presented her with  a leather-encased travel clock to have with her in her new place of residence.

They had her initials embossed on the clock’s leather casing:  “I.L.B.” for Iva Lillico Blackwell.

Journeying to Melbourne, (seemingly so far away in those days) she left behind a fiancé, who promised to stay true and with whom she corresponded by letter as they planned for their wedding day.

Sadly, the young nurse contracted a virulent disease from the big city hospital where she was working. At first the doctors thought she would recover, but Iva ‘took a turn for the worse’, succumbed to the dreadful illness and died, leaving her family and fiancé bereft.

Her little clock has been in my possession for many years and now I have made the difficult decision to sell it.

How could I?  

Perhaps I’ll think it through again, first.

2 Comments
Karen Higbee
26/1/2016 12:31:27 pm

Hi Dianna,
I bought the Autograph book from you off eBay and, as you can see, I have done a bit of delving and I found this page.
From the purchase of her autograph book I have become interested in the short life of this young nurse so hopefully if the clock was sold I can only hope that the recipient will cherish it as much as Iva did when she first got it.

Reply
Dianna Edwards link
26/1/2016 12:42:11 pm

Sadly, yes, I sold the lovely little clock and now I am (once more) feeling guilty at doing such a thing. BUT my kids are not interested in any of these OLD things and neither are my grandchildren, so out they go into the community where they hopefully find a loving and appreciative home.
You certainly have been a bit of a sleuth...Well done!

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    I choose to comment on social issues and write creatively on a variety of subjects -  for a variety of audiences.

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  • About me
  • Short stories
    • Death in the Desert
    • Secrets
    • Airport Drama
    • Acacia
    • Two Chooks in December
    • A Darned Surprise
    • The Sunset Mermaid
    • Friend or Foe?
    • At Rainbow's End
    • Sisterly Love
    • Good Times to Come
    • Being Famous
    • Something Special for Dinner
    • Walter's Secret
    • The Visitor
  • Children's stories
    • The Red Silk Kite
    • The Singing Tree
    • Beatrice Barnfeather
    • Garth's bath
    • Little Dog Tambo
    • Flowers For a Special Day
  • Non Fiction
    • Letter to a Soldier
    • The Body
    • Autumn Saturday
    • A Year With Billy
    • Lunch
    • Harry's Story
    • 2007 bushfires
    • My Father's Kite
    • Death of a Chook
    • Gentle Heartache
    • Shopping with Sisters
    • When I am Old
    • Matilda
    • Fragments
  • Blog