TWELVE MONTHS 
 
 IN AN ARMY 
 
 HOSPITAL 
 
 BY A NURSE WHO DIDNT GO ACROSS 
 
Class iJ Lj_^£i 
 
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"Nurses are born — not made." 
 See page 15. 
 
TWELVE MONTHS IN AN 
 ARMY HOSPITAL 
 
 ■by 
 
 A NURSE WHO DIDN'T 
 GO ACROSS 
 
 m 
 
 @ 
 
 Press of 
 
 THE ABLE PRINTERS, Inc., 
 
 Washington, D, C. 
 
 1921. 
 
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 Copyright, 1921, by T. Lewis. 
 
 • 4r 
 
 • » 
 
 JUL 26 1221 
 
 CIA617765 
 
CONTENTS 
 
 Foreword. 
 
 Chapter I — Just a Plain Nurse, 
 
 Chapter II — A Red Cross Nurse. 
 
 Chapter III — On the Road. 
 
 Chapter IV — A Pleasant Encounter. 
 
 Chapter V— A Wet Reception. 
 
 Chapter VI — Enthusiasm Aroused. 
 
 Chapter VII— On the "Field of Action." 
 
 Chapter VIII — A Remarkable Transfor- 
 mation. 
 
 Chapter IX — Reminiscences. 
 
 Chapter X — Christmas in the Ward. 
 
 Chapter XI — A Change of Surroundings. 
 
 Chapter XII— "Off Duty." 
 
FOREWORD 
 
 It is with no pretention to literary- 
 merit, but simply a brief record of one 
 person's experiences combined with a few 
 quotations and remarks, during twelve 
 months spent among our sick boys, at an 
 Army hospital in the U. S. A., that I at- 
 tempt, at the oft repeated request of a 
 few friends, to write these notes, taken 
 partly from letters written at that time, 
 but mostly from incidents which recur to 
 my mind after a period of two years and 
 over. 
 
 Some may object to a tone of lightness 
 found in these notes, and to that I would 
 say that the desire to avoid making them 
 appear cheerless and gloomy, coming as 
 they do from the saddest of scenes, an 
 Army hospital, has to some extent, pro- 
 duced too much the opposite color, to those 
 who have never experienced the sharp 
 contrasts of the tragic and comic in such a 
 life. With the desire to sow at least some 
 good seed along the way, even tho' hand 
 in hand with what might appear like lev- 
 
ity as found in some portions of the little 
 book, I hope may not argue the fact of a 
 proper reverence for holy things, either 
 a lack of appreciation of the comic wher- 
 ever it appeared. A wise preacher has 
 said, that "A merry heart doeth good as a 
 medicine" and one found this proverb 
 amply verified by the beneficial effect upon 
 a ward of sick men which a good laugh 
 produced. 
 
 The boys took to a good joke like a duck 
 to water, so along with the pills, moral 
 lectures and general army orders, went 
 wherever possible a little merriment as a 
 variation from the other treatments. If 
 this little book should meet with any favor 
 whatever from the public I can only re- 
 gret that it is not more worthy of such 
 a kind reception. 
 
 It has suited my fancy, to substitute 
 names of persons and places in these notes, 
 with the exception of a few of the towns. 
 
 T. E. L. 
 
CHAPTER I 
 
 Just a Plain Nurse 
 
 do not know that a sufficiently- 
 large number of persons will 
 care to read about the doings 
 of a nurse while trying to do 
 her bit to help along the suc- 
 cess of the World War, to make it worth 
 while writing about, but for some time, by 
 the urgent request of some friends, and 
 by the aid of the inconvenient little voice 
 which is always goading people to the per- 
 formance of disagreeable duties, I have 
 decided to try to do my best toward set- 
 ting down on paper, a few of the happen- 
 ings which occurred during that time. 
 
 After a lapse of several months I sup- 
 pose it will be somewhat difficult to recall 
 many interesting events, and had I but 
 jotted down a few notes, as they happened 
 all thru those months, it would be much 
 easier to write an interesting account of 
 the work there at this time. 
 
 I am of the opinion that one should have 
 a worthy object in view before attempt- 
 
ing anything, and it is with a wish to 
 portray to the friends and relatives of our 
 soldier boys, a picture so clear that they 
 may see as we nurses saw, how their boys 
 felt, tho't, acted, and were treated, while 
 away in training, for I believe if there was 
 any one set of individuals who were per- 
 mitted to see the inside workings of the 
 life of those boys while in the army hos- 
 pital it was that humble, but necessary 
 adjunct to a Base Hospital, The Red Cross 
 Nurse. 
 
 I wish all America could have seen how 
 bravely and patiently our boys bore the 
 hardships of camp life, for, tho they were 
 still in our own country, there were hard- 
 ships, and plenty of them, and many and 
 varied were the occasions to call forth acts 
 of heroism, not all of which were enacted 
 upon battle-field or in the trenches. 
 
 I fear no one but a nurse will appreciate 
 what it means to find a whole ward, con- 
 taining forty or fifty suffering men, first 
 night post operative patients, having had, 
 not even the minimum dose of an opiate, 
 but not a groan, a moan, or murmur, of 
 any sort, — ^but that is part of my story ! 
 
 I entered the Red Cross nursing service 
 in the early part of the year 1917, which 
 
 8 
 
saw me in our Capital City doing private 
 nursing. I had gone there to take the 
 State Board examination, and finding so 
 many congenial spirits in the nursing 
 world there, I just stayed. I had a room 
 and boarded at the Central Registry which 
 was run by a nurse. Miss Raber, a lady of 
 very fine character and high aspirations, 
 I found it a great pleasure on many occa- 
 sions, to listen to her talk as she was a 
 woman whose knowledge was far reaching 
 in all branches of nursing work, and hav- 
 ing attended many of the National con- 
 ventions, was up to the minute on all sub- 
 jects pertaining to our work, as well as 
 being a woman of kindly nature, very 
 much interested in everything that was 
 uplifting, and would go to no end of trou- 
 ble to help those who were in need, if she 
 could. She was very highly thought of 
 by those who gathered around her, but 
 could on occasion be very severe should 
 any nurse happen to fall below the high 
 standard with which she expected all 
 "her nurses," as she called them, to con- 
 duct themselves. 
 
 I went about with her a great deal that 
 summer when "off duty" to church, on 
 shopping expeditions, to visit the Base 
 Hospital at Camp D , which was in 
 
process of construction, a short distance 
 from the city. I found her a most con- 
 genial, pleasant, and agreeable companion 
 upon these occasions, and I grew very 
 fond of her. Thp* she was at all times 
 jovial and merry, there was always a 
 certain reserve, which rare characters 
 possess, which recalls a paragraph of 
 Emerson's Essays, which says that we do 
 not get near enough to become thoroughly 
 acquainted, but seem to nod to one anoth- 
 er from our respective peaks, (as it were) . 
 I always had some such feeling about my 
 
 friend Miss R , and felt just a little in 
 
 awe of her. 
 
 There were some two hundred nurses, 
 from various states, staying here at this 
 time. The Central Registry was indeed 
 the center of nursing activities of the city, 
 as well as I may say, also of the State. 
 For it was necessary for all nurses upon 
 graduation from their hospital anywhere 
 in the state, to come to the Capital City 
 to take the State examination, whereupon 
 passing successfully, they eventually 
 found their way to the Registry, and find- 
 ing such a congenial wholesome atmos- 
 phere about the place, decided, if any 
 rooms were available, to make it their 
 permanent abode, for awhile at least, as I 
 
 10 
 
had done. Groups of nurses would be 
 found in living-room, parlor or on the ver- 
 anda, talking of current events, but more 
 often of the War, and happenings in con- 
 nection with it. It was inevitable that 
 nurses would be called too, and there were 
 some rumors afloat to the effect that 
 nurses were to be conscripted the same 
 as the soldiers. 
 
 We tho't, most of us, that it would be a 
 great disgrace to the nursing profession, 
 should the nurses neglect to voluntarily 
 offer their services, thereby incurring the 
 humiliating danger of being compelled to 
 go. There were many gatherings of a so- 
 cial nature among the nurses that sum- 
 mer, one I will mention in particular. 
 
 I had come in from a case in the coun- 
 try, one afternoon late in May, and found 
 the nurses who were "in" some dozen or 
 more, in a furor of excitement, in antici- 
 pation of a dinner, which was to be given 
 the nurses that evening, by the State 
 Nursing organization, at a tea room on 
 the 7th floor of one of the finest depart- 
 ment stores in the city. It was to be in 
 honor of a nurse, who had been recalled 
 by the Red Cross Organization, from a 
 Base Hospital in the west, to prepare to 
 be sent overseas. 
 
 11 
 
Miss Bois, the nurse in question, was at 
 that moment, right under our very roof. 
 All the nurses who happened to be "in" 
 that evening, were given a ticket and an 
 invitation. This was a very briUiant and 
 enjoyable affair. There were about fifty 
 nurses present, all the bright and shining 
 lights in the nursing world of our particu- 
 lar State were there, and the speeches, 
 toasts and repartee, were very instructive 
 as well as entertaining. Out of the large 
 number of nurses who roomed at the Reg- 
 istry, comparatively few took their meals 
 there, and we who did, had a chance to be- 
 come quite well acquainted. Miss Bois 
 stayed here while preparing to go to 
 France, and upon close acquaintance, she 
 appeared to be just the right sort of per- 
 son to be sent over. Strong, physically 
 perfect, a woman of fine character, old 
 enough to be sensible, kind-hearted, sym- 
 pathetic, her whole heart in the work, and 
 if many a mother's son does not bless the 
 day the A. E. F. sent such a nurse across, 
 then ril "miss my guess." 
 
 Of course, we who were staying behind, 
 were glad for her good luck, while we en- 
 vied her early departure, but contented 
 ourselves with the thought that we would 
 join her there ere long. But when the 
 
 12 
 
Armistice was signed, I was still here, but 
 was so glad the horrible war was ended, 
 that I was only too willing to forego the 
 exciting experiences overseas. I was at 
 the Registry upon that memorable even- 
 ing, while sitting with a group of nurses 
 upon the veranda, when the newsboy's cry 
 of "Extra — War declared on Germany" 
 made our hearts stop beating and our lips 
 pale. Eagerly we scanned the sheet which 
 proved that it was no idle farce, that the 
 country was to call its brave sons ere long 
 to go forth to bleed and die, if necessary, 
 for the cause of right and justice. It 
 seemed a very sad day to have come to, 
 here in our own beautiful free America. 
 
 I resolved there and then, to go and 
 nurse the soldiers, little dreaming thru 
 what sloughs of despond, in the shape of 
 delays,^ hindrances, of one kind and anoth- 
 er, and entanglements of "Government 
 Red Tape" one would have to wade, ere 
 the resolve came true. 
 
 First a letter to Washington for general 
 information as to the procedure of enter- 
 ing Red Cross work. While waiting word 
 from Washington, a letter to the "Alma 
 Mater" for indorsement, credentials, etc. 
 In the meantime examinations moral, 
 mental and physical, sundry dosages of 
 
 13 
 
typhoid, para-typhoid, and smallpox anti- 
 toxin and vaccine. A somewhat lengthy 
 delay in hearing from my hospital, caus- 
 ing all sorts of vague speculations, as to 
 the cause. 
 
 Every thoughtless deed and action, 
 which our hapless natures had perpetrat- 
 ed throughout the three years hospital 
 training, was no doubt being reviewed by 
 that august facluty, and woe to that poor 
 luckless damsel who could not present, if 
 not an entirely spotless career, one at 
 least passably exemplary. Never in all 
 those "uncertain-as-to-what-may-bef all- 
 you" years in training, had the Superin- 
 tendent wielded such a weapon as was in 
 her power for influence at this time. Even 
 some of the doctors must add their ap- 
 proval or disapproval, as the case might 
 be. I wondered if in some reckless un- 
 guarded moment of vexation I had spoken 
 my mind too freely in an unflattering 
 manner to some of the doctors, incurring 
 their wrath and life-long prejudice per- 
 haps. If such be the case, then my "blood 
 was upon my own head." Retribution had 
 overtaken me at last. 
 
 A long tedious day in any hospital 
 crowded with harassing duties, is not at 
 all times conductive to that evenness of 
 temperament and kindliness of disposi- 
 
 14 
 
tion, the author had in mind who wrote 
 that ''Nurses are born, not made," "and 
 what impels a woman to become a nurse 
 is the eternal instinct of motherliness, the 
 compassion for suffering, and when that 
 grace is born very big in a woman, the 
 idea of caring for the sick, entices her ir- 
 resistably." This is all very beautiful, 
 and it was with some such exalted 
 thoughts that I had entered upon my pro- 
 fession, and I thought then and do yet, 
 that the medical profession likewise when 
 followed in the proper spirit, is a contin- 
 ual source of moral satisfaction and hap- 
 piness to the generous heart, for its aim is 
 to alleviate human suffering, and lengthen 
 out human existence. Its ambition is to 
 gladden as well as to prolong human life, 
 by warding off disease as the greatest of 
 mortal evils, and restoring health and at 
 times reason itself as the greatest of mor- 
 tal blessings. 
 
 But during the toilsome days of train- 
 ing, amid the numerous cares and respon- 
 sibilities, the rush to get on duty on time 
 causing one to neglect the most import- 
 ant of all duties, that of "buckling on the 
 whole armor," thru prayer soliciting our 
 Heavenly Father's aid to withstand the 
 wiles of the Devil, and keep that through- 
 out the day which we have committed to 
 
 15 
 
Him, without which preparation for each 
 day's battle, one is so apt to forget the 
 noble end in the trying means, and when 
 weary and overburdened with numerous 
 cares, it is so easy to get it into one's head 
 that one is being put upon, that the doc- 
 tor was more exacting and tyranical than 
 necessary, that the head nurse was cross 
 and unjust, or the janitor too stupid, or 
 some one or a thousand of the grievances 
 one can always hatch up if they do not 
 persistently rely upon that admonition of 
 our dear Lord and Master, to "let not the 
 heart be troubled." 
 
 I waited, patiently as I could, busy most 
 of the time, on cases either in town or in 
 the country for a word of commendation 
 from my school. On occasions off duty, I 
 would learn of meetings being held among 
 the nursing lights, disbanded again, and 
 still no word from my home hospital. 
 Spring faded and summer waned, and at 
 length just as I was about giving up all 
 hope of ever being accounted worthy of 
 having my name sent to Washington as a 
 candidate for the high honor and exalted 
 privilege of nursing "sick America," I en- 
 countered Miss Raber in the hall one day 
 early in the fall, which set my heart aflut- 
 ter with anticipation and hope. 
 
 16 
 
CHAPTER II 
 
 A Red Cross Nurse 
 
 ©S Miss Raber who on occasion 
 wears a very severe ''front" 
 outwardly, belying the kindli- 
 ness of nature beneath, bore 
 down upon me, and brought 
 up directly in front of me with an air of 
 something of unusual importance in her 
 manner, my thoughts flew every way like 
 panic stricken rabbits. I knew that what- 
 ever my fate was to be, I was at last to 
 find out. I had been so anxious to be a 
 Red Cross Nurse, to go and nurse the sick 
 soldiers back to health so they could go 
 and win the war, I had been working so 
 hard, and was so anxious to hear a com- 
 mendable word from my "Alma Mater" 
 who no doubt had been so busy with the 
 multiplicity of demands upon an institu- 
 tion of that kind, had probably pigeon- 
 holed my request until some more conve- 
 nient time, or perhaps were weighing me 
 in the balance and finding we wanting! 
 Oh ! Why had I let the golden days of op- 
 
 17 
 
portunity slip, when I might have gone 
 out of my way, and been extra nice to 
 everybody connected ever so remotely 
 with that venerable seat of learning? 
 
 Why! Oh! Why? had I not frankly 
 spoken out words conveying the respect, 
 and admiration I secretly cherished for all 
 those high and mighty ones connected 
 with it, but foolishly keeping such talent 
 hid "under a bushel" when it might have 
 been proclaimed from the housetops, and 
 thereby have won a grain or two of char- 
 ity with which I found myself in such dire 
 need at this momentous time! 
 
 Thoughts like these flew confusedly 
 thru my mind in less time that it takes to 
 tell it. 
 
 They say a drowning person will see a 
 whole lifetime pass in review in a mo- 
 ment just at the last, and like one of these 
 tragic persons, I felt that this was the 
 moment in which I was called upon to give 
 up, if not my life, a cherished scheme 
 which had taken quite an important place 
 in my plans. I think the years of my hos- 
 pital life passed in that brief moment of 
 suspense, as I tried to recall the worst, 
 most ominous of deeds or misdeeds. Be- 
 fore I could get my thoughts mobilized 
 into any kind of semblance to order. Miss 
 
 18 
 
Raber spoke, and the words with which 
 she greeted me, showed me that I had 
 been courting misfortune needlessly, had 
 been pursuing disaster when it was try- 
 ing its best to evade me. She said, "Your 
 hospital has been heard from, and your 
 credentials are good! — very good!" I 
 drew a long breath of relief as I gave my- 
 self a mental slap for my needless worries, 
 and resolved thenceforth to consider my- 
 self a care-free young woman with plain 
 sailing before her, for as I believed, the 
 worst of my difficulties were over. My 
 name had already been sent to the War 
 Department she said, as an eligible candi- 
 date for the R. C. Nursing Service, and in 
 little more than a week, I received a large 
 official looking envelope, containing sun- 
 dry information, rules and regulations, 
 also a questionnaire which I was to fill out 
 and return, which I did in short order, and 
 awaited the consequences. Before hear- 
 ing from the War Department again, I 
 was called upon a case about one hundred 
 miles from the city to a village in the 
 northern part of the state. I was here 
 about three weeks, when one day I re- 
 ceived a message by phone, from the Red 
 Cross Secretary at D., saying my orders 
 had arrived from Washington, and that I 
 must be ready to leave the following day 
 
 19 
 
for goodness knows where, away down 
 south in the "land of cotton." 
 
 Now I am usually a decorously behaved 
 young lady, and though I felt like doing 
 the ''fisher's hornpipe" in the center of the 
 floor just then, need not argue to the con- 
 trary. I kept my feelings, also my feet 
 under control however, and sedately 
 enough informed the family that I would 
 have to go. My patient was by this time 
 convalescent, and entered as did all the 
 members of the family into the spirit of 
 the affair, with as much ardor as if I had 
 been the favorite son preparing to go away 
 to war. I had many lovely letters from 
 this home later, which comforted, cheered 
 and amused me, amid the busy scenes of 
 hospital life in the Army. 
 
 But here I was one-hundred miles from 
 the city, which having reached, would have 
 a hundred and one odds and ends of small 
 affairs to attend to, which would all take 
 time, like changing my transportation in- 
 to a ticket, see to procuring a berth, get 
 dresses from laundry, telegraph my darl- 
 ing folks, and "proceed without delay" 
 upon the 3rd of December, and this was 
 the 2nd! 
 
 In making a prognosis of the whole af- 
 fair, I decided that my venerable uncle 
 was decidedly unreasonable, and had asked 
 
 20 
 
the impossible. And I forthwith resolved 
 that if the welfare of the southern portion 
 of the American Army depended upon my 
 movements, it would have to wait until I 
 could get a convenient start, and I pro- 
 ceeded to wire the powers at Washington 
 to that effect. I got a stern and curt 
 order in reply, to ''proceed at once !" 
 
 With vague surmisings of what the out- 
 come might be, should I begin my quar- 
 reling with my most respected Uncle at 
 the outset, but with resolutions undaunted 
 I firmly stuck to my resolve, that if the 
 Southern Base Hospital had gotten along 
 so far without my valuable assistance, it 
 would in all probability survive twenty- 
 four hours longer, thus enabling me to get 
 my breath and my bearings, to say noth- 
 ing about getting to town, cramming a 
 few things into trunk and bag, securing 
 my ticket and berth and reading over my 
 traveling orders, etc., etc. I found my 
 blessed sister awaiting me when I arrived 
 at the Registry. She had come like a dear 
 good angel with a pile of bran new white 
 uniforms to see me off before embarking 
 upon war work herself which was to take 
 her to the National Capital later. I had 
 not seen my dear sister for several 
 months, and it was a glad as well as a sad 
 meeting between us, for we knew not how 
 
 21 
 
much longer this dreadful war might sep- 
 arate us. 
 
 Taking a cab upon alighting from the 
 train at D., I flew thru the December slush 
 to the Registry as if the Huns were after 
 me, where, like many another recruit, I 
 burst in among the nurses, and my wait- 
 ing sister with the announcement: "Fve 
 enlisted, and am off to the Army." My 
 sister spent the night with me, and was 
 to accompany me all the way back toward 
 the town of Keokuk which seemed very 
 comforting. We spent the next day to- 
 gether, trotting about the city streets 
 until nine o'clock, shopping and doing all 
 those last errands which I fear no woman 
 would even go to Heaven without attempt- 
 ing if she could. 
 
 Even with the whole day I had pilfered 
 from "Uncle Sam" I hadn't time to pack 
 systematically, but threw things into my 
 trunk, sat on the lid to make it go down, 
 had the baggageman rope it, and we were 
 off. 
 
 A December twilight amid falling snow 
 is not the most cheering time to embark 
 upon a somewhat perilous enterprise, and 
 but for the presence of Ruth I fear I 
 might have added a drop or two of the 
 "briny" to the native moisture of the 
 "town I left behind me." 
 
 22 
 
CHAPTER III 
 
 On the Road 
 
 )F our departure from the Reg- 
 istry which had been my 
 home for the past eight 
 months, there remains in my 
 
 mind a blurred impression of 
 
 handshaking, embraces, wildly waving 
 handkerchiefs, and a comic picture of 
 Hepzabah the cook, "flapping" her arms 
 on the doorstep. 
 
 Ruth and I spent half the night waiting 
 in an out-of-the-way station, somewhere 
 between D— and B— -, for the thru train 
 to St. Louis, fully intending to keep awake 
 as a sort of vigil, appropriate to the occa- 
 sion, but along toward midnight I fell 
 asleep in spite of myself and the uncom- 
 fortable chair and had propitious dreams, 
 until awakened by a loud masculine voice 
 proclaiming that the train C B & Q f or 
 St. Louis was on the track outside. It 
 was seven o'clock next morning when the 
 train pulled into B, and a bright day smil- 
 ed upon my undertaking. Ruth and I en- 
 
 23 
 
joyed our breakfast together on the train, 
 in spite of the fact that the next stop 
 would be the town of K— , where she 
 would leave me and we had but a few mo- 
 ments more together, they being taken up 
 with giving messages for the dear ones 
 whom I should not see ere leaving. So 
 amid good-byes, caresses, embraces and 
 admonitions to write soon and often, we 
 bade each other farewell. 
 
 How empty the train seemed after she 
 had gone. We waved as long as the slow 
 moving train permitted a glimpse of each 
 other, and at this juncture "I took the 
 veil" and what I did behind it was, as 
 Nurse Pemberton would say "Nobody's 
 business." 
 
 But I contend that the soldier who cries 
 when his mother says good-bye, is the boy 
 to fight best and die bravest, and when the 
 time comes, to go back to her better than 
 he went. 
 
 I was spinning along southward at the 
 rate of sixty miles an hour, and would 
 have enjoyed every moment but for the 
 thought that every turn of the wheels was 
 taking me farther from those I loved. 
 
 Meanwhile the head beneath the purple 
 be-tasseled hat, fermented with all sorts 
 of heroic thoughts and high purposes to 
 
 24 
 
do or die, perhaps both, and the heart 
 under the big checked coat was very ten- 
 der with thoughts of the loved ones I was 
 leaving behind and had no way of telling 
 when I would ever see them again. 
 
 I have made it a habit throughout life, 
 upon setting out upon any new undertak- 
 ing, to invoke the Divine guidance and 
 blessing upon my endeavors, and I believe, 
 as one of our famous writers have said, 
 that one should never have one's heart so 
 set upon any one scheme, to the extent 
 that one would not as readily do something 
 else if it were the Lord's will, else it be- 
 comes a wrong. Many times I fail miser- 
 ably in being the blessing I long to be in 
 whatever corner of this old world I find 
 myself, and at times I find it necessary to 
 upbraid myself most severely on self ex- 
 amination, at the little done towards the 
 great end proposed at the beginning of 
 each New Year. For I resolve upon read- 
 ing a portion of the Bible each night and 
 morning, as well as offering up prayer 
 each morn and at eve, also many times 
 thru the day, for that Divine guidance and 
 help without which it is impossible to 
 please God. I reason that if Christ, our 
 elder brother, who was sinless and with- 
 out guile, found it imperative to spend the 
 
 25 
 
whole nights in prayer, how presumptuous 
 for weak human mortals to claim to be 
 His followers, without that humble de- 
 pendence for help from Him, which He 
 showed toward His Father. In spite of 
 the urgent prayer of my heart continually 
 to God to keep me from a vain and over- 
 bearing spirit, I fear I do many vain, fool- 
 ish and selfish things, but with the hope 
 and faith in Him to yet rid me entirely, of 
 all ignorance, weakness and sin for His 
 Name's Sake, I trust that He will do it. 
 
 Settling myself in my seat, I read my 
 traveling orders and my assignment to 
 duty, which read something like this: 
 "With the approval of the Secretary of 
 War, Tola Ellen Lee, of the town of 
 D, in the State of Iowa, Reserve Nurse, 
 Army Nurses Corps, is hereby assigned to 
 active service in the Military establish- 
 ment, and will enter upon her duties after 
 taking the oath prescribed by Section 1757 
 of the Revised Statutes of the United 
 States," which was duly signed by Bert 
 W. Caldwell, Major M. R. C, U. S. Army. 
 
 I read another paper also signed by 
 Major Caldwell, which stated that, Re- 
 serve Nurse, Tola Ellen Lee, was here- 
 by authorized to proceed without delay to 
 United States Army Base Hospital, 
 
 26 
 
Camp B— in the state of L — near the 
 town of A — -. Well here I was proceeding 
 without much delay, I thought as I collect- 
 ed my various small articles together, pre- 
 paratory to getting settled for a six hours 
 ride before changing trains. I inspected 
 my ticket which my thoughtful, generous 
 Uncle Sam had considerately provided me 
 with, and for which I was very grateful, 
 relieving me of the necessity of wasting 
 my substance on railroad companies, when 
 perhaps the boys might need "even a spin- 
 ster's mite," while thoughts of the scant 
 remuneration which was allotted to nurses 
 serving in the Army was conducive to- 
 ward husbanding what resources I had in 
 hand, as far as it was possible. 
 
 I look much at my traveling orders, for 
 I have a feeling that if I keep that straight 
 in my mind I won't go far wrong. "I sort 
 out my tickets, and put them in every con- 
 ceivable place that they may be get-at- 
 able, and I finish by losing them entirely. 
 Suffer agonies until a compassionate 
 neighbor pokes them out from between 
 the seat and back with a toothpick, put 
 them in the innermost corner of my purse, 
 and that in the deepest recess of my 
 pocket, pile a collection of miscellaneous 
 articles on top and pin up the whole. Just 
 
 27 
 
get composed, feeling that I had done my 
 best to keep them safely, when the con- 
 ductor appears and I*m forced to rout 
 them all out again, exposing my precau- 
 tions and getting into a flutter at keeping 
 the man waiting." 
 
 A whole company of soldier boys who 
 had boarded the train in a northern state, 
 and filled several coaches ahead (I heard 
 the porter tell a gentleman in the seat 
 next mine) and were bound for an Army 
 camp farther south, kept the air lively 
 with patriotic songs. There were some 
 splendid voices among them, and their 
 music helped to make the hours fly past 
 quickly for all the passengers, as well as 
 themselves. 
 
 I had sent a message by telegraph from 
 D — before leaving, to a friend in St. L., 
 and when the train pulled into the station 
 she greeted me with her usual cheery smile 
 and hearty embrace, took me out to her 
 lovely home and delightfully beguiled what 
 would have otherwise proven a long ted- 
 ious wait at the station. After a deli- 
 cious dinner, my friends accompanied me 
 to the train, and with many good byes, 
 I once more take up my journey alone. 
 Circumstances are such in these days that 
 to travel very far in a sleeper, one does 
 
 28 
 
not stay alone. There are always nice 
 persons sociably inclined, and having 
 heard "complaints of the absurd way in 
 which American women become images of 
 petrified propriety if addressed by a 
 stranger when traveling alone, a sort of 
 inborn perversity of nature caused me to 
 assume an entirely opposite style of de- 
 portment, and finding a companion hails 
 from somewhere in Missouri where one of 
 my classmates was from, and was ac- 
 quainted with several of the fifty-seven 
 cousins of Molly's, I put my bashfulness 
 into my pocket and plunge into a long dis- 
 cussion on the war, weather, music, Dick- 
 ens, sleighing, skating, ouija-boards, and 
 the immortality of the soul." 
 
 Shortly after leaving St. L. I fell in with 
 a most delightful couple, a gentleman and 
 lady, somewhere in the sixties I should 
 judge, whose berth was directly opposite 
 mine across the aisle. The lady whose 
 name was Mrs. Stone had shared my seat 
 while the porter arranged hers for the 
 night. As soon as she learned that I was 
 a nurse bound for a camp hospital, she 
 became very much interested in me seem- 
 ingly, and at the first opportunity intro- 
 duced her husband to me. It was evident 
 that they were people of culture and re- 
 
 29 
 
finement, as well as persons of means. 
 She was dressed very plainly as well as 
 quietly, in the best of taste, as all really 
 genteel folks are prone to do when travel- 
 ing. Her dress of black silk was covered 
 by a black cloak— plain but of rich mater- 
 ial. She wore a neat small black hat which 
 was very becoming to her sweet face fram- 
 ed in soft gray hair. 
 
 In some way she made me think of my 
 own dear mother so long away, and it is 
 not strange that I enjoyed every moment 
 of their society. Mr. Stone, a man of large 
 stature, hair quite gray, a good strong 
 face, just the kind of man that has a way 
 of making everyone feel perfectly com- 
 fortable and at ease in his company. They 
 were returning to their home in the south, 
 from Battle Creek, Michigan, where they 
 had accompanied their daughter who had 
 remained as a patient in a sanitarium 
 there. Having become attached to the 
 nurses there, they were more interested 
 in all nurses and their work than they 
 might otherwise have been. We traveled 
 together pleasantly, taking our meals to- 
 gether, and sitting together at other 
 times, Mr. Stone attending to all checking 
 of baggage, etc., until we separated in a 
 southern city, where they had to take a 
 
 30 
 
different train to their home. It was while 
 eating our breakfast in a cafe adjoining 
 the station at this place that a portly, fine 
 looking gentleman came toward our table. 
 As he did so, Mr. Stone arose, greeted him 
 cordially and shook the extended hand of 
 the distinguished gentleman most heart- 
 ily. After the newcomer had gone thru 
 the same cordial greeting with Mrs. Stone 
 and exchanged a few words of kindly soli- 
 citation in regard to their health and wel- 
 fare, as well as that of their daughter then 
 at Battle Creek, his eyes turned in my di- 
 rection. Mrs. Stone promptly gave an in- 
 troduction. Our distinguished friend 
 proved to be no other than Governor B — 
 of the state of A — . In introducing me, 
 Mrs. Stone had explained my mission as 
 well as destination, adding that they had 
 taken me "under their wing," and were 
 only too sorry they could not accompany 
 me to the camp, as he knew a very much 
 loved stepson was then an officer at the 
 camp toward which I was going. The 
 Governor shook my hand heartily as he 
 expressed a very deep interest in the camp 
 in L — , as he said the troops there were 
 made up largely of boys from his own 
 state. After bidding them good bye with 
 many good wishes, and a word of God's 
 speed to me as he shook my hand again 
 
 31 
 
at parting, he was gone. It seemed the 
 Governor had been a most intimate friend 
 of Mr. Stone's family, and had at one time 
 cherished a particular regard for the 
 daughter who was then a patient in a san- 
 itarium in Michigan, whom it seems had 
 been a classmate at college. 
 
 I felt very lonely after I had parted 
 from these genial folks. As they told me 
 good bye, they gave me a bit of pasteboard 
 which was to serve as a card of introduc- 
 tion to the stepson at Camp B — , who was 
 then a Lieutenant Colonel in the A — Re- 
 serves, and whom they seemed most de- 
 sirous that I should meet. I am sorry to 
 say that I never made myself known to 
 that honorable gentleman, though many 
 times later I heard him spoken of as a man 
 of sterling worth. Officers and men alike, 
 those who knew him well, held a very high 
 regard for him. Before I left the hospi- 
 tal I heard of his promotion to the rank 
 of a Colonelcy. 
 
 I had left D — in a raging snow storm, 
 had traveled but a couple of days and 
 nights, and here I found myself in a land 
 where flowers were in bloom outside in 
 gardens. The air was warm and balmy, 
 just like the first days of spring at home. 
 I had not expected to find such a notice- 
 
 32 
 
able difference in the climate quite so 
 soon. 
 
 The country through which we were 
 passing did not seem so very unlike that I 
 had left, except that it was more level and 
 less wintry. I suppose in summertime the 
 wide fields would have shown me new 
 sights, and the wayside hedges, blossomed 
 with new flowers. Now everything was 
 sere and sodden, and a general air of 
 shiftlessness prevailed which would have 
 caused a northern farmer much disgust, 
 and a strong desire to "get a hustle on," 
 and right up things. 
 
 Dingy little houses with chimneys built 
 outside, stood in barren looking fields, with 
 cow, mule or pig lounging near the door. 
 We passed many colored people looking as 
 if they had come out of a picture book, or 
 off the stage, but not at all like the sort 
 of people I'd been accustomed to see at 
 the north. 
 
 33 
 
CHAPTER IV 
 
 A Pleasant Encounter 
 
 ^HEN I entered the parlor car at 
 L — R — upon the last lap of 
 my journey, I spied in one end 
 of the car a writing desk con- 
 taining pen, ink, blotter, etc. 
 I hastily scribbled off a few postals to 
 friends and relatives, before the train 
 should start, paid a boy to mail them, then 
 settled myself in one of the comfortable 
 easy chairs, and gave myself up to 
 thoughts of what I should do when the 
 train pulled into the station at A — , and I 
 found my journey at an end. 
 
 By instructions received before leaving, 
 I had wired the camp hospital at my last 
 stop, so there would be someone to meet 
 me when I should arrive, so there was 
 nothing now to do but to sit and watch the 
 southern fields fly past, and as there was 
 yet a whole day on the train I had plenty 
 of time to think upon the work I was 
 about entering upon. I had been all thru 
 the Base Hospital at Camp D — which was 
 
 34 
 
near my home, had talked with many of 
 the nurses on duty there, and in view of 
 this fact, it is rather funny that I should 
 seem to have a feeling that I was the only 
 nurse going to this camp hospital in the 
 south. I do not know if I had formed any 
 idea, as to how I was going to run it all by 
 myself or not, for just then my attention 
 was attracted by a most capable looking 
 young person carrying a suitcase in one 
 hand. Something in the way she managed 
 that suitcase, as tho' from much familiar- 
 ity it had become as it were, a part of her- 
 self, proclaimed her, to my mental con- 
 sciousness to be a traveling nurse. She 
 was in the act of speaking to another 
 young lady who had a self-sufficient, world- 
 wise air about her which seemed strange- 
 ly familiar. I had never laid eyes upon 
 either of them before, but my first con- 
 victions were right, for they were, both of 
 them nurses, I thought without a shade of 
 doubt and perhaps bound for the same 
 destination as myself. As I watched them 
 I noticed the younger of the two, who was 
 still standing, incline her head in my di- 
 rection, and I overheard the remark, "If 
 I am not mistaken, that is another one 
 over there." Just then a third young 
 woman came from somewhere farther 
 down the car with a smiling face and out- 
 
 35 
 
stretched hand, saying as she came nearer 
 the two first mentioned, "I believe I be- 
 long to this family V That she was one of 
 our sisterhood was plain for a Red Cross 
 Badge adorned her coat. This was too 
 much for me to stay in obscurity longer, 
 so with the words "and I too," I joined 
 the group and we had a hearty laugh to- 
 gether for introduction, from sheer glad- 
 ness of spirit, at finding other members 
 of our fraternity in the same "boat" with 
 ourselves, and bound for the same hospi- 
 tal. We became old acquaintances on the 
 spot, as all nurses wherever they meet, 
 seem to feel an understanding of each 
 other that makes it impossible to remain 
 strangers in each other's society. These 
 three were all from different states, one 
 coming from Minnesota, one from Penn- 
 sylvania, and the other from Michigan. 
 Only one out of the four eventually get- 
 ting to France, Miss Rollins, the one from 
 Minnesota going over with the first unit 
 called from our Base. Miss Keating was 
 too old, and Miss Yates, I have heard, went 
 back to her institutional work after the 
 war. For myself, I always found too 
 much to do here in the United States to 
 leave, until the war was over, and then it 
 was too late to go. To say that we four 
 enjoyed the remainder of the trip is put- 
 
 86 
 
ting it mildly. We felt what we were, a 
 happy family. We dined together, talked 
 together, sat together, and wherever the 
 train stopped long enough, we alighted 
 and took kodak pictures of the quaint 
 scenes and objects along the way. Not 
 one of us had ever been so far south be- 
 fore, and the quaint and comical rural 
 scenes and sights along the route brought 
 forth bursts of merriment and laughter 
 many times. 
 
 Miss Rollins observed that we need not 
 feel alarmed any more, if we should find 
 all our hair falling out, as she perceived 
 that hair switches grew on trees in the 
 south. And indeed the cypress trees with 
 the fine feathery, hair-like foliage, which 
 hanging from their branches, could be lik- 
 ened to nothing more appropriate than 
 hair switches. 
 
 At a town near a lumber camp, a Red 
 Cross car was standing on the switch, and 
 as our engine had to take on water, we 
 had quite a long wait here. We alighted 
 to the ground and while walking about, 
 the Lieutenant in charge of the Red Cross 
 car, seeing by our badges that we were 
 nurses, tho't we might find an inspection 
 of his car interesting. 
 
 I had not worn my Red Cross pin until 
 
 37 
 
joining the other nurses, and, as we 
 laughingly said, having the weight of each 
 other's society to back us we had donned 
 the emblem of our trade, which the Gov- 
 ernment had forwarded us along with our 
 other official property. This Lieutenant 
 who was an M. D. was in the Government 
 employ. His field the whole country 
 wherever there were lumber camps, saw 
 mills and large crowds of working men. 
 His duties were to demonstrate and teach 
 first aid principles to the men. 
 
 The car was tastefully equipped with all 
 necessary articles pertaining to Red Cross 
 first aid work, and we found it very in- 
 teresting. Besides his supplies, this young 
 doctor also carried a puppy dog, for he 
 was but a boy, but his talk and demon- 
 stration of the work he had in hand was 
 very entertaining. He was a pleasant, aff- 
 able young person, and upon our leaving 
 his car he wished us much good luck and 
 hoped he would see us in France later, as 
 he hoped to go over himself as soon as he 
 had finished the work he was now doing. 
 
 A long hot afternoon on a train thru 
 the south is not the most exciting theme 
 for a story, but though it was December 
 and we were attired in woolen dresses, the 
 air was warm as though we might have 
 
 38 
 
been transplanted into some tropical clime 
 in the middle of July. We found it rather 
 amusing to watch the cotton bedecked 
 chim.neys, in fact everything seemed to be 
 decorated in cotton. I suppose the wind 
 had blown it from some of the numerous 
 bales we saw, and lodging on any project- 
 ing obstacle, looked as though the country 
 had gone to decorating thus early for 
 Christmas, and was bent on making Santa 
 Clauses out of everything. Even the 
 fences and fence posts did not escape but 
 were resplendent in festoons of white 
 downy cotton. 
 
 Miss Yates burst into laughter as she 
 pointed to an aged negro man, who being 
 hatless, showed his head to be covered 
 with the same mode of decoration, but in 
 this instance, it was wool instead of cot- 
 ton. 
 
 As night came on, there was nothing to 
 be seen outside but darkness made visible, 
 and nothing inside but every variety of 
 bunch into which the human form could 
 be "rolled, twisted or massed." 
 
 Every man's legs sprawled drowsily, 
 every woman's head (but we four) nods 
 till it finally settles on somebody's should- 
 er. Children fret, lovers whisper, old folks 
 snore, and somebody privately imbibes 
 
 39 
 
brandy. The penetrating perfume rouses 
 the multitude causing some to start up 
 like war horses at the smell of powder. 
 When more lights are turned on everyone 
 sniffs wry-facedly, looks inquiringly at his 
 neighbor. Everyone but a stout gentle- 
 man, who, with hands folded upon his 
 broadcloth rotundity, sleeps on impressive- 
 ly. Had he been innocent, he would have 
 waked up, for to slumber in that babe-like 
 manner, with a car full of giggling, star- 
 ing, sniffing humanity, was simply pre- 
 posterous. 
 
 Public suspicion was down on him at 
 once. I doubt if the appearance of a flask 
 with a label would have settled the matter 
 more effectively than did the over-digni- 
 fied and profound repose of this short- 
 sighted being. His moral necktie, vir- 
 tuous boots, and pious attitude availed 
 him nothing, and it was well he kept his 
 eyes shut, for "Humbug," twinkled at him 
 from every light, window-pane, and hu- 
 man eye around him. 
 
 It was long past midnight when our 
 train pulled into the town of A — , and 
 even at that untoward hour one could feel 
 that it was a big dirty, shippy, shiftless 
 place, full of goats, geese and negroes to 
 judge from the depot. Upon inquiring we 
 
 4U 
 
found that no one had come to meet us, 
 so we decided to call up the camp hospital 
 and find out what they wanted us to do. 
 Being a part of the Army now, we felt it 
 our duty to wait for further orders before 
 making any move. Miss Rollins emerged 
 from the telephone booth with the infor- 
 mation that there was no place at the hos- 
 pital for us, as an influx of nurses had 
 filled all the rooms, but that they would 
 have accommodations for us by the next 
 day; meanwhile there was a conveyance 
 on the way in to take us to the hotel, 
 where we were to stay until further orders 
 from the camp. In a short while our con- 
 veyance arrived ; a big lumbersome ambu- 
 lance, one of the kind used in bringing the 
 sick boys from the camp, a distance of two 
 miles, to the hospital. The boy driving 
 this vehicle was a New England chap from 
 Vermont, who had come with a unit of 
 hospital corps men to the camp some 
 months earlier. As it was somewhat of a 
 new experience to ride in an Army ambu- 
 lance truck, he helped us to get settled 
 with our bags under our feet, and upon 
 arriving at the hotel, he turned spokes- 
 man for the crowd, for which we were 
 duly grateful, as we were very tired after 
 our long journey on the train. We were 
 ushered into a large lobby filled with a 
 
 41 
 
promiscuous gathering of officers, corpor- 
 als, sergeants, civilians and spittoons. 
 The last mentioned articles deserve hon- 
 orable mention from the immensity of 
 their size! I had a vague uneasiness lest 
 in my sleepy condition I should fall head 
 first into one of them! They were of 
 brass, highly polished, and were as large 
 as a small sized family washtub. By dint 
 of a long and forceful argument, by our 
 spokesman (we four in the meanwhile 
 fearing lest we were going to be compelled 
 to spend the night on the street) for the 
 hotel was so crowded, were finally given 
 four cots which were to be placed in the 
 Italian Ballroom. Thanking the soldier 
 who had brought us hither, and so valiant- 
 ly fought for our night^s lodging, we piled 
 into the elevator and were whisked up to 
 our very (slick underfoot) but much be- 
 draped boudoir for our first night's repose 
 under southern skies. Tired as we were 
 and travel stained and weary, we each 
 treated ourselves to the luxury of a tub, 
 and though we may not say we were wel- 
 comed by drums beating, we slept with 
 the colors flying above us, and the stars 
 and stripes of Old Glory doing guard duty 
 over our couches. 
 
 42 
 
CHAPTER V 
 
 A Wet Reception 
 
 lEELING ourselves an Army 
 squad already, we were up at 
 reveille the next morning, and 
 making as elaborate a toilet 
 as the place permitted, has- 
 tened to the lower floor, lest a reception 
 committee from the Base Hospital be 
 awaiting us there. But no one having 
 been here, we made ourselves as comfort- 
 able as possible in the ladies waiting room, 
 until odors of bacon and coffee drew us to 
 the dining room in quest of some break- 
 fast. Afterward a long wait in the parlor 
 upstairs writing letters and cards to folks 
 at home, watching the clock and occasion- 
 ally peeping over the mezzanine railing in 
 the direction of the office downstairs, or 
 watching the door leading to the hotel en- 
 trance, and otherwise on the alert for 
 signs of any promising looking individual 
 coming for us. But it was beginning to 
 look as though they had forgotten all 
 about us, until long past noon upon inquir- 
 
 4:^ 
 
ing at the office we learned that someone 
 had called for four nurses in the morning, 
 and we, having neglected to register as 
 nurses the night before, the clerk did not 
 know that we were the four nurses in 
 question, and consequently told them that 
 there was no such party here ! Now here 
 was a quandary. And not being familiar 
 enough at that time with Army Hospital 
 Rules to know whether or not we should 
 all be shot at sunrise, we spent an uncom- 
 fortable hour following, nevertheless keep- 
 ing our nerve, we bravely telephoned the 
 hospital again, therewith obtaining the 
 comforting information that there would 
 be a conveyance at the hotel for us about 
 four p. m. We amused ourselves by 
 watching delegates of a Bed Cross State 
 Convention, which was being held in our 
 bower of the night before, at this hotel. 
 That it was an interesting sight to we 
 four who had never before had the oppor- 
 tunity of studying a congregation of 
 southern people, goes without saying. 
 The characteristic accent, the slow drawl 
 and peculiar inflection of the southern 
 voice, was altogether novel and fascinat- 
 ing. They all wore the little white button 
 with red cross in the center, emblem of 
 one of the most noble fraternities that 
 ever existed. 
 
 44 
 
As a party of three ladies passed our 
 chairs, I was attracted by one in the party 
 who stopped and unceremoniously gazed 
 at me, not looking at my face, but as it 
 appeared my person. I wondered if some- 
 thing was out of plumb, and questioned 
 my companions, to learn that as far as 
 they could see I was all right. After a 
 few moments this same woman coming 
 back thru the room, came toward my 
 chair. She was dressed rather conspic- 
 uously in a loud toned silk, with many 
 decorations in the way of earrings and 
 jewelry of various pieces. Her color was 
 too vivid to be natural, and it was plain 
 to be seen that she was a woman of fash- 
 ion. She addressed me with these words: 
 "Pahdon me, but may I ask wheah you got 
 youh pin?" I am afraid I stared at her 
 rather impolitely for a second, not just 
 getting her meaning. Then motioning to- 
 ward my Red Cross badge she resumed: 
 "Youah pin is so different from the otha's, 
 and I like it so much, I should like to get 
 one like it." "Oh! yes, my pin," I stam- 
 mered. Then it dawned upon me that she 
 had taken me for a delegate also, and ad- 
 miring the pin I wore decided she would 
 have one like it, learning where I had pur- 
 chased it. I did not explain to her how it 
 had taken three of the longest years of 
 
 45 
 
my life, likewise many and various exami- 
 nations, and no end of waitings and relin- 
 quishments to obtain that small disc of 
 gold and enamel, — but instead I laughing- 
 ly remarked that I was only a nurse, and 
 this was my Red Cross pin. 
 
 "Oh! she said, I thought I had nevah 
 seen any just like that," and thereupon 
 she plunged into a long catechism of how 
 long had we been in the work, where were 
 we from, how long since we left home, 
 were there many sick soldiers, and ending 
 by asking how we liked the work. 
 
 From all appearances we never were go- 
 ing to have the opportunity of finding out 
 the answer to her last query for ourselves, 
 but I answered her in one breath by say- 
 ing that we had just arrived the night be- 
 fore and were awaiting our conveyance to 
 the Base Hospital five miles away, which 
 would be here at four to take us out. She 
 wished us very good luck, was glad she 
 had met us, hoped we would meet again 
 and moved on toward the elevator to join 
 her companions at the convention upstairs 
 in the ballroom. 
 
 It was pouring rain when at four-thirty 
 the ambulance drove up to the front en- 
 trance of the hotel. We loaded ourselves 
 in, with suitcase and bags, and started for 
 
 46 
 
the Base Hospital. There were some three 
 or four nurses inside, who, having a half 
 day off duty, had come in to the city to do 
 a little shopping, one of whom told us that 
 she had been at the camp a month, and 
 this was her first trip to the city in that 
 time. I do not believe anyone present 
 upon that trip will ever forget it. The 
 distance from town to the Base was about 
 five miles over the worst roads imagin- 
 able. They had been recently cut out of 
 pure clay since the camp had been erected 
 some few months previous, and the rain 
 which had been falling steadily for three 
 hours had loosened the mud to the extent 
 that the statement one of the boys driv- 
 ing made, was nearly correct, when he 
 said that "the road hadn't any bottom to 
 it." We were '"stuck" for half an hour 
 in one place, and it begun to look like we 
 never would get out, when by the kindly 
 help of another driver and his engine, we 
 begun to "move" again, and finally reach- 
 ed the nurses quarters, a bedraggled, mud 
 covered, tired and hungry set of travelers, 
 just as the lights were being lighted. 
 
 The poor boys who drove the car were 
 drenched to the skin, and so covered with 
 mud that one could never have told wheth- 
 er they were white or black. 
 
 It was about six o'clock on Friday eve, 
 
 4V 
 
December 7th, when we arrived at our new 
 home, were greeted warmly by our Chief, 
 and ushered into a wide hall where some 
 dozen or more nurses in white uniforms 
 and jaunty little caps with a Red Cross 
 in the front, some had on the red lined 
 Army cape just as they had come off duty 
 for supper, were waltzing around the room 
 to the music of a small graphophone on a 
 table near the wall. 
 
 A nurse was delegated to show us to 
 our particular part of this domain, that 
 we might remove our wraps, and travel- 
 ing down a long corridor, with rooms on 
 both sides, we turned a corner, and going 
 half as far again, were ushered into what 
 proved to be our only refuge from the 
 world at large for the next three months. 
 This particular bower into which we re- 
 tired in a somewhat ruinous condition out- 
 wardly, I will briefly describe for the ben- 
 efit of any ardent damsel whose patriotic 
 fancy may have surrounded Army hospi- 
 tal life with a halo of charms. It was 
 more like the inside of a large new barn 
 than anything I can think of. It had been 
 hastily arranged to accomomdate the 
 nurses who were arriving now daily, in 
 fact faster than the hospital could fur- 
 nish room and beds for them. The first 
 nurses on the scene had availed themselves 
 
 48 
 
of the single and double rooms, until they 
 were all filled, so we who were arriving at 
 this time, would have to make ourselves 
 as comfortable as we could in the dormi- 
 tories, of which there were two. These 
 large rooms were well ventilated, as there 
 were twelve good-sized windows on each 
 side. Said windows v/ere innocently bare 
 of shades, curtains, or any such useless 
 folderols as yet. A few weeks later we 
 were given shades which relieved us of 
 the tiresome exercise of climbing up on 
 chairs and pinning blanket or sheet over 
 the window so that the pedestrians out- 
 side may not look in upon our night cap- 
 ped seclusion. As one girl aptly put it 
 "we had no more privacy than a gold 
 fish r 
 
 Our beds were placed in rows, head 
 against the wall, like in the wards, with 
 the space of about two feet between. To 
 each bed belonged a white iron frame for 
 holding mosquito netting in place forming 
 a sort of fly and mosquito proof cage round 
 about our bed. These frames were de- 
 tachable, and one could use their own 
 pleasure about using them. Many and 
 varied were the uses we put them to. 
 Some held the weekly wash, sometimes it 
 was the weekly ironing which hung from 
 them until thoroughly dry, and some im- 
 
 49 
 
provising damsels went so far as to create 
 a bathroom by pinning sheets around the 
 frames. 
 
 One enterprising miss from Wisconsin 
 stretched her trunk rope back and forth 
 from head to foot of the bed and had a 
 clothesline somewhat diminutive as to 
 area, but from which the skirts and petti- 
 coats dangled with as much dignity as if 
 they had hung from a real washline. 
 
 No male ever set foot into our sanctum, 
 except the Doctor whose duty it was to 
 look after us when ill, and the soldier boy 
 who started the fire in the big stoves early 
 in the morning. On such times everybody 
 was tucked securely in their little bed 
 without so much as a nose peeping out. 
 
 Our trunks not having arrived, we could 
 do nothing this first evening, but walk 
 about our new habitation and observe 
 what was going on about us. 
 
 Nurses seemed to be arriving on every 
 train, and it was very exciting to watch 
 the new faces come and go, throughoul; 
 the busy proceedings, of making room for 
 the fast-arriving females who were bent 
 upon securing shelter and a bed before 
 they were all taken. 
 
 I was standing under a large tree on our 
 back porch, (the porch having been built 
 
 50 
 
around the tree, leaving it free to rear its 
 branches heavenward without let or hin- 
 drance) talking with a group as we watch- 
 ed the storm. The rain was coming down 
 in sheets, when up the path thru the 
 woods, from the railroad, emerged two 
 bedraggled objects. One with a rain soak- 
 ed hat in her hand, the other carrying a 
 suitcase. We had been able to discern 
 them by the vivid flashes of lightning. 
 When they had come upon the porch, it 
 proved to be a little nurse from Kentucky, 
 who, instead of getting off at the city, had 
 remained on, alighting at the junction 
 near the camp, and but for the soldier boy 
 who had come out on the same train, could 
 never have found her way to our hospitable 
 roof thru the rain and darkness. The 
 ringing of the supper bell caused quite a 
 commotion, as we repaired to the dining 
 room to partake of our first meal under 
 Uncle Sam's roof in our new home. There 
 were no special places for each person 
 until later on, and it was sort of a snatch 
 and grab affair, until every one was seat- 
 ed. The three tables wer6 long enough to 
 seat about fifty persons at each. Our seats 
 were wooden benches. No cloth adorned 
 our festive board, but the supper that 
 evening, eaten from a table of bare boards, 
 from off quaint granite plates, tasted as 
 
 51 
 
good to us as any meal I had ever eaten 
 before, or have eaten since. 
 
 We had hot cornbread, butter, salmon 
 croquettes, peas, coffee, and stewed 
 prunes. 
 
 Later we had white oil-cloth to cover 
 the boards of the table, but to the day we 
 left we drank from granite mugs, and ate 
 from granite plates, which was of course 
 all very well for an Army camp hospital. 
 
 Months later when eating from Havi- 
 land china spread upon a snowy linen 
 cloth, in the grand dining-room of the 
 Government hospital at Washington, I felt 
 a keen loss and wished for our little old 
 granite plates and cups and pioneer ways 
 of the camp hospital once more. The 
 hours of this first evening at camp flew by 
 rapidly, with so many strange faces to 
 study, conversation with girls from every 
 nook and corner of our land it seemed, for 
 though there were only some forty nurses 
 here at this time, I believe as many states 
 were represented. In only one or two in- 
 stances were there more than one from a 
 state. 
 
 In conversation with the Chief Nurse a 
 few days later, I learned that upon her 
 arrival here just one month previous to 
 this, there were no women foljfs, except 
 the six nurses who had accompanied her. 
 
 52 
 
Finding the hospital containing upwards 
 of six hundred patients, she had imme- 
 diately wired to Washington, requesting 
 them to send more nurses down here at 
 once. She found it necessary to send wire 
 after wire before help came, but at last 
 the nurses began to pour in upon them, at 
 the rate of ten and twelve a day until the 
 housing proposition began to look alarm- 
 ing. We four nurses had landed upon the 
 scene among the first of this avalanche, 
 so had the unique and absorbing exper- 
 ience of seeing them "blow in" and be 
 tucked away somewhere. 
 
 When Miss Sheets from Kansas, Miss 
 Blessing from Iowa, and Miss Comfort 
 from Oklahoma, all came in a body, the 
 Chief laughingly greeted them with the 
 words "come right in, we are so badly in 
 need of all three of you!" 
 
 Each day saw our beds shoved closer to- 
 gether to make room for others, till at last 
 there was scarcely room enough to permit 
 our bodies to pass between them. 
 
 Our dressers, one for two persons, 
 sometimes had to do for three, were plac- 
 ed back to back, thru the center of the 
 room, with just enough room to squeeze 
 thru between them, as we passed from one 
 side of the room to a neighbor on the 
 other side. 
 
 53 
 
The two by four planks sticking out 
 upon the walls disclosed wonderful possi- 
 bilities in the way of shelves for ink bot- 
 tles, brush and comb, medicine bottles, 
 boxes of salve, shoe polish, and powder 
 and puff boxes. For girls are girls, be 
 they society belles or nursing spinsters, 
 and I suppose if relegated to some unin- 
 habited island away where no one would 
 ever lay eyes upon them would still be 
 known to powder their noses. 
 
 It was very interesting to listen to the 
 girls who were here first, recount upon 
 their foregoing experiences. It seemed 
 that before their arrival the sick men had 
 been attended by men alone. Boys in the 
 hospital corps. Young, some not over six- 
 teen, inexperienced, having had no pre- 
 vious training before coming into the 
 Army. We could only conjecture the state 
 of affairs they must have found. After a 
 whole month, there was still one nurse at- 
 tending two wards containing thirty and 
 forty sick men, in many cases. And on 
 night duty one nurse was expected to look 
 after four or five wards, each of which 
 contained not less than thirty patients. 
 
 54 
 
CHAPTER VI 
 
 Enthusiasm Aroused 
 
 HESE overworked nurses were 
 very glad indeed that we had 
 come to help them out, and 
 upon listening to their ac- 
 count of the pathetic condi- 
 tion in some of the wards, created in us 
 such enthusiasm and anxious desire to be- 
 gin to do what we could for them, that we 
 could hardly wait for the morrow to dawn, 
 that we might go on duty and lend our 
 hands at relieving the tired nurses, as well 
 as to bring what comfort and cheer we 
 may to the sick soldiers. 
 
 I am free to confess that about ten p. m. 
 that same evening, I began to have a real- 
 izing sense of the fact that my hospital 
 bed was not going to be a bed of roses. 
 For tired out and sleepy tho I was from 
 being up late the night before, in fact I 
 doubt if any girl there had had a com- 
 fortable night's repose since leaving home, 
 I must say that the prospect of sleep amid 
 that chaldron of buzzing tongues, wildly 
 
 55 
 
rushing to and fro of female forms, and 
 as time passed on, regardless of the late- 
 ness of the hour, brightly burning lights 
 shining in one's face, looked discouraging. 
 If, in fact, one undertook to appropriate 
 one's own bed, would have to dislodge and 
 cast aside some three or four energetic 
 nurses who had turned one's couch into a 
 knitting fraternity, over which bright 
 hued balls of worsted were rolling helter 
 skelter, even to the bed next door. 
 
 Alas ! they were not busily engaged like 
 our faithful grandmothers at home, in 
 knitting socks and sweaters for the boys 
 in the trenches, but were weaving togeth- 
 er bright strands of yarn into all sorts of 
 freakish sweaters to adorn their own per- 
 sons, for it could never be said of those 
 light weight, sleeveless affairs that they 
 were things of comfort should the thermo- 
 meter drop to a freezing point. 
 
 I soon got over any foibles I may have 
 entertained concerning a quiet room and 
 total darkness as being necessary to insure 
 sound sleep, and after routing the knitters 
 I piled myself down expecting the turmoil 
 to keep me awake half the night, but sleep 
 got the better of me to such an extent 
 that my stockings hanging at the foot of 
 my bed appeared to gape and my hat nod- 
 ded on its peg before I gave in. 
 
 56 
 
There were many new arrivals that 
 evening. They seemed to be coming in 
 at all hours. 
 
 I recall being awakened sometime along 
 in the early hours of the morning, by 
 someone tiptoeing around the bed next to 
 mine, and imagining I am at home and 
 this a burglar, I raised on my elbow and 
 before clearly awake screamed : "who goes 
 there and what do you want?" A tired 
 voice answered: "Only a weary nurse 
 from California, who asks nothing more 
 of heaven or earth than to crawl into this 
 bed next you and fall asleep, whether to 
 wake again till the judgment day matters 
 little just now!" 
 
 I found myself sleepily welcoming her 
 to our happy home, having preceded her 
 by a few hours, as I tho't, poor thing hav- 
 ing traveled so far she must be dead tired, 
 before falling back to sleep. I have spoken 
 of it being so warm upon our arrival. Be- 
 fore twelve hours had elapsed, we nurses 
 almost perished with cold. The rain turn- 
 ed to sleet, and before the following morn- 
 ing there was a cold, raw, penetrating 
 wind, the like of which I never felt before, 
 and hope to never feel again. 
 
 Many of the nurses took to their beds 
 with colds, sore throat, grippe, tonsilitis, 
 and some with pneumonia, from the sud- 
 
 57 
 
den change of temperature, change of cli- 
 mate and exposure. There were about a 
 dozen down at once those first weeks at 
 the hospital. I kept as well as I ever was 
 in my life, except for a frost-bitten toe 
 from walking thru snow to the wards and 
 from the extreme cold of the porches 
 where most of our worst patients were, 
 and only required plenty of letters from 
 home and friends to make me as happy as 
 I could be at such a distance from them all. 
 Morning after morning, the water pipes 
 were frozen and we would have to go on 
 duty without even washing our faces. 
 
 That first morning upon awaking, my 
 first sensation was of a peculiar shivery 
 feeling all over my frame. It seemed as 
 though the cold was being pumped up 
 from beneath our beds by a bellows, and 
 the breath which left our nostrils made a 
 white streak through the room. I felt 
 somewhat like the contents of an ice cream 
 freezer must feel, (if it has any feeling 
 at all) when the crank first begins to turn. 
 
 The chilliness seemed to grow more in- 
 tense, and to penetrate even to the very 
 bones. 
 
 The building at this place had been has- 
 tily erected for temporary use only, and 
 the floor being at least four feet from the 
 ground, gave ample room for the cold air 
 
 58 
 
to rush under, and up through the boards 
 of the flooring. Next day I put the small 
 rug which I found at the end of my bed, 
 under my mattress, next the springs, and 
 wrote home for a wool blanket, which, 
 after having received, I suffered no more 
 with cold. 
 
 The house had the appearance of stand- 
 ing on stilts and being in the midst of a 
 pine forest, my dreams were frequently 
 disturbed by imagining all sorts of gigan- 
 tic animals of phenomenal appearance, 
 strolling at leisure about under our abode. 
 Indeed a half dozen families of bear or por- 
 cupine could have had quite comfortable 
 quarters under there. 
 
 It is only just to relate, however, that 
 we never discovered anything more fero- 
 cious than a family of pigs, but of such 
 quadrupeds the woods were full. Later 
 these pigs possessed no end of attraction 
 for me, "never having had an opportunity 
 of observing their graces of mind and 
 manner till I came to Camp B — , whose 
 porcine citizens appeared to enjoy a larger 
 liberty than many of its human ones. 
 Stout, sedate looking pigs hurried by each 
 morning to their places of business, with 
 a preoccupied air, and sonorous greeting 
 to their friends. Genteel pigs, with an 
 extra curl to their tails, promenaded in 
 
 59 
 
pairs, lunching here and there, like gentle- 
 men of leisure. 
 
 Rowdy pigs pushed the passersby off 
 the sidewolk, tipsy pigs hiccoughed their 
 version of "we won't go home till morn- 
 ing," from the gutter; and delicate young 
 pigs tripped daintily through the mud, as 
 if they plumed themselves upon their an- 
 kles, and kept themselves particularly neat 
 in point of stockings. Material pigs, with 
 their interesting families, strolled by in 
 the sun; and often the pink, baby-like 
 spuealers lay down for a nap, with a trust 
 in Providence worthy of human imitation. 
 
 Upon this particular morning I called to 
 my neighbor whose diminutive form lay 
 huddled beneath the covers showing no 
 signs of life, to see if she had become, 
 (which required very little imagination to 
 believe,) a "snow man" or woman, during 
 the night, but a drowsy head poked out 
 from beneath the covers and a yawn and 
 very sleepy good morning showed me that 
 she was alive, so I fell to rubbing the slow- 
 ly congealing blood vessels of arm and 
 limb energetically, with the hope per- 
 chance of saving some of my members 
 from the dire calamity of frostbite. 
 
 And, before many moments, I noticed 
 that almost everyone was busily engaged 
 in doing likewise. It would have present- 
 
 60 
 
ed a most ludicrous sight to an onlooker 
 had there chanced to be one. Here were 
 some twenty or thirty females clad in out- 
 ing pajamas or nighty, each standing on 
 top of her bed, one and all going through 
 some violent physical exercise terribly in 
 earnest, and totally independent of any 
 rythm or unison of motion with her neigh- 
 bor, but after a while each and all were 
 rewarded for their strenuous exertions by 
 a tingling sensation of warmth as the 
 blood began circulating once more with its 
 normal velocity through the veins. 
 
 By the time the last article of apparel 
 had been dawned the breakfast bell rang, 
 and we hustled around to the dining room, 
 swallowed a cup of a fearful beverage call- 
 ed coffee, a piece of cold toast, and repair- 
 ed back to the sleeping apartment again, 
 don hats, coats and rubbers, for during 
 the night about an inch of the coldest snow 
 ever seen or heard of, had fallen over the 
 ground. The stove which resembled a silo, 
 and gave out about as much heat most of 
 the time, had by this time begun to throw 
 out hints of a warmth inside, but as we 
 must be off to the wards, we had no way 
 of finding out whether it was merely a hint 
 and nothing more or not. 
 
 We four nurses who had arrived togeth- 
 er the evening before, sort of hung to- 
 
 61 
 
gether in this vast army of strange wo- 
 men folk, feeling more like old acquaint- 
 ances, for as one girl put it, upon seeing 
 so many white clad individuals in a body, 
 that "she didn't know there was so many 
 women, or white dresses in the world!" 
 We walked together to the wards, a dis- 
 tance of about a quarter of a mile, over 
 the frozen ground and upon being shown 
 to the Chief Nurse's office, which was sit- 
 uated in the Officers building, were there 
 dispersed, each nurse being sent to her re- 
 spective ward, as the Chief saw fit. 
 
 There were twenty-six wards here at 
 that time, each one of which contained all 
 the way from thirty to seventy patients. 
 One, the ward for mumps and measles, 
 had about eighty patients at that time. 
 
 Upon meeting a soldier in the corridors, 
 or anywhere, he would politely touch his 
 hat or most military-like would salute us, 
 which seemed a little odd at first, but we 
 soon got used to it as to all the army ways. 
 
 Officers, likewise, either lifted their hats 
 or saluted us in passing, sometimes both! 
 
 They were largely from the South, and 
 I have heard remarkable stories of South- 
 ern chivalry, and if graces in the demean- 
 or, or courtliness of manner can be con- 
 stituted chivalry, then the word is not a 
 misnomer as applied to the Southern gen- 
 
 62 
 
tleman. There seemed to be an inborn 
 courteousness of nature, and protective 
 instinct toward women folk, that one does 
 not always find as a chief characteristic 
 of the gentleman of the North. 
 
 Perhaps after all it is the women's own 
 fault, for having so much of that inde- 
 pendent, self-sufficient lack of the oak and 
 vine simile, predominating in so many of 
 our Northern sisters, which has caused 
 the lords of creation, to feel that their pro- 
 tection and chivalry is not solicited, need- 
 ed or wanted, therefore they treat them 
 accordingly. However, I think most all 
 men prefer the clinging vine type of wo- 
 man and do not as a rule think it neces- 
 sary to waste too much gallantry upon the 
 other more sturdy variety. 
 
 Arriving at the Chief Nurse's office, it 
 took but a few moments to learn that I 
 was to go to ward twenty-four. This 1 
 was informed was a ward for pneumonia, 
 containing some thirty or forty patients, 
 and there was already one nurse on duty 
 there. 
 
 Now to find ward twenty-four was the 
 next problem. But like an energetic fly in 
 a very large cobweb, I struggled through 
 a maze of screened-in corridors, meanwhile 
 occupying my mind with frightened 
 thoughts of a nurse I had heard of at camp 
 
 63 
 
D — , of whom it was reported, that she 
 had gotten lost in the corridors and had 
 remained in total obscurity for the whole 
 of one hour. There was no time to spare 
 now, as it lacked but a few minutes of 
 seven, that being the hour I was to be on 
 duty. I met many nurses in their jaunty 
 little Red Cross caps and red lined capes. 
 I would not have the pleasure of wearing 
 mine until the box arrived from Washing- 
 ton, which Miss Alberts had sent for some 
 weeks before. Said box arrived on Christ- 
 mas eve, and it was another joy added to 
 the general festive air, about the place, to 
 be handed our army regalia which the Red 
 Cross was to loan us until we left the ser- 
 vice. 
 
 The nurses each smiled, and wished me 
 a good morning. Officers saluted and hur- 
 ried by, sergeants, corporals and privates 
 hurried by saluting as they went, and 
 every one seemingly bent upon some as- 
 sured destination, while I seemed to be 
 wandering aimlessly about or in circles 
 like "puss chasing her tail!" At last I 
 grew desperate. Having tried all other 
 available passages without success, I made 
 a bold dash down a long corridor I had not 
 seen before, dashed around a corner almost 
 colliding with a fat colonel who smiled on 
 top of his salute, as he dodged out of my 
 
 64 
 
way, and brought up before three wards 
 side-by-side bearing the numbers 23, 24 
 and 25 over the doors. 
 
 My goal was reached at last and just in 
 the nick of time for the short hand of my 
 watch pointed at seven. My heart beat 
 faster than usual as I walked with dignity 
 toward the ward in the center, wondering 
 if I should be held up for a countersign, 
 and forced to spend the rest of the day in 
 the corridor. But marching boldly up to 
 the door I found that no form was neces- 
 sary. Two or three soldiers standing by 
 fell back, a guard touched his cap, a sol- 
 dier a little bolder than the rest opened 
 the door for me, and, as I closed it behind 
 me I felt that I was fairly started, and as 
 an Army Nurse my mission was begun. 
 
 65 
 
CHAPTER VII 
 
 On the Field of Action 
 
 FOUND myself in a small cor- 
 ridor with some four or six 
 rooms opening off the side. 
 Through a door in the far 
 end, I could see into a large 
 room and from the number of beds it con- 
 tained I judged this to be the ward proper, 
 where my future immediate endeavors lay. 
 The doors opening into this hall from the 
 side, led into various small rooms, one of 
 which was a kitchen where the meals were 
 dished up into individual trays, after be- 
 ing brought from the main large kitchen. 
 Another was bath and wash room for corps 
 men and convalescent patients, another a 
 linen room where sheets, pillow cases, 
 towels, blankets and pa jama suits for the 
 patients were kept. Another room where 
 the ward master slept when off duty, and 
 another from which issued the sound of 
 voices which proved upon walking to the 
 door from which the sounds came, to be 
 an office. Upon entering this door my 
 
 66 
 
gaze took in the occupants at a glance. 
 Several soldiers sat about upon chairs hav- 
 ing gone through the slight preliminary 
 examination necessary (before being given 
 a bed) of having temperature, pulse and 
 respiration recorded upon the chart. A 
 nurse was standing near a table or desk, 
 in front of which sat a stoutly-built offi- 
 cer. Nobody present looked as though 
 they would have been any worse off had I 
 been doomed to wander indefinitely in the 
 corridor outside and had failed to put in 
 niy appearance at that particular moment, 
 unless perchance it may be the dejected 
 looking objects sitting about on chairs, 
 might have been better off had some one 
 gotten them put to bed quite a bit earlier. 
 Those at the desk seemed to be chatting 
 and laughing, as though sickness was a 
 thing unheard of, the war was a myth, 
 and there never had existed any such a 
 being as the Kaiser, and the gentleman at 
 the desk had the air and appearance of 
 having no heavier burden upon his should- 
 ers than the inspection of the nurses' 
 pretty, well manicured hands. 
 
 The office into which I had so bluntly 
 made my entrance was small, being about 
 eight by ten feet square. 
 
 There was a window at one side through 
 
 67 
 
which could be seen ward 23 about twenty 
 feet away. 
 
 A small coal stove stood in the center 
 of the room, while a small table made from 
 a box by some improvising individual, 
 adorned one corner, above which hung a 
 small mirror. A chair or two and the of- 
 ficers desk, which was strewn with various 
 charts and sheets of paper, with which 
 he evidently had some intention of oc- 
 cupying his mind some time, and an elec- 
 tric globe directly over the desk, was all 
 in the way of furniture or fixtures the 
 room contained. Upon thirty or forty 
 pegs on the wall back of the desk hung 
 loose sheets which later proved to be the 
 individual charts of the sick men inside 
 the ward, and as I became more immersed 
 in army hospital affairs, I came to feel that 
 said charts to all appearances were of vast- 
 ly more importance than the man himself. 
 Let one page get misplaced and directly 
 the whole ward, if not the entire hospital 
 at large, became a seething bedlam of 
 pandemonium until such page was safely 
 restored once more to its proper peg upon 
 the wall. 
 
 One could, by glancing through these 
 precious documents, find out at a mo- 
 ment's notice, patient's name, where bom, 
 age, color and nationality, religion, if he 
 
 68 
 
had any, married or single, or anything 
 else one felt at all curious to know, even, I 
 suspect to how many freckles he had on 
 his face, or as to what kind of a dog he 
 liked best ! 
 
 This wonderful record was there to show 
 whomsoever it may concern, that John 
 Jones had gone through all those juvenile 
 ailments like whooping cough, chickenpox, 
 and croup, and a list of all the other mala- 
 dies by which John Jones had been assail- 
 ed throughout his whole life, from the day 
 he was born up until now, were likewise 
 down in black and white, that all who "ran 
 might read." 
 
 Upon my entrance the Lieutenant arose, 
 the nurse came toward me smiling, with 
 extended hands, and the words, "Fm so 
 glad youVe come for we sure do need more 
 nurses here," and asking my name intro- 
 duced me to Lieutenant Roberts, who was 
 the doctor in charge of this ward. The 
 nurse, Miss Sailor, had arrived on duty 
 only the day before, as she explained to 
 me in our walk through the ward, which 
 was to say the least, a somewhat embar- 
 rassing experience, with some forty odd 
 pairs of eyes turned in our direction, while 
 one mischievous fellow begun singing, "I 
 don't want to get well." 
 
 I thought as we passed along, especially 
 
 69 
 
the porches, where the most critically ill 
 boys were, that it presented a most sorry 
 looking sight, for two women with the aid 
 of perhaps two or three assistants to make 
 much headway toward the recovery of so 
 many sick men. 
 
 It was supposed to be a ward for pneu- 
 monia only, but for some cause in sorting 
 them out, there had leaked in among the 
 others, cases of tonsilitis, bronchitis, neph- 
 ritis, jaundice, osteomelitis, and a few pa- 
 tients isolated upon the back porch, who 
 were diagnosed as "meningitis suspects." 
 These last, however, proved to be nothing 
 worse than a mild case of grippe, or bil- 
 liousness, and after a few judiciously ad- 
 ministered doses of physic, by the nurse, 
 "upon her own hook," which saved the 
 lucky fellow a visit to that place of hor- 
 rors, "the meningitis ward," brought them 
 about all right, so that after a few days 
 they were able to be sent back to camp. 
 
 By the time we had made the round of 
 the ward, I had arrived at the conclusion 
 that had some ten or a dozen nurses ar- 
 rived upon this scene a month before, 
 everything would now have a far different 
 appearance. At it was, the one nurse upon 
 the field being overwhelmed by the magni- 
 tude of the job before her, had simply not 
 been able to do anything. I was glad, how- 
 
 70 
 
ever, that someone had preceded me here, 
 for had I been called upon to be the head 
 and executive body, to preside over such a 
 motely collection of sick humanity, I fear I 
 should have been considerably more non- 
 plussed than this woman seemed to be. 
 
 She was a little "roly poly" fat nurse 
 from somewhere in the middle West, who 
 took all things in a philosophical manner, 
 rather inclined to make merry over the 
 most woeful circumstances, rather given 
 to make believe that she herself was lack- 
 ing in ability and knowledge of running a 
 hospital ward, in fact she had the air of 
 believing everything a joke, from the 
 shock headed boy known as Alphonse in 
 the kitchen, to the grouchy much-disliked- 
 by-all, hard-hearted Major who made the 
 rounds of weekly inspection of the wards 
 and scared everybody out of a year's nor- 
 mal growth. 
 
 In reality she was a sweet, cheery wo- 
 man, a splendid nurse, and a good man- 
 ager, and we got on famously caring for 
 our big family of sick boys, until sickness 
 took her from our ward for several weeks, 
 and the somewhat abrupt plunge into the 
 superintendence of a ward containing 
 forty beds, kept the shining hours filled 
 with washing faces, serving rations, giv- 
 ing medicine, sitting in a very hard chair, 
 
 71 
 
with pneumonia on one side, diphtheria on 
 the other, two typhoids opposite and a 
 dozen dilapidated patriots limping, lying, 
 and lounging about, all staring more or 
 less at the new *'Nuss," who suffered un- 
 told agonies but concealed them under as 
 matronly an aspect as a spinster could as- 
 sume, and blundered through her trying 
 labors with a Spartan firmness, which I 
 hope they appreciated, but am afraid they 
 didn't. 
 
 Having a taste for surgical work, I had 
 rather wished to have been placed in a 
 ward of that kind, for rheumatism wasn't 
 heroic or exciting, neither liver complaint 
 or dropsy, even fever had lost its charms 
 since "bathing burning brows" had been 
 used up in romances, real and ideal. But 
 later my experiences in surgical wards, es- 
 pecially one exclusively for empyema, 
 where the air was permeated with the dis- 
 agreeable odor accompanying a large num- 
 ber of cases of this kind if thrown to- 
 gether, caused me to wish I were back 
 again with my various assortment of dis- 
 eases, be they ever so uninteresting. 
 
 I found that things the dullest and most 
 repulsive, steadily pursued, gradually in 
 spite of one's self become interesting, in a 
 certain way, chiefly from the satisfaction 
 which follows the effort to bring comfort 
 
 72 
 
and cheer to others. For in seeking oth- 
 ers good, we find our own! 
 
 The daily contact with weakness and 
 suffering, and saddening scenes of death, 
 gave ample opportunity of studying hu- 
 man nature in all its various phases. But 
 withal the strangeness of this new life, I 
 liked it, and found many things to amuse, 
 instruct and interest me. 
 
 As we ended our rounds Miss Sailor re- 
 marked that she guessed we had better 
 commence washing the men's faces as 
 some of them she didn't suppose had been 
 treated to such a luxury for weeks. And 
 the regiment of vile odors which always 
 accompany sickness where there is fever, 
 if not properly bathed and cared for, which 
 assaulted our noses and took them by 
 storm, while passing thro' 'the ward, 
 made her words seem very credible. 
 
 The beds were all filled with sick men, 
 some of whom were in a critical condition. 
 And, as yet, nothing was being done for 
 their comfort or cleanliness except what 
 the few corps boys could do, who up to 
 this time had done the best they knew 
 how, in caring for them, under the doctors 
 orders, gave their medicine, passed plates 
 of food, thrice daily, gathered them up 
 again, and if the contents of plate or cup 
 had not been touched, it was too busy a 
 
 73 
 
time to notice a little thing like that. "I 
 can't be worried" or *"I can't be bothered" 
 were expressions one heard on all sides. 
 
 Another phrase popular among the at- 
 tendants which came as near causing me 
 to lose my christian equilibrium as any- 
 thing I had to contend with, was, "You're 
 in the army now." 
 
 When one felt it in their heart to act 
 with a bit of human principle, or lend their 
 weight of influence in untangling some 
 knotty problem for the betterment of all 
 concerned, or to straighten up or prevent 
 some unreasonable injustice, they were 
 apt to be set down as unmilitary and too 
 "chicken hearted," and be met with the 
 abominable expression, "you're in the 
 army now." And some individuals of the 
 same calibre, I fear found that phrase a 
 valuable rod to lean upon, and aid in shirk- 
 ing responsibility, as though to be in the 
 army, excused one from carrying on their 
 affairs with the same conscientious effort 
 one would apply to them anywhere else. 
 The very fact of our being here placed 
 added responsibility upon our shoulders, 
 and a duty to overcome in so far as we 
 could, the hardness, unreasonableness and 
 laxity of army life. For it is true that in 
 some of the wards the circumlocution 
 fashion prevailed, forms and fusses tor- 
 
 74 
 
merited our souls and unnecessary strict- 
 ness in one place was counterbalanced by 
 unpardonable laxity in another. 
 
 Round the great stove in the center of 
 the room, was gathered the dreariest 
 group I had ever seen. Some had just ar- 
 rived in the ambulance from the camp, and 
 for these a bed had not as yet been ar- 
 ranged. Others had convalesced to the 
 stage where they were permitted to sit up 
 and it being too cold near their beds were 
 hovering about the stove. Gaunt and pale, 
 hollow-eyed, showing in their faces partly 
 covered with beard, the ravages of weeks 
 of sickness, but trying to wear a cheerful 
 look. 
 
 I pitied them so much I dared not speak 
 to them, though reading in their faces, all 
 they must have been through since leaving 
 their homes, and I yearned to serve the 
 dreariest of them all. 
 
 Presently Miss Sailor darted inside a 
 door, and emerged from it again bearing 
 a basin of water in her hands. Coming 
 toward me, put basin, towel, washcloth 
 and a block of soap in my hands with these 
 appalling directions. "Now we will begin 
 to wash the men's faces as fast as we can. 
 You take one side of the ward and I will 
 take the other." 
 
 And the sight of the many beds with 
 
 75 
 
their uncomfortable occupants also admon- 
 ished me that I was there to work, not to 
 wonder or weep; so I corked up my feel- 
 ings, and returned to the path of duty, 
 which was rather a most bewildering 
 "road to travel" just then. Notwithstand- 
 ing my four years of nursing experience, 
 I will admit that I was somewhat stagger- 
 ed at the prospect of having to scrub one- 
 half of the whole masculine population of 
 the South, as it appeared, in a body. If 
 she had requested me to shave them all, 
 or do a "highland fling" on the top of the 
 stovepipe, I doubt if I had been any more 
 flabbergasted. To have to scrub some 
 twenty lords of creation, at a moment's 
 notice was, really — ^really — however there 
 was no time for nonsense, and having re- 
 solved when I came to do everything I 
 was bid, like Nurse Pemberton, "I drown- 
 ed my scruples in my wash bowl, clutched 
 my soap manfully and assuming a busi- 
 ness-like and professional air, I valiantly 
 fell to upon if not the whole Southern 
 army, what at that moment looked to me 
 to be a goodly portion of it. 
 
 In making a dab at the flrst dirty speci- 
 men, I saw I happened to light on a with- 
 ered Frenchman from New Orleans, who 
 being too old to cross the water and join 
 his countrymen, had volunteered to enlist 
 
 76 
 
with the boys here. The premature burst- 
 ing of a hand grenade had removed most 
 of the fingers from his right hand and 
 placed several injuries about his head and 
 face, the bandages of which caused that 
 portion of his anatomy to be tastefully 
 laid out like a minature garden, said ban- 
 dages being the walks and his beard the 
 shrubbery. He was so overpowered at the 
 honor of having a lady ''wash him" as he 
 expressed it, that he did nothing but roll 
 his eyes and call down blessings upon my 
 head in an irresistable style which was too 
 much for my sense of the ludicrous, so we 
 laughed together and when I came to his 
 feet, he stoutly remonstrated in both 
 French and English, but I understood 
 enough to appreciate the fact that he 
 would never stand it to have the petite 
 lady touch them dirty creatures. But in 
 spite of his remonstrances, I plunked both 
 feet into the bowl and scrubbed away like 
 any tidy parent on a Saturday night, until 
 I had him all done up "spick and span" as 
 a smiling infant. "Je voo remair see Mam 
 oi selle, and may the Saints guard round 
 ye for the day's work ye be doin" was Ms 
 parting sally, as I passed on to the next. 
 
 Some of them took the performance like 
 sleepy children, leaning their tired heads 
 against me as I worked, others looked 
 
 77 
 
grimly scandalized, and some of the rough- 
 est looking, colored like bashful girls. One 
 wore a soiled little bag on a string about 
 his neck, and as I removed it to bathe his 
 neck, I said "Your talisman did not save 
 you from getting the grippe did it?" 
 
 "Well I reckon it helped mar'm foh may- 
 haps I might now be daid, if it hadn't been 
 foh old mammy's camphoh bag and I am 
 still livin as you see," answered this cheer- 
 ful philosopher. 
 
 Another, with a boil on his cheek, asked 
 for a looking-glass, and when I had 
 brought one, regarded his swollen face 
 with a dolorous expression as he muttered, 
 "I'll be blowd if that ain't too bad! I 
 war'nt a bad lookin guy befoh, but that 
 blamed carbuncle is goin to leave a scah 
 that'll finish me." 
 
 "What on earth will Rose Pike say?" 
 
 He looked up at me with his one remain- 
 ing eye so appealing, that I controlled my 
 rising mirth with difficulty, and assured 
 him that if Rose was a girl of sense, she 
 would not mind the scar, even if it was not 
 caused by shrapnel or gunshot, for it was 
 from affliction suffered while away doing 
 his duty like a man, and soldier, preparing 
 to go to scenes which might necessitate 
 his bringing back far worse scars. When 
 
 78 
 
1 told him that all women thought a wound 
 the best decoration a brave soldier can 
 wear, his trouble seemed allayed for the 
 time and I hope Miss Pike proved that the 
 good opinion I had rashly expressed of her, 
 was not over-estimated. 
 
 79 
 
CHAPTER VIII 
 A Remarkable Transformation 
 
 lY next scrubbee, was a fair- 
 haired, nice looking lad, with 
 honest blue eyes, and what I 
 judged when not drawn by 
 pain and illness, to be a merry 
 mouth. He was so young, not over six- 
 teen, he lay on his bed so wan, and pale, 
 and emaciated, that when a drop or two 
 of salt water mingled with my suds at 
 sight of this mere babe in such a piteous 
 condition, the boy looked up with a brave 
 smile. He had just that morning come in 
 the ambulance, over the rough road from 
 the camp field hospital, and after a long 
 siege of fever, ague, and chills, had been 
 pronounced able to be moved in to the 
 Base Hospital, where it was hoped he 
 would receive better care than the men at 
 the camp were able to give him. The trip 
 had proved almost too much for his frail 
 strength, for he looked a total wreck. 
 There was a little quiver of the lips as he 
 said, "Now don't you fret youah self 
 
 80 
 
about me Miss, Fm first rate heah for its 
 *pie' to lie still on this bed aftah knockin' 
 about in that confounded ambulance that 
 shakes what there is left of a fellow to 
 jelly/' I nevah was in one of these places 
 befoh and I think this cleanin' up a jolly- 
 good thing foah us fellows, though Fm 
 afraid it isn't foah you ladies." 
 
 "I expect you ran away to join the 
 army," I said smiling as I contemplated 
 his youthful face while I washed his 
 hands. He wore a sheepish look as he 
 answered. **That I did Miss and if I had 
 minded my Mamma I nevah would be 
 heah now." 
 
 His mother a widow had three sons 
 older than he, all in the army, and this, 
 her baby, had four years before him ere 
 he would be old enough to enlist. 
 
 I asked him if he didn't think he could 
 go back to his mother when he was well 
 enough, and wait until he was old enough 
 to enroll in the army. He said that "while 
 lying sick in the field hospital with so 
 much time to think, he had decided it was 
 his duty to stay at home and look after his 
 mother, while his brothers were away and 
 that if he ever got well, he was going to 
 try to get out of "this man's ahmy." 
 
 To hear one so young talking of life and 
 
 81 
 
duty in such a sage and philosophical 
 manner would have appeared comical, had 
 it not been so pathetic, so I assured him 
 that I was very glad he had come to such 
 a decision, for I believed it to be a very 
 wise plan. 
 
 Some months later I learned that his 
 uncle, being the Captain of his company, 
 had been able to procure his release from 
 the army and he had gone home to his 
 mother. 
 
 I say Mrs. called a voice half way down 
 the ward, and when I came within speak- 
 ing distance, a rough fellow from Arkan- 
 sas, with large blisters covering his lips, 
 testifying mutely to the intense fever he 
 must have passed through, motioned me 
 to come closer and as I did so, to learn 
 what he wanted, he whispered ruefully : 
 
 "That next fellow you'll be comin to, 
 that red-headed devil up yondah is a pro- 
 German!" "Hang him!" "He'd nevah 
 joined if he could a got out of it." "But 
 he had to, or go back to his own country 
 and fight." "And he held back as long as 
 he could, I know him the good f oh nothin 
 whelp." 
 
 "He's got the chickenpox, and its a 
 blasted shame to fetch him in heah along 
 side of us fellows, and so Fll tell the chap 
 that bosses this place, drat me if I don't !" 
 
 82 
 
"Don't you wash him, noh feed him, but 
 just let him hollah till he's tiahed." 
 
 I regret to say that I did not deliver a 
 moral sermon upon the duty of forgiving 
 our enemies, and the sin of profanity, then 
 and there, but being an American to the 
 roots of my hair, stared fixedly at the fat 
 rebel, who it seemed was a copperhead in 
 every sense of the word, and I am afraid I 
 privately resolved to put soap in his eyes, 
 rub his nose the wrong way, and excor- 
 iate his cuticle generally, had I the wash- 
 ing of him. My unamiable intentions 
 were frustrated, however, for when I ap- 
 proached his bed with as christian an ex- 
 pression as my principles would allow, and 
 asked the question: ''Shall I try to make 
 you more comfortable sir?" he answered 
 gruffy, ''No, I'll do it myself." "Here's 
 your Southern chivalry with a vengeance" 
 thought I, dumping the basin down before 
 him, thereby quenching a strong desire to 
 give him a summary baptism in return for 
 his ungraciousness. This fellow was a 
 disappointment in all respects, for he was 
 neither pathetic, sick, sad, or savage, but 
 a big fat stolid Dutchman with a head like 
 a burning bush, and a perfectly express- 
 ionless face so I could ignore his existence, 
 without the slightest drawback. One re- 
 deeming trait he certainly did possess, as 
 
 83 
 
the floor speedily testified; for his ablu- 
 tions were so vigorously performed, that 
 his bed soon stood like an isolated island in 
 a sea of soap suds, and he resembled a 
 dripping merman, suffering the loss of a 
 fin. If cleanliness is next to godliness, 
 then was the big German the godliest man 
 in our ward that day. 
 
 One tall, thin fellow declared he knew 
 the millenium had arrived, for the fellows 
 were getting their faces washed. *'Said 
 he had offered a fellow who was walking 
 around, a half dollar to get him a basin of 
 water a few days ago, and not being suc- 
 cessful, had decided that when a fellah's 
 sick enough to die, it don't make much dif- 
 ference whether he dies clean or dirty." 
 "No, Baily, I said, it makes little differ- 
 ence to our Father in Heaven, what state 
 our bodies are in, so our hearts are clean 
 when we come to die. He looked thought- 
 ful a moment, then said, "Well now, I 
 nevah thought of that befo, and I reckon 
 a fellah can keep his haht clean if he does 
 have to lay heah in a duhty bed all sweaty 
 and covahed with scabs." 
 
 Upon my recounting the story of Laza- 
 rus as I scrubbed away very gently, for his 
 body had been covered with large ulcers it 
 seemed, from the many scabs, he seemed 
 
 84 
 
to take heart and a great deal of comfort 
 in the fact that he could at least keep his 
 heart clean, whatever befell his body here- 
 after. 
 
 Our human wash all done up and laid 
 out to dry, as it were, the second syllable 
 of our version of the word war-fare, was 
 enacted with much success. Great trays 
 containing soup, bread and meat, and cof- 
 fee, appeared, and both nurses and attend- 
 ants turned waiters, serving bountiful ra- 
 tions to all who could eat. I fear that in 
 the rush my dr^ss became a preambulat- 
 ing bill-of-fare, exhibiting samples of all 
 the refreshments going. It was a lively 
 scene. The long room with rows of beds 
 down each side, while on the porch outside 
 were the worst cases of pneumonia pa- 
 tients, so as to get all the air they could, 
 too sick to talk or eat. The process of 
 cleaning up here had been limited to bath- 
 ing faces and hands, and placing ice caps 
 to fevered heads. "But the beds all filled 
 by an occupant whom water, shears and 
 clean raiment had transformed from a 
 dreary ragamuffin into a recumbent hand- 
 some hero, with a cropped head. To and 
 fro rushed we two nurses, corps boys and 
 convalescent boys, "skirmishing with 
 knives and forks," retreating with empty 
 plates, while the clashing of busy spoons 
 
 85 
 
made most inspiring music for the charge 
 of our ''Light Brigade." 
 
 ' 'Patients in front of them, 
 Patients to right of them, 
 Patients to left of them, 
 Nobody blundered. 
 
 Screamed at with brimming bowls, 
 Beamed at by hungry souls. 
 Steamed at by Army rolls. 
 Buttered and sundered 
 With coffee not cannon plied 
 Each must be satisfied 
 Whether they lived or died. 
 All the men wondered." 
 
 Curious contrasts of the comic and 
 tragic met one everywhere, and some 
 touching as well as ludicrous episodes 
 might have been recorded that day, as 
 well as all the succeeding days, but I sup- 
 pose the events of that first day would 
 naturally recur to one's memory more 
 promptly than events which followed. A 
 small Italian boy, beckoned me to his aid, 
 and in broken English conveyed the infor- 
 mation to my mind, that if I would help 
 him "sit up" as he termed placing a rest 
 back of him, he might be able to eat his 
 soup, with which his bed and beard were 
 getting plentifully anointed. He explain- 
 
 86 
 
ed that to sit up without anything behind 
 him made him very "deezy." 
 
 I saw him safely in a reclining position 
 before leaving him, and went to the porch 
 where my attention had been attracted by 
 a boy, who was restlessly tossing about 
 upon his bed. Observing that his food 
 was untouched, I offered to assist him as I 
 had the man I had just left. But he only 
 shook his head, "Id like a drink of water 
 please ma*am if you ain't too busy." I 
 rushed away, but the water was shut off 
 for some cause and none drawn in pail or 
 pan, so I hastened to the next ward to see 
 if by any chance there was any to be had 
 there. But finding no better success, I 
 hastened back to the ward and was glad- 
 dened to find the water on again. I hur- 
 ried with a cup full back to him. He seem- 
 ed to be asleep, but something in the tired 
 white face, caused me to listen for his 
 breath, but none came, his forehead was 
 cold. Then I knew that while he waited, 
 a better nurse than I, had given him 'a 
 cooler draught, and healed him with a 
 touch. I laid the sheet over the quiet 
 sleeper, whom no noise could now disturb, 
 and half an hour later the bed was empty. 
 That hospital bed was lonely even in a 
 crowd. For there was no familiar face to 
 look his last upon, no friendly voice to say 
 
 87 
 
good bye; no hand to lead him gently down 
 into the "Valley of the Shadow," and he 
 vanished like a drop in the sea upon whose 
 shores so many women stand lamenting. 
 Yet can we say no hand was laid on his at 
 that time when we are told that, "not 
 without God's will, e'en a sparrow can 
 fall?" I think not. I should have felt bit- 
 terly indigant at this seeming carelessness 
 of the value of life, had I not possessed 
 great confidence in the words of our Lord 
 and Master, that "the hairs of your head 
 are numbered," and "ye are of more value 
 than many sparrows." 
 
 The doctor having made his rounds, 
 medicine administered, temperatures 
 taken, the afternoon wore away, and at 
 five o'clock the kitchen boy who was 
 known as the K. P. announced supper. 
 The Corps boys flew, not to arms, but to 
 their trays. The dozing patients awoke at 
 the noise and commotion, and I presently 
 discovered that it took a very severe on- 
 slaught of illness to incapacitate the boys 
 for the consumption of their rations. 
 
 88 
 
CHAPTER IX 
 Reminiscences 
 
 iHE succeeding days were to 
 some extent a repetition of 
 the first. I am thankful to 
 say that there were no more 
 deaths in our ward for many 
 weeks. 
 
 The men all having had their first good 
 cleaning up in several weeks, by the end of 
 the first week each and every mother's 
 son had undergone a complete transforma- 
 tion. And having gotten the bodies of our 
 boys into something like "ship shape" or- 
 der, the task for the remaining days after 
 the morning's tidying up was finished, was 
 to minister to their minds, by writing let- 
 ters to the anxious souls at home, answer- 
 ing questions, reading papers, or doing any 
 task that might add to the comfort or en- 
 joyment of the homesick lads we had 
 under our care. 
 
 Upon entrance to the ward, each boy 
 gave his money and valuables into the 
 hands of the ward master to turn over to 
 
 89 
 
the Lieutenant for safe keeping. Pocket- 
 books, purses, miniatures and watches, 
 were sealed up, labeled and handed over 
 to the doctor, till such time as the owners 
 thereof were ready to depart homeward 
 or campward again. 
 
 One of the lively episodes of hospital life 
 is the frequent marching away of such as 
 are well enough to rejoin their regiments, 
 or betake themselves to some convalescent 
 camp. 
 
 The ward master comes to the door of 
 each room that is to be thinned, reads off 
 a list of names, bids their owner^s look 
 sharp and be ready when called for; and, 
 as he vanishes, the room falls into an in- 
 describable state of topsy-turveyness, as 
 the boys begin to polish their shoes, brush 
 clothes, overhaul knapsacks, make pres- 
 ents, are fitted out with needfuls, and — 
 well, why not ? kissed sometimes, as they 
 say good bye ; for in all human probability 
 we shall never meet again and a woman's 
 heart yearns over anything that has clung 
 to her for help and comfort. 
 
 I never liked these breakings-up of our 
 little household, though my stay at tTie 
 camp, and hospital at Washington showed 
 me several of them. I was immensely 
 gratified by the handshakes I got, for 
 
 90 
 
their somewhat painful cordiality assured 
 me that I had not tried in vain. 
 
 The withered Frenchman mumbled out 
 his unintelligible adieux with a grateful 
 face and a premonitory smooth of his 
 stubby mustache, but he got no farther, 
 for some one else stepped up, with a large 
 brown hand extended, and this recommen- 
 dation for our faulty establishment: — 
 "We're off. Ma'am, and I'm powerful sorry, 
 for I'd no idea a orspitle was such a jolly 
 place." "Sorry I can't get somethin' to 
 bring me back to be took care of again; 
 mean, ain't it?" 
 
 The doctrine of inglorious ease was not 
 the right one to preach up, so I tried to 
 look shocked, failed signally and consoled 
 myself by giving him one of the little 
 "housewives" the Red Cross workers had 
 left for all who were leaving that day. 
 
 They fell into line in front of the ward, 
 looking rather wan and feeble, some of 
 them, but trying to step out smartly, and 
 march in good order, though several lean- 
 ed on sticks, instead of shouldering guns. 
 
 All looked up and smiled, or waved their 
 hands, and touched their hats as they 
 passed by the window, and so away. Some 
 to their homes in this world, and some to 
 that in the next; and for the rest of the 
 day, I felt like Rachel mourning for her 
 
 91 
 
children, when I saw the empty beds, and 
 missed the familiar faces. 
 
 It was never exactly my intention to lec- 
 ture to the boys, yet there were times, 
 while busy about the ward duties, when it 
 seemed profitable as well as agreeable, to 
 speak a word in defense of the faith in 
 Jesus, which is only the plain duty of any- 
 one who considers himself a Christian. 
 And as the great Apostle said "is our rea- 
 sonable service." 
 
 I found on such occasions that the boys 
 listened to such words respectfully and 
 even eagerly. And on several occasions, 
 as the one I have just described, when a 
 body of them were leaving the ward, sev- 
 eral informed me, with all sincerity that 
 they were glad I talked to them in this 
 manner, and would always remember my 
 words to them. 
 
 The letters dictated to us in those days, 
 were both interesting and comic, as well 
 as pathetic. Full of affection, pluck and 
 errors of speech, but nearly all giving live- 
 ly accounts of life at the hospital, ending 
 usually "with a somewhat sudden plunge 
 from patriotism to provender, desirmg 
 "Marm," "Aunt Emmie," or "Caroline" to 
 send along some cookies, pickles, or apples, 
 to "your'n" in haste, "Hal," "Tom" or 
 "Jake," as the case might be. 
 
 92 
 
The evening meal was followed by wash- 
 ing feverish faces, smoothing tumbled 
 beds, beating up flattened pillows, and gen- 
 eral preparations for the night. By seven, 
 the last labor of love was done, the last 
 **good night" spoken, and if any needed a 
 reward for the day's work, they surely re- 
 ceived it, in the silent eloquence of those 
 long lines of faces, showing pale and peace- 
 ful in the shaded room, as we quitted 
 them, followed by grateful glances that 
 lighted us to bed, where rest the sweetest, 
 made our pillows soft, while night and na- 
 ture took our places, filling that groat 
 house of suffering with the healing mira* 
 cles of sleep. 
 
 93 
 
CHAPTER X 
 Christmas in the Ward 
 
 S the month of December sped 
 on, the weather moderated to 
 such a degree that, on Christ- 
 mas eve sitting about the 
 Nurses' home, it was so warm 
 that the windows were thrown up, and the 
 doors were left wide open. The balmy 
 breezes were laden with an air of Christ- 
 mas tide, and excitement ran high as the 
 big army trucks would drive up to our 
 back door, and the boys in khaki would 
 unload boxes for this one and that, until 
 each and every one had received some re- 
 membrance from friends and loved ones 
 at home. 
 
 Many of the nurses were busy adding 
 the last finishing touches to some small 
 gift for the illest, or youngest, lad in her 
 ward, and the hours flew by, full of gaiety 
 and laughter, in anticipation of the festive 
 occasion. Groups of nurses and soldier 
 boys came in with their arms laden with 
 
 94 
 
holly, palms and glistening branches of 
 magnolia, for decorating the halls and re- 
 ception room at the nurses' barracks. For 
 tonight was the night of the first party, 
 given as a reception to the nurses by tlie 
 officers of the hospital in appreciation of 
 our advent upon the scenes at this time. 
 The tables in the great dining room were 
 shoved to one end for serving tables, the 
 benches placed around the walls for seats, 
 and the floor sprinkled with corn meal to 
 make it smooth and slick for those who 
 wished to partake in that part of the fes- 
 tivities, to "trip the light fantastic" until 
 midnight. A large bowl of fruit punch 
 was arranged upon a table under a bower 
 of fern leaves, holly and mistletoe, and 
 granite cups in abundance were handy so 
 that each one may help themselves when 
 they wished. 
 
 Plates piled high with sandwiches of 
 various kinds and plates of cookies covered 
 by paper napkins were reposing upon the 
 tables in the background, until their time 
 should arrive to take a part in the merry 
 festivities. 
 
 There were some dozen or more of us 
 who did not care for the dancing, but en- 
 joyed watching the dancers glide to and 
 fro, each girl attired in some soft pretty 
 
 95 
 
evening frock, the various soft shades of 
 color making a very pretty picture. The 
 officers resplendent in all their straps, 
 bars, belts, buttons and chevrons, their 
 well-fitting uniforms and leather puttees 
 setting off their manly figures to the best 
 advantage, made a very striking picture, 
 which I doubt if any present on that occa- 
 sion had been accustomed to see vory 
 often. We watched the scene until quite 
 late, when tired and sleepy from a long 
 day in the ward, we betook ourselves to 
 our sleeping abode, whose windows being 
 open wide, we fell asleep to the tunes of 
 the then popular patriotic airs of "Over 
 There," "Joan of Arc," "Pack Up Your 
 Troubles in Your Old Kit Bag," and "A 
 Long, Long Trail a Winding." 
 
 "Merry Christmas !" "Merry Christ- 
 mas," "Merry Christmas, Miss Lee!" 
 echoed from every side as I entered my 
 ward that Christmas morning. My col- 
 league having left the ward a week ear- 
 lier, I was alone to plan and superintend 
 the preparations necessary to brighten 
 our ward for this, our first Christmas in 
 the Army. Most all of the nurses had 
 spent a good part of their leisure mo- 
 ments the past week trying to fix up some 
 little gift for the sick, home-sick boys in 
 our wards for as the Chief nurse once had 
 
 96 
 
One-half of whose male population were tak- 
 ing the other half to the guard house. 
 See page 153. 
 
said to me in conversation : **Af ter all Miss 
 Lee, men are but a lot of sick babies, 
 when they are sick, and the bravest and 
 most manly of them enjoy the coddling 
 that only a woman's hands know how to 
 administer." 
 
 No wonder the greetings were hearty, 
 and thin faces brightened, for when they 
 awoke that morning, each lad found that, 
 in the silence of the night, some friendly 
 hand had laid a little gift beside his bed. 
 Very humble little gifts they were, but 
 chosen with thoughtfulness and a desire 
 to make the blithe anniversary pleasant, 
 even in a hospital, hoping to keep upper- 
 most the lesson of the hour, — ^Peace on 
 Earth, good will to man. 
 
 "I say ma'am these are just splendid, 
 and I had just been wishing for some of 
 them," cried one poor fellow, surveying a 
 bunch of white Malaga grapes with as 
 much satisfaction as if he had found a 
 fortune. "I thank you kindly Miss, for 
 the paper and fixins, I hated to keep bor- 
 rowing, but I don't seem to be able to get 
 hold of any money," said another, eyeing 
 his gift with happy anticipations of the 
 home letters, with which the pages should 
 be filled. 
 
 **l want my basket of flowers hung in 
 
 97 
 
the center of the room Miss, where all the 
 boys can see it, if you please/' 
 
 "But then I'm afraid you can't see it 
 yourself Louis, and I think you're fonder 
 of them than the rest," I said, taking both 
 the little basket and the hand of my pet 
 patient, a lad of twenty, who was valiant- 
 ly fighting for his life against quick con- 
 sumption. "That's why I can spare it for 
 a while, I shall feel them in the room, and 
 they'll do the boys good. You pick out 
 the one you like best for me to keep and 
 hang up the rest please." As I handed 
 him a sprig of holly and a red rosebud, his 
 smile was as sweet and winning to me, as 
 was the flower to the lonely lad who never 
 had known womanly tenderness and care 
 until he found them in a hospital. Louis' 
 prediction came true, the flowers did do 
 the boys good, for all welcomed them with 
 approving glances, and all felt their refin- 
 ing influence more or less keenly, from 
 cheery Pat, who paused to fill the cup in- 
 side with fresh water, to surly Ben Bur- 
 rows who stopped growling as his eye 
 caught sight of the sweet peas just like 
 those blooming in his sweetheart's garden 
 last summep,r. 
 
 I explained to them all then, that the 
 one who merited the greater part of their 
 gratitude was Miss Sailor, their first 
 
 98 
 
nurse, then indisposed as also their faith- 
 ful night nurse, came in for her share of 
 the thanks, for we three had tried to be 
 Santa Claus to our boys at this time. 
 
 **Now let's begin to enjoy the festivities 
 of the day. Fling up the windows Pat, 
 and Alphonse go for breakfast, while I 
 finish washing faces and straighten the 
 bedclothes." After which directions I set 
 to work and after half an hour's time, 
 thirty gentlemen with spandy clean faces 
 and hands, were partaking of refresh- 
 ment with as much appetite as their var- 
 ious conditions would permit. The air 
 blew in through the windows as blandly as 
 though spring had come, and wished the 
 boys the compliments of the season in the 
 mildest mood; while a festival smell per- 
 vaded the whole house, and appetizing 
 rumors of turkey, mince pie, and oysters 
 for dinner circulated through the wards. 
 When the breakfast things were cleared 
 away, medicine administered, throats 
 swabbed, ears irrigated, temperatures 
 taken and all the disagreeables over, and 
 the ward tidied up, the fun began. 
 
 In any other place that would have been 
 considered a very quiet morning. But to 
 the weary invalids prisoned in the room, 
 it was quite a whirl of excitement. 
 
 None were dangerously ill, but Louis, 
 
 99 
 
and all were easily amused, for weakness, 
 homesickness and ennui, made every trifle 
 a joke or an event. 
 
 In came Pat with a big load of holly 
 and magnolia branches. And such of the 
 men who could get about and could help, 
 did so. The corps boys generously aided 
 when their duties permitted, and soon a 
 green bough hung at the head of each bed, 
 depended from the electric lights, and nod- 
 ded over the doors and windows, while the 
 finishing effect was given by a cross and 
 wreath of holly at each end of the room. 
 Each one manifested great interest, and 
 many were the mishaps attending this 
 performance, causing frequent laughter, 
 for sick men when convalescent are par- 
 ticularly jovial. When Sambo, the colored 
 incapable, essayed a grand ornament above 
 a door, and relying upon one insufficient 
 nail, descended to survey his handiwork 
 with the proud exclamation: "Look at de 
 neatness of dat job, gen'Fmen," at which 
 point the whole thing tumbled down about 
 his ears, — how they all shouted but pneu- 
 monia Bob, who having lost his voice, 
 could only make ecstatic demonstrations 
 with his legs. 
 
 Poor Sambo cast himself and his 
 hammer despairingly upon the floor, 
 while stepping into a chair I pounded 
 
 100 
 
stoutly at the traitorous nail, and with a 
 bit of string made all fast, amid a burst 
 of applause, which arose from the beds. 
 When Lieutenant Roberts came in to see 
 what all the noise was about, I explained 
 while I tucked a bit of holly in his button- 
 hole, and wished him a Merry Christmas, 
 as he bolted out again calling Christmas a 
 hard time, but exulting over the thirty 
 emetics he would have to prescribe on the 
 morrow. When everything was done, I 
 think every one agreed with Louis, when 
 he said, "I think we are coming Christ- 
 mas in great style; things look so green 
 and pretty, I feel, as I was setting in a 
 bower." 
 
 Pausing to glance around the ward en- 
 joying the Chrismasy effect the greenery 
 gave to it, I noticed Harkins, a boy from 
 Ohio, looking as black as a thunderbolt. 
 He bounced over on his bed the moment 
 he caught my eye, but I followed him up 
 and gently covering the cold shoulder he 
 evidently meant to show me, peeped over 
 it, asking with as much gentleness as I 
 could "What can I do for you Harkins ? I 
 want my boys to all have bright faces 
 today." "I didn't get the box from home, 
 they said I should get it two, three days 
 ago. Why don't I get it then?" growled 
 Harkins. 
 
 101 
 
"It is a busy time, you know, but it 
 will come if they promised, and patience 
 won't delay it, I assured him." 
 
 "They're a slow set, and my patience is 
 about gone, Fd get it all right if I wore 
 shoulder bars, as I don't I'll bet I'll never 
 see it till the things are all spoiled and 
 ain't fit to eat, and news is old and I don't 
 care a rap about it." 
 
 "I'll see what I can do; perhaps before 
 the hurry with dinner begins, some one 
 will have time to go for it." 
 
 "Nobody ever has any time but folks 
 who would give all they are worth to be 
 stirring around. I know you can't get it; 
 its my luck, so don't worry ma'am." 
 
 I did not worry but worked, and in time 
 someone was found, provided with the nec- 
 essary money, pass, and directions, and 
 dispatched to hunt up the missing Christ- 
 mas box. 
 
 Pausing to see what came next, not that 
 it was necessary to look for a task, but, to 
 decide which out of many was most im- 
 portant to do first. Seeing my rheumatic 
 patient Barker with his face all screwed 
 up and tears running down his cheeks, I 
 hastened to him. 
 
 "Why Barker crying again? which is it 
 headache, or back this time?" 
 
 102 
 
"It's my *rheumatis* ma'am. My bones 
 ache so I can't lay easy any way, and Fm 
 so tired I just wish I could die and be out 
 of this misery," sobbed the poor ghost of 
 a once strong and cheery fellow, as I wiped 
 the tears away and gently massaged the 
 weary shoulders. "You must not wish that 
 Barker for the worst is over and all you 
 need is to get your strength again. The 
 doctor has said you may sit up a little, 
 and it is quite time you tried ; a change of 
 posture will help the ache wonderfully and 
 make this "deadful bed" as you call it, 
 seem very comfortable when you come 
 back to it." 
 
 "I just can't ma'am. My legs ain't no 
 good at all and I ain't even strong enough 
 to try." "You never will be if you don't 
 try." Never mind the legs, Pat will carry 
 you. I have a wheel chair all ready and 
 you will be real cozy by the fire. Why not 
 celebrate Christmas day by overcoming 
 the blues, which only retard your recov- 
 ery, and prove to the others that your ill- 
 ness has not taken all the manhood out of 
 you." 
 
 "It has though, I'll never be the man I 
 was, and may just as well lay here till 
 spring, for I shall be no use if I do get up." 
 
 If Harkins was a growler, this man was 
 
 103 
 
a well acted charade of his own name, as 
 well as a whiner and few hospital wards 
 are without both. But knowing that it 
 was from much pain and suffering which 
 had soured the former and pitifully weak- 
 ened the latter, I tried to have patience 
 with them, and still hoped to bring them 
 round again. 
 
 As Barker whimpered out his last dis- 
 mal speech I bethought myself of some- 
 thing which in the hurry of the morning, 
 had slipped my mind till now. 
 
 "By the way, Fve got another present 
 for you. The doctor thought I'de better 
 not give it yet, lest it should excite you 
 too much, but I think you need a little ex- 
 citement to help you to forget yourself, 
 and when you realize how many blessings 
 you have to be grateful for, you will make 
 an effort to enjoy them." Blessings, 
 ma'am ? I don't see 'em." "Don't you see 
 one now " And drawing the letter from 
 my pocket I held it before him. "It's from 
 my wife, I guess. I like to get her letters 
 but they are always full of grievings and 
 worryings over me, so they don't do me 
 much good." 
 
 "This one may prove an exception to the 
 rule and you may be very happy when you 
 read it," I said as he sat moodily scanning 
 the outside of the envelope. 
 
 104 
 
Then breaking the seal he began to scan 
 the pages and a wonderful change lighted 
 up his countenance. As I watched him I 
 thought there must indeed be wonderful 
 news to change his face so quickly from 
 the picture of gloom to one of noonday 
 brightness. 
 
 "Hooray ! hold on a bit,—- it's all right, — 
 1*11 be out again in a minute." 
 
 With which remarkable burst Barker 
 vanished under the bedclothes, letter and 
 all. Whether he read, laughed or cried, in 
 the seclusion of that cotton grotto, was 
 unknown, but I suspected that he did all 
 three, for when he re-appeared he looked 
 as though during that pause, he had dived 
 into his sea of troubles and fished up his 
 old self again. 
 
 "What will I name her, Miss Lee?" 
 was his first remark delivered with such 
 vivacity that his neighbors began to think 
 he was getting delirious again. "What is 
 your wife's name?" I asked, gladly enter- 
 ing into the domesticities which were pro- 
 ducing such a salutary effect. 
 
 "Her name is Ann. I'de decided on 
 Steve, for I was countin on a boy named 
 after me; and now you see I ain't a bit 
 prepared for this young woman." 
 
 Very proud of the young woman he 
 seemed nevertheless, and perfectly resign- 
 
 105 
 
ed to the loss of the expected son and heir. 
 
 "Why not call her Stephanna then? 
 That combines both her parents names and 
 is not a bad one in itself." 
 
 "Now that's just the brightest thing I 
 ever heard in my life!" cried Barker sit- 
 ting bolt upright in his excitement, though 
 half an hour before he would have consid- 
 ered it an utterly impossible feat. "Ste- 
 phanna Appleton Barker, — its a tip-top 
 name, ma'am and we can call her Stevie 
 just the same. Ann will like that, bless 
 them both ! Don't I wish I was at home ? 
 And down he went again despairing. 
 
 "You can be before long if you choose. 
 Get your strength up and off you go. 
 Come, begin at once, — drink your beef- 
 tea and sit up for a few minutes just in 
 honor of the good news you know." 
 
 "I will, By Steph! — no, by Stephanna! 
 That's a good one, ain't it ?" and the whole 
 ward was electrified by hearing a genuine 
 giggle from the "Bluing-Bag." Down went 
 the beef -tea and up scrambled the deter- 
 mined drinker, with many groans, and a 
 curious jumble of chuckles, staggers and 
 fragmentary repititions of his first, last 
 and only joke. But when settled in the 
 comfortable wheel chair, upholstered with 
 pillows, with the gray flannel robe on, and 
 the new Christmas slippers getting their 
 
 106 
 
inaugural scorch, Barker forgot his bones 
 and sat before the fire seemingly feeling 
 amazingly well, and looking very like a 
 trussed fowl being roasted in the primitive 
 fashion. 
 
 The languid importance of the man, and 
 the irrepressible satisfaction of the par- 
 ent were both laughable and touching 
 things to see, for the happy soul could not 
 keep the glad tidings to himself. A hos- 
 pital ward is often a small republic, beau- 
 tifully governed by pity, patience and the 
 mental sympathy, which lessens mutual 
 suffering. Barker was no favorite, but 
 more than one honest fellow felt his heart 
 warm towards him as they saw his dismal 
 face kindle with fatherly pride, and heard 
 the querulous quaver of his voice soften 
 with fatherly, affection, as he said "my lit- 
 tle Stephie, sir." 
 
 I guess he'll be getting along foin now 
 Miss, this has given him the boost he need- 
 ed, and in a week or two he'll be off our 
 hands." 
 
 Pat made the remark with a beaming 
 countenance and Pat deserves a word of 
 praise for he never said one for himself. 
 An ex-patient promoted to an attendant's 
 place, which he filled so well that he was 
 regarded as a model for all the rest to 
 
 107 
 
copy. Patient, strong, and tender, he 
 seemed to combine many of the best traits 
 of both man and woman; for he appeared 
 to know by instinct where the soft spot 
 was to be found, in every heart, and how 
 best to help sick body or sad soul. No one 
 would have guessed this to have seen him 
 lounging in the hall during one of the 
 short rests he allowed himself. A brawny 
 six foot Irish fellow, in a much faded (by 
 oft repeated washing) khaki shirt, khaki 
 trousers, also showing evidence of much 
 scrubbing, for Pot was immaculate. Army 
 shoes and spiral puttees, a well shaven 
 coarse-featured face, whose prevailing ex- 
 pression was one of great gravity and 
 kindness, though a humorous twinkle of 
 the eye at times betrayed the man, whose 
 droll sayings at times set the boys in a 
 roar. 
 
 "A good-natured, clumsy body," would 
 have been the verdict passed upon him by 
 a casual observer; but watch him in his 
 ward and see how great a wrong that 
 hasty judgment would have done him. 
 
 Unlike his predecessor who helped him- 
 self generously when the meals came up, 
 and carelessly served out rations for the 
 rest, leaving even the most helpless to 
 bungle for themselves, or wait till he was 
 done, shut himself into his pantry and 
 
 108 
 
there, — to borrow a hospital phrase, — 
 "gorge." Pat often left nothing for him- 
 self, or took cheerfully such cold bits, as 
 remained when all the rest were served; 
 so patiently feeding the weak, being hands 
 and feet to them, and a pleasant provider 
 for all that, as one of the boys said,^ — "The 
 vittles tastes better when Pat fetches 
 them." If one were restless Pat carried 
 him in his strong arms, holding him with 
 a touch as firm as kind. If one were home- 
 sick, Pat wrote letters for him with great 
 hearty blots under all the affectionate or 
 important words. More than one unhappy 
 fellow read his fate in Pat's pitiful eyes 
 and breathed his last breath away on Pat's 
 broad breast, — always a quiet pillow till 
 its work was done, then it would heave 
 with genuine grief, as his big hand softly 
 closed the tired eyes and made another 
 comrade ready for the last review. 
 
 The war showed us many Pat's. For the 
 same power of human pity which makes 
 women brave, also makes men tender, and 
 each is the womanlier, the manlier, for 
 these revelations of unsuspected strength 
 and sympathies. 
 
 At twelve o'clock Christmas dinner was 
 the prevailing idea in ward No. 24, and 
 when the door opened, every man sniffed 
 for savory odors broke loose from the 
 
 109 
 
kitchen and went roaming about the house. 
 Now this dinner had been much talked of ; 
 besides the Government supplies from the 
 Q. M. department, certain charitable and 
 patriotic persons in the town of N — had 
 endeavored to provide every ward in the 
 hospital with materials for this time-hon- 
 ored feast. Some mistake in the list sent 
 to headquarters, some unpardonable ne- 
 glect of orders, or some premeditated rob- 
 bery, caused the long expected dinner in 
 ward 24 to prove a dead failure; but to 
 which of these causes it was attributable, 
 was never known, for the deepest mystery 
 enveloped that transaction. The full 
 weight of the dire disappointment was 
 mercifully lightened by premonitions of 
 the impending blow. Alphonse was often 
 missing, for the corps boys were to dine 
 en masse after the patients were done, 
 therefore a speedy banquet for the latter 
 was ardently desired, and, he probably de- 
 voted his energies goading on the cooks. 
 He would appear in the doorway from time 
 to time, make some thrilling announce- 
 ment and vanish, leaving ever-increasing 
 appetite, impatience and expectation, be- 
 hind him. Dinner was to be served at one ; 
 at half past twelve Alphonse proclaimed: 
 "Dere ain't no vegetables but beets and 
 pitaters." 
 
 110 
 
A universal groan arose, and several in- 
 dignant parties on a short allowance of 
 meat, consigned the defaulting cook to a 
 warmer climate than the tropical one he 
 was then enjoying. 
 
 At quarter of one, Alphonse increased 
 the excitement by whispering iminously: 
 "I say, dere ain't no plum puddin." 
 
 "Fling a pillar at him and shut the door, 
 Pat," roared an irascible being, while sev- 
 eral others received the news with equani- 
 mity. 
 
 At ten minutes of one, Alphonse piled 
 up the agony by adding the bitter infor- 
 mation, "Dere isn't but two turkeys for 
 this ward and dey's little fellers." 
 
 Anxiety instantly appeared on every 
 countenance, and intricate calculations 
 were made as to how far the two fowls 
 would go when divided among thirty men ; 
 also friendly warnings were administered 
 to several of the feebler gentlemen not to 
 indulged too freely, if at all, for fear of re- 
 lapses. 
 
 Once more did the bird of evil omen re- 
 turn, for just as the clock struck one, Al- 
 phonse croaked through the keyhole, 
 "Dere ain't no pies at all, only ice cream, 
 genTmen." 
 
 That capped the climax, for the mascu- 
 line palate has a predilection for pastry 
 
 111 
 
and mince pies was the sheet-anchor to 
 which all had clung when other hopes went 
 down. Even Pat looked dismayer; not 
 that he expected anything but the per- 
 fume and pickings for his share, but he 
 had set his generous heart on having the 
 dinner an honor to the institution, and a 
 memorable feast to the men, so far away 
 from home, and all that usually makes the 
 day a festival among the poorest. 
 
 He looked pathetically grave as Barker 
 began to fret, Harkins began to swear 
 under his breath, Rowland to sigh, Louis 
 to wish it was all over, and the rest began 
 to vent their emotions with a freedom 
 which was anything but inspiring. At 
 that moment, I was called to the door to 
 attend the occupants of a big car which 
 had driven up to the front. A few mo- 
 ments later returning to the ward bearing 
 a great basket of apples and oranges in 
 one hand and in the other a basket con- 
 taining several convivial looking bottles. 
 
 "Here is our dessert boys! A kind 
 friend remembered us and we will drink 
 her health in her own grape wine." I said 
 while I noticed a feeble smile circulating 
 round the room, as in some sanguine 
 bosoms hope revived again. Pat briskly 
 emptied the baskets while I whispered to 
 Louis, — " I know you will be glad to get 
 
 112 
 
away from the confusion of the next hour, 
 to enjoy a breath of fresh air, and dine 
 quietly with Mrs. Blain in A — wouldn't 
 you?" 
 
 "Oh ! Miss Fde like it so much, but how 
 in the world can I go " The ambulance 
 most killed me last time, and I am weaker 
 now." "My dear boy I should not think of 
 letting you go in the ambulance. Miss 
 Blain's auto is at the door and all you have 
 to do is to let me bundle you up and Pat 
 carry you out to the soft cushions of the 
 car," I said as he looked eagerly at me, 
 and gave a sigh of relief as he submitted 
 to both of these processes, and as I watch- 
 ed his happy face as the car smoothly 
 glided away, I felt amply repaid for the 
 little sacrifice of rest and pleasure for Mrs. 
 Blain had come for me instead of Louis. 
 "Now Pat we must make this unfortunate 
 dinner go off as well as we can," I wMsper- 
 ed. "On many accounts it is a mercy that 
 the men are spared the temptations of a 
 more generous feast; pray don't tell them 
 so, but make the best of it, as you know 
 very well how to do." 
 
 "Fll try my best. Miss Lee, but I'm no 
 less disappointed, for some of thim, bein 
 no better than children, have been livin on 
 the thoughts of it for a week, and it comes 
 hard to give it up." Having him place 
 
 113 
 
several small tables together in the end of 
 the room I made a judicious display of 
 plates, knives and forks while he went for 
 the banquet. Presently he returned bear- 
 ing the youthful turkeys and the vege- 
 tables in his tray, followed by Alphonse 
 looking melancholy, but elated, that the 
 time was near for his pessimistic phophe- 
 cies to be fulfilled. 
 
 I played a lively tattoo as the procession 
 approached, and when the viands were ar- 
 ranged, with the red and yellow fruit pret- 
 tily heaped up in the middle, it really did 
 look like a dinner. 
 
 "Now, gentlemen, here's richness ! 
 Here's the delicacies of the season, and the 
 comforts of life V* said Pat, falling back to 
 survey the table with as much apparent 
 satisfaction as if it had been a lord may- 
 or's feast. 
 
 "Hurry on Pat, and give us our dinner, 
 what there is of it!" grumbled Harkins. 
 "Boys, continued Pat, beginning to cut up 
 the turkeys, these noble birds have been 
 sacrificed for the defenders of their coun- 
 try ; they will go as far as ever they can, 
 and, when they can't go any farther, we 
 shall supply their lack with soup or ham, 
 oysters having given out unexpectedly. 
 "Put it to a vote; both having been pro- 
 vided on this joyful occasion, and a word 
 
 114 
 
will fetch either." "Ham! ham! respond- 
 ed from all sides. Soup was an e very-day 
 affair, and therefore repudiated with 
 scorn; but ham being somewhat of a rar- 
 ity, was accepted as a proper reward of 
 merit, and acknowledgment of their 
 wrongs. The "noble birds" did go as far 
 as possible and with the addition of a 
 plentiful helping of gravy and each plate 
 garnished by a large slice of ham along 
 side of the potato and beets, would have 
 been at any other time considered a "fair 
 feed," but on this day a few extras had 
 been expected and the disappointment was 
 keen. 
 
 Taking the one brick of ice cream and 
 dividing it into thirty diminutive pieces, 
 Pat placed each mouthful upon the center 
 of a large clean plate, and handed them 
 around with the gravity of an undertaker. 
 Dinner had restored good humor to many ; 
 this hit with the dessert put the finishing 
 touch to it, and from that moment an at- 
 mosphere of jollity prevailed. Healths 
 were drunk in grape juice, apples and 
 oranges flew about as an impromptu game 
 of ball was got up, and Pat gamboled like a 
 sportive giant as he cleared things away. 
 
 Pausing in one of his prances to and fro, 
 he beckoned me out, and, following, hand- 
 ed me a plate heaped up with good things. 
 
 115 
 
"Come right in here and eat it while its 
 hot, said he, leading the way into the kit- 
 chen and pointing to a sunny window seat. 
 
 "Are you sure you have eaten, and this 
 is not your dinner Pat?" I said while his 
 wild expostulations showed me that I was 
 right and his words "why of course I have, 
 IVe just been feastin' sumptuous in this 
 very room,^' were of no weight. 
 
 "I don't exactly see what you have been 
 feasting on," glancing around the tidy pan- 
 try, and now Pat, since I am now going to 
 the nurses' quarters to dinner, and a good 
 one, I command you to sit down here and 
 eat your dinner without a protest or mur- 
 mur, nevertheless I thank you heartily for 
 wanting me to have your dinner, but since 
 I know of no one who deserves it more 
 than yourself, you will be obliging me very 
 much by consuming it as quickly as you 
 can. 
 
 "Thankee, Miss, Fll only eat it to oblige 
 you, for at the rate he's going on Alphonse 
 wouldn't be equal to it," said Pat, looking 
 very much relieved, as he polished his last 
 fork and hung his toy^el up to dry. 
 
 Upon returning to the ward after par- 
 taking of a very good Christmas dinner 
 at the nurses* home, having left Pat in 
 charge during my absence, I found that a 
 
 116 
 
pretty general siesta followed the excite- 
 ment of dinner in the ward, but by three 
 o'clock the public mind was ready for 
 amusement, and the arrival of Harkins' 
 box provided it. 
 
 He was asleep when it was brought in 
 and quietly deposited at the foot of his 
 bed, ready to surprise him on awaking. 
 The advent of a box was a great event, 
 for the fortunate receiver seldom failed to 
 treat the rest, and next best to getting 
 things from one's own home, was the get- 
 ting them from some other boy's home. 
 This was a very large box, and all felt im- 
 patient to have it opened, though Harkins' 
 exceeding crustiness prevented very great 
 expectations. Presently he awakened, and 
 the first thing his eye fell upon was the 
 box, with his own name in big black let- 
 ters on the top. He stared stupidly at it 
 for awhile, as if it had been the continu- 
 ance of his dream, then sat up exclaiming : 
 "There you are! you've come at last!" 
 "Now who said it wouldn't come? Who 
 hadn't the faith of a mosquito? and who 
 didn't half deserve it by being a fusser," 
 cried Pat, emphasizing each question with 
 a bang on the box as he waited, hammer 
 in hand, for the arrival of the ward mas- 
 ter, whose duty it was to oversee the open- 
 ing of such boxes and parcels which came 
 
 117 
 
to the ward. "Ain't it a dandy big box?" 
 Knock it open and don't wait for anybody 
 or anything!" cried Harkins tumbling 
 from his bed and pounding on the lid with 
 his one hand, his other arm having been 
 broken in an accident at the Remount sta- 
 tion. In came the ward master, off came 
 the cover, and out rolled a motley collection 
 of apples, papers, socks, doughnuts, pick- 
 les, photographs, pocket handerchiefs, to- 
 bacco and perfume. "All right, glad it's 
 come, — don't kill yourself," said the ward 
 master, as he took a hasty survey and 
 walked off again. Drawing the box near- 
 er the bed, Pat delicately followed, and 
 Harkins was left to brood over his treas- 
 ures alone. At first all the others follow- 
 ing Pat's example, made elaborate preten- 
 ses of going to sleep, being absorbed in 
 books, or utterly interested in the outer 
 world. But very soon curiosity got the 
 better of politeness, and one by one they 
 all turned round and stared. They might 
 have done so from the first, for Harkins 
 was perfectly unconscious of anything but 
 his own affairs, and having gone through 
 everything, read the letters, looked at the 
 pictures, undid the bundles, turned every- 
 thing inside out, and upside down, tasted 
 all the eatables, and made a spectacle of 
 himself with jam, he paused to get his 
 
 118 
 
breath and find his way out of the con- 
 fusion he had created. Presently he call- 
 ed out: Miss Lee, will you come and 
 help me straighten up my duds ? As I be- 
 gan to straighten up he said, "I don't know 
 what I'll do with them all, for some won't 
 keep long ; I'm afraid my appetite will give 
 out a'fore I finish them up or they spoil." 
 "How do the others manage with their 
 things " I asked innocently, knowing with- 
 out having to put the question. "They 
 give 'em away, but I'll be hanged if I do, 
 for they are always callin' me names and 
 pokin' fun at me. Guess they'll not get 
 anything out of me now." 
 
 The old cross look came back a^b he 
 spoke, for it had disappeared while read- 
 ing the home letters, touching the home 
 gifts. Still busily folding and arranging, I 
 asked : "You know the story of the three 
 Gnomes, which are you going to be — Dis- 
 agreeable, Halfway pleasant, or Very 
 agreeable?" Harkins laughed at this sud- 
 den application of the nursery legend, and 
 seeing my advantage I pursued it: "We 
 all know how much you have suffered, for 
 having a broken arm and limb at one time 
 is no joke, and we respect you for the 
 courage with which you have borne your 
 long confinement, but don't you think you 
 have given the boys some cause for laugh- 
 
 119 
 
ing at you, as you say? You used to be a 
 favorite and can be again, if you will only 
 try to cheer up and help keep the others 
 cheerful. Better lose both arm and limb 
 Harkins than cheerfulness and self-con- 
 trol, and the respect of your fellow suf- 
 ferers." Pausing to see how my little lec- 
 ture was received, I felt that Harkins' bet- 
 ter self was waking up and added yet an- 
 other word, with a desire to help a mental 
 and spiritual ailment as well as the physi- 
 cal ones. Looking at him as kindly as I 
 could, I said in a lowered voice, — as I did 
 not wish the others to bear: "This day 
 on which the most perfect life began, is a 
 good day for all of us to set about making 
 ourselves readier to follow that divine ex- 
 ample. Troubles are helpers if we take 
 them kindly, and the bitterest may sweet- 
 en us for all our lives. Believe and try this 
 Harkins and when you leave us, let those 
 who love you find that tho' lame in arm 
 and limb you have fought an important 
 battle and won." Harkins made no an- 
 swer, but sat thoughtfully with a half- 
 eaten apple in his hand. He stole a glance 
 about the room, and as if all helps were 
 waiting for him, his eye met Louis'. From 
 his solitary bed he would seldom leave 
 again before going to his grave, the boy 
 smiled back at him so sweetly and happily 
 
 120 
 
that Harkins' heart warmed as he looked 
 upon the faces of mother, sister and sweet- 
 heart, scattered about him, and remem- 
 bered how poor his comrade was in such 
 tender ties, and yet how rich in content, 
 which, "having nothing, yet hath all." He 
 had no words with which to express his 
 feelings, but it came to him and did him 
 good, as he proved in his own way. "Miss 
 Lee," he said a little awkwardly, "I 
 wish you'd pick out what you think each 
 would like, and give 'em to the boys." He 
 got a smile in answer which drove him to 
 his apple as a refugee, for his lips would 
 tremble, and he felt half proud, half ash- 
 amed, to have earned such quick approval. 
 "Let Pat help you," I said: "He knows 
 better than I. But you must give them all 
 yourself, it will so surprise and please the 
 boys; and tomorrow write a capital letter 
 home telling what a jubilee you made over 
 their fine box." At this proposal he half 
 repented; but as Pat came lumbering up 
 at my summons, he laid hold of his new 
 resolutions with all his might. Dividing 
 the most cherished possession, which (alas 
 for romance) was the tobacco, he bundled 
 the larger half into a paper, whispering 
 to me: "Pat ain't exactly what you'd call 
 a ministerin' angel, to look at, but he is 
 amazin' near one in his ways, so I'm goin' 
 
 121 
 
to begin with him." Up came the "minis- 
 tering angel" in khaki and cowhide boots, 
 and Harkins tucked the little parcel into 
 his pocket, saying as he began to rummage 
 violently in the box: "Now just hold your 
 tongue and lend a hand here about these 
 things." Pat was so taken back by this 
 proceeding that he stared blankly, till a 
 look from me enlightened him; and tak- 
 ing his cue, he played his part as well as 
 could be expected on so short a notice. 
 Clapping Harkins on the shoulder — not 
 the bad one, Pat was always thoughtful of 
 those things — he exclaimed heartily: "I 
 always said you'd be all right when your 
 leg got well and this arm of yours got a 
 good start, and here you are jollier*n ever. 
 Lend a hand! So I will, a pair of *em. 
 What's to do? Pack these traps up 
 again?" "No, I want you to tell me what 
 you'd do with 'em if they were yours." 
 Pat held onto the box a moment as if this 
 second surprise rather took him off his 
 legs; but another look from the prime 
 mover in this resolution steadied him, and 
 he fell to work as if Harkins had been in 
 the habit of being "free." "Well let's see. 
 I think Id put these clothes into this smal- 
 ler box and stand it under the table, handy. 
 Here's newspapers and pictures too! I'd 
 make a circulatin' lib'ry of them; they'll 
 
 122 
 
be a real treat. The pickles I'd set on the 
 window here as a kind of relish at dinner 
 time or to pass along to them as longs for 
 'em. Cologne, that's a terribly handsome 
 bottle, ain't it? That now would be a 
 first-rate gift to somebody as was fond of 
 it, sort of delicate attention, you know, — 
 if you happen to meet such a person any- 
 wheres." The jelly I'd give to Miss Lee 
 to use for the sick ones ; the cake and that 
 pot of jam that's gettin' ready to work, 
 I'd stand treat with for tea, as dinner 
 wasn't all we could have wished." "The 
 apples I'd keep to eat and fling at Louis 
 there, when he's too bashful to ask for 
 one, and the tobaccer I would not go lav- 
 ishin' on folks that have no business to be 
 en joy in' luxuries, when many a poor fellow 
 is dyin' of want in the world." Harkins 
 was enjoying the full glow of his generos- 
 ity by this time. As Pat designated the 
 various articles, he set them apart, and 
 when the inventory ended, he marched 
 hmping away with the first installment: 
 The biggest, rosiest apple and all the pic- 
 torial papers for Louis. Pickles are not 
 usually regarded as tokens of regard, but 
 as Harkins dealt them out one at a time, 
 for he wouldn't let anybody help him, and 
 his good hand being the left, was as awk- 
 ward as it was willing,— the boys' faces 
 
 123 
 
brightened, for a friendly word accom- 
 panied each, which made the sour gherkins 
 as welcome as sweetmeats. With every 
 trip the donor's spirits rose; for Pat cir- 
 culated freely between whiles, and thanks 
 to him, not an allusion to the past marred 
 the satisfaction of the present. Jam and 
 cake was such an addition to the usual bill 
 of fare, that when supper was over a vote 
 of thanks was passed, and speeches were 
 made; for being true Americans, the rul- 
 ing passion found vent in the usual "Fel- 
 low Citizens! and allusions to the Stars 
 and Stripes for ever." After which Har- 
 kins subsided, feeling himself a public 
 benefactor and a man of mark. 
 
 The doctor's evening rounds over, medi- 
 cines given, tidying up the ward, bathing 
 faces and hands, beating up pillows, 
 straightening and brushing out crumbs 
 from the beds for the night, and Christ- 
 mas day is over in Ward 24. Going to a 
 shelf at the end of the room, I took down 
 a rusty covered volume, and sitting down 
 by Louis' bed began to read aloud. One 
 by one all other sounds grew still; one by 
 one the men composed themselves to lis- 
 ten ; and one by one the words of the sweet 
 old Christmas story came to them, as I 
 read on. If any wounded spirit needed 
 balm, if any hungry heart asked food, if 
 
 124 
 
any upright purpose, new-born inspira- 
 tion, or sincere repentance wavered for 
 want of human strength, all found help 
 and consolation in the beautiful and bless- 
 ed influences of the dear old book and the 
 story of that first Christmas. The clock 
 struck seven, the day's work was done; 
 but I lingered beside the boy Louis, for his 
 face wore a wistful look and it seemed as 
 though there was something he wished to 
 say. "What is it Louis boy What can I 
 do for you before I leave you for the 
 night?" I asked as he drew me nearer 
 and whispered: "It's something that I 
 know you'll do for me, because I can't do it 
 for myself, not as I want it done and you 
 can." "I just want you before you go, and 
 because its Christmas, to tell the boys — 
 every one, from Pat to Alphonse — how 
 much I thank 'em, how much I love 'em, 
 and when someone else is in this bed and 
 I'm gone, how glad I was that I had known 
 'em, even a little while." "Yes, Louis, I'll 
 tell them all. What else can I do my 
 boy?" "Only let me say to you what no 
 one else must say for me, that all I want 
 to live for is to try to do something in my 
 poor way to show you how I thank you 
 Ma'am." "You've made this such a happy 
 home-like place, I shall be sorry when I 
 have to go." Poor Louis! It must have 
 
 125 
 
fared hardly with him all those twenty- 
 years, if a hospital seemed home-like and 
 a little care, a little sympathy could fill 
 him with such earnest gratitude. "Today 
 I hadn't anything to give you Fm so poor, 
 but I wanted to tell you this on the last 
 Christmas I shall ever see." "He placed a 
 kiss upon my hand which he held in his 
 very himbly, and the sincerity of a great 
 gratitude made it both a precious and 
 sacred gift to me who half unconsciously 
 had made this brief and barren life so 
 happy and contented at it's close. After 
 telling the boys his wish I murmured, as I 
 smoothed back the hair from his brow: 
 "I have had my present, now Louis: Good 
 night my boy and happy dreams," and left 
 the ward. 
 
 126 
 
CHAPTER XI 
 
 A Change of Surroundings 
 
 )T was the custom at this hos- 
 pital to make a change all 
 around once a month, when 
 the night nurses came off and 
 others took their places, 
 which was a very good plan, as the work 
 in some of the wards was much harder 
 than that in others, and by this method 
 each and all had their turn at both heavy 
 and light work. 
 
 I had during the month in our ward 
 grown very fond of my boys, and had a 
 reluctance at leaving them. For we had 
 grown to seem like comrades. I usually 
 found them in the jolliest state of mind 
 their condition allowed, for it was a known 
 fact that Miss Lee objected to blue 
 devils, and entertained a belief that he 
 who laughed most was sure to recover 
 first. At the beginning of my reign, 
 dumps and dismals prevailed, and a gen- 
 eral "Hark ! from the-tombs-a-dolef ul- 
 sound," style of conversation seemed to be 
 
 127 
 
the fashion ; a state of things which caus- 
 ed one coming from a merry social North- 
 ern town to feel as if she had gotten into 
 most untoward circumstances, and the in- 
 stinct of self-preservation, to say nothing 
 of a philanthropic desire to serve the race, 
 caused a speedy change in Ward No. 24. 
 More flattering than the most gracefully 
 turned compliment, more grateful than the 
 most admiring glance, was the sight of 
 those rows of faces, all strange to me a 
 little while ago, now lighting up with 
 smiles of welcome, as I came among them, 
 enjoying that moment heartily with a 
 womanly pride in their regard, a motherly 
 affection for them all. But now they 
 would all soon be going home on furlough 
 after their long sick spell, or back to camp 
 to take up their various duties where they 
 had left them when overtaken by sickness. 
 Many of the boys had already gone and 
 many new recruits had been added to our 
 ranks since that first day but my heart 
 was a trifle sad as I ipade my last rounds 
 of the ward and told my boys goodbye. 
 Then I left them, taking with me the mem- 
 ory of many pleasant manly faces, glad to 
 have known and ministered to so brave a 
 lot, and hoping for each a speedy return 
 to home and loved ones and the pursuit of 
 happiness nearest to his heart when the 
 
 128 
 

 
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war should finally be over and our great- 
 est trouble at an end. 
 
 My next field of action lay in Ward No. 
 18, which was for clean surgical cases. 
 The work here was very interesting; the 
 patients all looked happy and well cared 
 for, the beds looked so neat in their white 
 wool blankets (we had only gray in the 
 other ward) but strange to say there were 
 no pillows for the beds. A piece of mos- 
 quito netting stuffed into a pillow case, or 
 a folded blanket did duty as a pillow until 
 a happy circumstance fitted our ward out 
 in fine shape and not a lad but whom pos- 
 sessed a soft fleecy downy pillow for his 
 head. 
 
 It was while here that some of the hap- 
 piest, as well as saddest moments were 
 spent. There were two doctors in the 
 ward, one a round-faced, short, heavy-set 
 docior, Lieutenant John's, from New Or- 
 leans, and a tall, thin, lank, lean doctor, 
 from Oklahoma, by the name of Lieuten- 
 ant ,Boggs. Three times a day this dole- 
 ful yisaged individual made his rounds, 
 leaving the customary amount of discom- 
 fort, discontent and dismay behind him. 
 He was anything but a sanguine or con- 
 ciliatory personage, though skillful enough 
 doctor no doubt. He saw life through the 
 bluest of spectacles, and seemed to think 
 
 129 
 
that the sooner people quitted it the hap- 
 pier for them. I dare say he did his duty 
 by the men, but if they recovered, he 
 looked half disappointed and congratu- 
 lated them with cheerful prophesies that 
 there would come a time when they would 
 wish they hadn't. If one died he seemed 
 relieved and surveyed him with pensive 
 satisfaction, saying heartily : "He's better 
 off now, poor devil, and well out of this 
 miserable world, thank God." Dante's 
 doleful line might have been appropriately 
 written over the door: 
 
 "Who enters here leaves hope behind." 
 But for Dennis O'Lear, the capable and 
 efficient ward master here, the sanitary 
 influences of the ward would have been 
 small. Lieut. John's seldom appeared upon 
 the scenes, but when these rare occasions 
 did occur, he was always jovial, genial and 
 jolly, cheering the boys with some pleas- 
 ant remark, the direct antipode in dispo- 
 sition to Lieut. Boggs. Dennis O'Lear 
 (the boys called him Learie for short) and 
 Dr. B. perfectly understood and liked each 
 other well enough, but never agreed, al- 
 ways skirmished over the boys as if man- 
 ful cheerfulness, and medical despair were 
 fighting for the soul and body of each one. 
 "Well, Dr. B. would remark, while inspect- 
 ing some wound not healing as quickly as 
 
 130 
 
he expected it to, tetanus sometimes fol- 
 lows such cases, but that is soon over, and 
 I should not object to a case of it, by way 
 of variety." The patient's hopeful face 
 would fall, and he would set his teeth as if 
 the fatal symptom were already felt. "If 
 one kind of lockjaw was more popular than 
 'itis, it wouldn't be a bad thing for some 
 folks I could mention," observed "Learie" 
 covering the well healed wound as care- 
 fully as if it were a sleeping baby, adding, 
 as the doctor walked away, "there's a sour 
 old saw bones for you !" Why bless your 
 bones Harry, you're getting on splendid 
 and he just goes on that way because 
 there's no chance of his gettin' another 
 whack at you !" 
 
 "Now there he goes to Burns to squelch 
 him, just as we've bio wed a spark of spirit 
 into him; if ever there was a born extin- 
 guisher, its Boggs." Learie rushed to the 
 rescue, and not a minute too soon, for 
 Burns who now labored under the delu- 
 sion that his recovery depended solely 
 upon his getting up in a chair a few min- 
 utes each day, was sitting by the fire, 
 looking up at the doctor, who pleasantly 
 observed, while feeling his pulse, — "So 
 you're getting up another fever are you V 
 "Well we've grown rather fond of you and 
 will keep you six weeks longer if you have 
 
 131 
 
set your heart on it." Burns looked ner- 
 vous, for the doctor's jokes were always 
 grim ones, but Learie took his other hand 
 in his and gently rocked the chair as he re- 
 plied, with great politeness: ^This robust 
 convalescent of our'n would be happy to 
 oblige you, sir, but he has a pressin' en- 
 gagement up state for next week and 
 couldn't stop on no account." "You take 
 the responsibility of this step upon your- 
 self, do you? Very well, then I wash my 
 hands of Bums, only, if that bed is empty 
 in a week, don't lay the blame of it at my 
 door." "Nothing shall induce me to do it 
 sir," briskly responded Learie. "Now 
 then, turn in my boy, and sleep your pret- 
 tiest for I wouldn't but disappoint that 
 cheerf ulest of men for a month's pay ; and 
 that's liberal, as I ain't likely to get it." 
 
 This ward was not so well supplied with 
 towels and bedding as the one where I had 
 been. We had some half dozen pillows to 
 do duty for forty beds. As in so many 
 instances in the Army Hospital, there was 
 a lack of judgment in distributing sup- 
 plies, for there would be an over abundant 
 supply of some commodity, while a total 
 absence of some other perhaps far more 
 useful article existed. For example, while 
 having no pillows, one whole long shalf 
 was needed to hold the stacks of pillow 
 
 132 
 
cases in the linen closet. While there 
 were dozens of bath towels in this ward, 
 not a face towel or wash cloth was to be 
 found, until several weeks later. 
 
 Whether from neglect of those in charge 
 in putting in requisition for articles need- 
 ed, I know not, but it was most pathetic 
 to watch the poor fellows brought from 
 the operating room, thrown into bed and 
 have to lay for days and weeks without a 
 pillow with any approach to softness 
 under their heads. 
 
 In a letter to friends at home I remark- 
 ed upon this subject and mentioned the 
 fact that I almost envied the sofas all 
 over the country, the nice soft pillows I 
 was sure reposed in state upon them, 
 while our poor boys lay there with nothing 
 but the hard mattress under their heads, 
 or perhaps for slight elevation, a folded 
 blanket. Little did I know then the out- 
 come of that letter. It went before the 
 Red Cross Society in a Northern town, and 
 touched the motherly hearts of those 
 Northern ladies in behalf of the boys in 
 the South, and ere long two huge boxes 
 of lovely pillows traveled through many 
 states until finally landing in Ward No. 18 
 made forty beds comfortable, forty faces 
 bright and happy, and forty hearts very 
 grateful, and full of praise for the kind 
 
 133 
 
and loving hearts of the women who cared 
 for their sufferings by adding to their 
 comfort and ease though so far away. 
 There were enough pillows besides, to 
 bring cheer and comfort to other wards 
 also. I will relate a very sad instance 
 which occurred while here. 
 
 One day after I had been in my ward 
 about three weeks, I came upon a young 
 boy about eighteen, who had just come in 
 from camp the evening before. I saw at 
 a glance that he was frightened almost to 
 death. He was pale at the prospect of 
 having to submit to an appendectomy. 
 Upon questioning him, I learned that he 
 had never spent so much as one night 
 away from home until coming into the 
 Army, whereupon alighting in camp, the 
 few weeks of strenuous exercise connect- 
 ed with drilling, marching with heavy 
 packs, digging mock trenches, etc., had 
 brought on a pain in his side which was 
 diagnosed as appendicitis. He had then 
 been hustled in here to be "whittled on*' 
 as he expressed it. I saw at once that he 
 was in need of some "mothering" so I pro- 
 ceeded to comfort him as best I could, by 
 telling him that I was very sorry that the 
 doctors found an operation needful, but 
 that it would in all probability not he so 
 dangerous or painful as he had surmised. 
 
 134 
 
That the anaesthetic which was not at all 
 dangerous, seeing he had a good heart, 
 would prevent his suffering any pain, and 
 that I was much interested in his case, and 
 would be at his bedside when he came 
 back, to watch his recovery from the 
 anaesthesia. My words, I saw, had a quiet- 
 ing effect upon him, and he looked eagerly 
 at me as he said : "Please maa'm would it 
 be too much trouble for you, could you go 
 to the operating room with me?" I was 
 very sorry just then, for the strict rules 
 in Army hospitals which prevented one's 
 going and coming as one pleased, and I 
 knew there were sufficient nurses on duty 
 in the operating room at that time to at- 
 tend to all duties connected with that de- 
 partment, and that it would be considered 
 a very foolish and unnecessary request 
 should I ask leave to accompany one of my 
 boys, just to satisfy a whim, but his face 
 was so eager and wistful that I hadn't the 
 heart to refuse, so I said I would see what 
 we could do about it. 
 
 It happened Dr. Boggs was in the office 
 when I made my request. I had hoped Dr. 
 John's would be present, for I had little 
 hope of gaining any favor from Dr. Boggs. 
 It was evident that I had made as absurd 
 a demand as if I had asked for the nose off 
 his respectable face, for he scowled and 
 
 135 
 
stared, and before he had time to burst 
 forth with the torrent of scathing re- 
 marks, which was aminous from the looks 
 of his face, I backed out leaving him no 
 doubt to regret that such mild maniacs 
 were left at large ! 
 
 I went back to Moor's bedside and told 
 him that since he would be gone from the 
 ward such a little while, and while he was 
 gone, I would have to see to preparing his 
 bed for his return, with fresh linen, warm 
 bottles, etc., that it would be impossible 
 for me to accompany him, but with prom- 
 ises of being on hand at his bedside upon 
 his return, I gave him a pat on the should- 
 er and a gentle smooth-back to his fore- 
 lock as I said: "There I knew you were 
 one of my bravest soldiers, of whom I feel 
 very proud." He grabbed my hand, laid 
 his cheek upon it for a second, then was 
 wheeled down the ward toward the door, 
 and out into the corridor leading to the 
 operating room. It was through my soli- 
 citation for this homesick boy that after- 
 ward caused my summary dismissal from 
 this ward, by Dr. Boggs, who seemed to 
 take a dislike to both the boy and myself, 
 from the day I asked to accompany the 
 lad to the operating room. 
 
 When Moor returned, I noticed symptoms 
 of a cold even before he was well out of 
 
 136 
 
the ether. And little wonder. One of my 
 chief worries was, on seeing the boys come 
 from the warmth of the operating room, be 
 wheeled through a long corridor with many 
 times insufficient covering over their bodies 
 which usually were drenched with perspir- 
 ation. 
 
 The ward master or corps boys of inex- 
 perience were usually left to attend to this 
 part of the proceeding, and should a nurse 
 remonstrate at such procedure, would in 
 many cases be tho't fussy and be set aside 
 with an amused smile of masculine super- 
 iority, so the consequences were that in 
 many, as in Moor's case, a most disagree- 
 able cold, if not ether pneumonia would 
 develop. "Lieut." John's being absent so 
 much, I drew the attention of "Lieut." 
 Boggs to the boy, but when in a day or 
 two his cold had developed to such alarm- 
 ing proportions without any apparent sol- 
 icitation on the doctor's part, I again men- 
 tioned the boy to Dr. Boggs, adding that 
 I feared if something was not done soon, 
 he w^ould go into pneumonia. His cough 
 being tight and hoarse and his tempera- 
 ture rising. Dr. Boggs evidently did not 
 consider the boy's condition in such a grave 
 state as i had pictured it, for a couple of 
 days more elapsed without any order for 
 treatment of any kind whatever. Mean- 
 
 137 
 
while, upon "my own hook," I smothered 
 him with old-fashioned remedies outward- 
 ly, like compresses of camphorated oil, 
 turpentine, etc., which I knew, if doing no 
 good, would at least do him no harm, and 
 which had the soothing effect upon the 
 lad of causing him to feel that something 
 was being done for him. He suffered in- 
 tensely when obliged to cough, as the inci- 
 sinon in his side was still very tender. He 
 seemed to be perfectly satisfied, however, 
 that all was being done that could be, and 
 remarked once while I was applying my 
 greasy treatment to his chest, that he was 
 glad I was doing that for he knew that if 
 he were home, his mother would be doing 
 that very thing. This was comforting to 
 me, but I trembled lest the Doctor might 
 take a notion to look him over, and find- 
 ing him all dobbed up with grease create 
 a scene, and order such foolish "coddling" 
 of the patients be discontinued. It was the 
 fourth day after ^Moor's operation, his cold 
 was still very troublesome, though he de- 
 clared the pain in his chest had ceased 
 since I had begun to "grease" him, that 
 in making the rounds of the ward with the 
 big Major who was head of the Surgical 
 Department at the hospital and who came 
 through the wards once a week, that 
 brought calamity upon my head in the 
 
 138 
 
shape of the wrath of Lieut. Boggs. He 
 was with the Major, and it was also the 
 nurse's duty to accompany them upon 
 their rounds. Upon approaching Moor's 
 bed, whose occupant was at that moment 
 suffering greatly from an attack of cough- 
 ing, I took it upon myself to explain his 
 case to the Major, seeing Dr. Boggs had no 
 intention of doing so, there being indica- 
 tions of passing by without a word of 
 comment. I felt that if his case were ne- 
 glected further it might prove very grave 
 in the end. I realized to the fullest ex-, 
 tent, the terrible and unpardonable breach 
 of military tactics I displayed in speaking 
 to an official of any rank over my superior 
 officer's head, but as I was not, nor do I 
 have any ambition to ever be, at all "mili- 
 tary," and as I had twice called the at- 
 tention of the Lieutenant in charge to the 
 boy with no results, and as I was there to 
 do what I could to help our boys, and as 
 this boy's fate and life perhaps hung in 
 the balance, I cared naught for the con- 
 sequence myself, so I could get the major 
 to see that the case was looked into and 
 find out if the boy was in as serious a 
 plight as I had feared. I know not why our 
 doctor had so persistently neglected this 
 boy for he seemed to take 4in interest (in 
 his doleful way), in the cases under his 
 
 139 
 
care, as a rule, and perhaps had I taken no 
 notice of the lad, he would have taken up 
 his case long ago. I scarce could help the 
 interest I showed, for his helpless, fright- 
 ened homesick condition, had enlisted my 
 sympathies from the first. Perhaps for 
 that very reason the doctor thought that 
 I was making enough fuss over him, but 
 any discerning person could see that he 
 was in need of medical attention, as well as 
 coddling. I believe a good doctor not only 
 sees everything that is, but a great many 
 things that are not. Until upon this oc- 
 casion I had taken it for granted that Dr. 
 Boggs, despite his morose disposition 
 which was evident at all times, was at 
 least, like so many doctors, a kind sympa- 
 thetic person to whom a nurse might go 
 in her anxieties concerning her patients, 
 for had not a nurse who was about them 
 so much, bathing, tending, and in many 
 instances feeding them, and doing all those 
 little things necessary to the comfort and 
 well being of the sick, a much better 
 chance to note any unusual symptoms 
 which might at any moment develop, un- 
 noticed by the physician whose observa- 
 tions are confined to a hurried trip through 
 the ward not of tener than three times dur- 
 ing the day? 
 An unsympathizing physician or nurse 
 
 140 
 
is, to my mind, a person bereft of one of 
 the most potent agencies of treatment, 
 and of cure. He knows not the whole ex- 
 tent of his art, when he recklessly neglects 
 the marvelous influence of mind over body. 
 A wise physician or nurse knows, I believe, 
 that the best way to win from patients a 
 full understanding of their case, is to se- 
 cure their confidence by kindly, sincere, 
 and sympathetic treatment. The Major 
 examined the boy thoroughly, raised his 
 eyebrows, and turning to Dr. Boggs asked, 
 "How long has this boy's lung been affect- 
 ed?" Lieut. Boggs stammered as he re- 
 plied, "He was just operated on *sir* a day 
 or so ago 'sir,' and hasn't gotten all the 
 ether out of his lungs yet sir." 
 
 "H'm, the Major grunted, he has a de- 
 cided touch of pneumonia in the left lobe 
 here; however, you did a good thing by 
 poulticing as you have been doing, this, 
 while he wiped the disc of his stethoscope 
 on a piece of cotton to remove the grease. 
 Just keep up the turpentine, and lard, and 
 with a few curt orders concerning medi- 
 cation, to "Lieut." Boggs, we passed on 
 down the ward. 
 
 A glance from Dr. Boggs' eye showed 
 me that I had made an enemy and I won- 
 dered in just what manner he would try 
 
 141 
 
to "get even with me," should he be of a 
 vengeful disposition. 
 
 I felt I had done the best I could, and 
 while I bore no ill will toward Lieut. 
 Boggs, I did feel that he might have 
 shown a little more concern in this matter. 
 
 A few days after this incident, I receiv- 
 ed a call to the Chief's office. 
 
 I soon learned that I was, though hav- 
 ing only a week left of service before it 
 should be my turn to go to another ward, 
 to be transferred to another ward at once ! 
 I must leave my dear boys of whom I had 
 grown so fond. The boys who had receiv- 
 ed with such gratitude the pillows from 
 my home friends, that I had toiled over 
 like a mother over a family of sick babies. 
 Each and every one had some character- 
 istic winsome way about him, all felt to- 
 ward me as toward a mother or elder sis- 
 ter. Many were the little tokens of appre- 
 ciation which had been showered upon me 
 while there. 
 
 I learned that Dr. Boggs had complained 
 that I wearied him unnecessarily about 
 the boys' conditions. The Chief had said 
 "of course Miss Lee, we all know the 
 reputation Lieutenant Boggs has of surli- 
 ness and grouchiness, but it is best, where 
 there is any dissatisfaction to separate 
 the parties in the ward." I felt too bad to 
 
 142 
 
cry. Not that I wanted to stay in his 
 ward— why could he not have waited the 
 few remaining days when my time would 
 have been up to leave the ward, and not 
 have taken such an unkind way about it? 
 Well, he had his revenge ! 
 
 I said nothing to the boys, just bade 
 them good night, as usual, as I left the 
 ward. But before the next day was over 
 at my new ward, which was not far dis- 
 tant, every mother*s son who could walk, 
 creep or crawl or be wheeled in a chair, 
 came over to my ward to tell me how sorry 
 they were I had left them. In another 
 fortnight "Moor, my pet patient himself, 
 was wheeled over by one of the boys, and 
 stayed in my ward and warmed by our 
 fire as long as he could stay, before being 
 called back to supper. 
 
 Many precious little gifts to this day 
 repose in my trunk and occasionally as I 
 gaze upon them, bring back sweet memo- 
 ries of the dear boys who were so anxious 
 in their grateful hearts to show their ap- 
 preciation of the little care and kindness 
 it was our privilege to minister to them. 
 
 Bits of crochet work from mothers and 
 sisters, of boys, who, recounted their 
 nurse's kindness to them in such glowing 
 words that those at home sent tokei^s of 
 regard to show their appreciation of the 
 
 143 
 
care shown to their loved boys while ill 
 away from home. A dainty cap from the 
 Governor's wife in a Western state whose 
 son lay ill so long in our ward ; pillow tops, 
 handkerchiefs, bits of lace and no end of 
 dainty cards and beautiful letters, lay in 
 the box of keepsakes, whose worth, in af- 
 fection and love, the rarest gift of all, can 
 never be measured. 
 
 I recall one stalwart fellow, who came 
 shame-facedly toward me one day, holding 
 in his hands a very long string of beads, 
 saying that he had taken the first oppor- 
 tunity of buying me a present, to show 
 his appreciation of my kindness to him 
 while he was sick. I felt a hesitancy in 
 taking them, as I seldom wear beads, but 
 not wishing to disappoint him, I thanked 
 him kindly. The poor fellow had given 
 several dollars in exchange for the beads, 
 (the length of the string would have per- 
 mitted the wrapping of them about my 
 neck half a dozen times with enough left 
 to go around my waist once, I think,) to 
 an Indian who was going about the camp 
 selling them, reaping a fat harvest from 
 the boys whose only way of separating 
 themselves and their pay was at the can- 
 teen. 
 
 It was reported later that the said In- 
 dian was a German spy, finding out all he 
 
 144 
 
couid about the hospital, while going about 
 in the guise of an Indian peddler. He was 
 found to have maps of the camp and hos- 
 pital in his hat, and it was reported that 
 he was shot in the town of A. I do not 
 know how true this report was. But the 
 sweetest gift to me of all, I think was a 
 huge bunch of magnolia blossoms. We 
 had had, in our ward No. 24, a very dear 
 boy who had suffered with complications 
 of ear trouble following measles. Shy, 
 sweet-faced, large honest brown eyes, too 
 young and gentle and sweet to be in train- 
 ing to take the life of his fellow men ! So 
 modest that he colored like a school girl 
 when I washed him, and when I came to 
 his feet which were very soiled and cold 
 as ice, he did not seem to understand just 
 what was happening. But when I turned 
 the covers back just enough for both feet 
 to be plumpped into the tub of warm suds, 
 he raised his head, gave one look and sank 
 back, burying his face in the pillow with 
 the exclamation: "My dirty feet!" but 
 when they were nicely dried and warm 
 and comfortable he banished his timidity 
 and said, "I feel so comfortable now, I 
 never can show you how much I thank 
 you Miss, but I hope I can sometime." 
 Several months after this while sitting 
 with a group of nurses under the trees in 
 
 145 
 
the open air, in front of the large screen 
 upon which the pictures of "Pershing with 
 the Army in France" was to be shown in 
 a short while, someone stole up in the twi- 
 light and laid a wonderful bouquet of the 
 large beautiful magnolia blossoms in my 
 lap. The bunch was about as large as my 
 arms could hold and everyone a perfect 
 specimen. Not a word was spoken, neith- 
 er did he stop to receive my thanks, but 
 kept moving on and as I scanned his back 
 closely in the quickly gathering dusk, I 
 recognized Marks, of the "foot washing" 
 and I prized his gift very highly, as I real- 
 ized to what height he had climbed to ob- 
 tain them. After the pictures I watched 
 for him and going to him I told him how 
 I appreciated his gift and the pleasure it 
 had given me. There was a radiant smile 
 on his face as he said : "It's nothing com- 
 pared to what I*d like to do for you Miss, 
 for I never will forget you." 
 
 My thoughts were very pleasant as I 
 wended my way back to our barracks 
 across the wide stretch of ground that lay 
 between, and my reflections ended with 
 this exclamation, "God bless the brave 
 lads, who without much thought of fear 
 were preparing all these months to go and 
 face machine gun fire, shot and shell, with- 
 out a qualm, but who quailed at the 
 
 146 
 
thought of having a woman wash their 
 feet. 
 
 Having espoused the cause of Christian- 
 ity early in life, it was one of my chief 
 desires to see all of my boys christians be- 
 fore going upon the hazardous journey to 
 a foreign land, from which so many of 
 them should never return. So I made it a 
 point as I felt it a duty, not to let any of 
 the boys pass from the wards in which I 
 attended them, without at some time dur- 
 ing their stay, hearing words of earnest 
 admonition to take the Saviour as their 
 guide and helper for time and eternity. 
 That He would prove an ever present help 
 in time of need. I tried to impress upon 
 their minds, that not their own deeds of 
 sacrifice or bravery could save them, that 
 nothing less than faith in Jesus' blood 
 which was shed for the remission of sins, 
 could make them safe. I heard some of 
 the nurses expressing an idea, which seem- 
 ed to become quite popular, that, the sac- 
 rifice of giving their lives would save even 
 the most desperate of the wicked and de- 
 generate. It grieved me to have this er- 
 roneous teaching promulgated among the 
 boys, for if such were true, then there 
 would be no need of a Saviour. But God's 
 word says that our righteousness is as fil- 
 thy rags, and that there is no name given 
 
 147 
 
under heaven whereby we can be saved, 
 but in and through the name of Jesus, and 
 that faith in His blood alone can cleanse us 
 from sin. 
 
 I pointed out by the Bible, how that it 
 was absolutely necessary for each soul to 
 repent, and be born again, that is, to for- 
 sake his sins and become a new creature in 
 Christ, trusting in Jesus' blood alone to 
 cleanse him from sin, and that he is then, 
 and only then, fit to die and meet his God. 
 
 After pointing out the truth as it is in 
 God's word to the different groups that 
 came and went, through those busy 
 months, while going about the humble 
 duties of bathing faces and hands, 
 straightening bedclothes, beating up pil- 
 lows or serving rations, etc., I could only 
 pray the Father above, to water the seed 
 sown, that it might be fruitful and not re- 
 turn unto Him void. I believe that many 
 of the boys gave their hearts to God in 
 those days, for they promised almost to a 
 man, to take the Saviour with them and 
 live as He would have them live by His 
 Grace. 
 
 148 
 
CHAPTER XII 
 
 Off Duty 
 
 )T IS not the most pleasant task 
 to recall the three weeks spent 
 nursing the grippe and a 
 frost-bitten foot, when there 
 was so much to be done in the 
 wards, but as I am recounting happenings 
 as they occurred, I will have to put it all 
 in. 
 
 Meeting Captain Warren in the office 
 one morning, after a painful night with 
 the foot, I could not evade the close scru- 
 tiny of his eyes. 
 
 He arose upon my entrance, and cover- 
 ing me with a glance remarked, "My dear 
 girl, we shall have you laid up in a few 
 days, if you do not take a few days off and 
 rest yourself." "Miss Emmet is getting 
 onto things now and can manage the ward 
 alone for a few days." "Do be prudent, 
 and do not let me have to add 'Nurse 
 Lee* to my bouquet of patients." This 
 advice was delivered in a paternal man- 
 ner, by the elder surgeon in the ward I had 
 
 149 
 
now been in for three weeks, a kind heart- 
 ed gentleman, as unlike Lieut .Boggs as 
 day is from night. From his kind solici- 
 tude he seemed to consider me a frail 
 young blossom, that needed much cherish- 
 ing, instead of a small, but robust and 
 healthy spinster, who had been knocking 
 about the world for some thirty odd years. 
 His advice had been offered by several 
 persons for a week and refused by me with 
 the obstinacy with which my sex is some- 
 times so richly gifted. But the last few 
 hours had developed several surprising in- 
 ternal and external phenomena, which im- 
 pressed upon me the fact that if I didn't 
 make a masterly retreat very soon, I 
 should tumble down somewhere and have 
 to be borne ignominiously from the field. 
 My head felt like a wooden bucket from 
 the cold I had acquired, my feet had a ten- 
 dency to cleave to the floor; the walls at 
 times undulated in a most disagreeable 
 manner; people looked unnaturally big, 
 and the very bottles in the medicine case 
 appeared to dance desisively before my 
 eyes. Taking all these things into consid- 
 eration, while blinking stupidly at Captain 
 Warren, I resolved to retire gracefully, if 
 I must ; so, with a valedictory to the boys, 
 a private lecture to Miss Emmet, who was 
 new in the ward, and a fervent wish that I 
 
 150 
 
could take off my body and work in my 
 soul, I mournfully ascended the steps to 
 the conveyance which had been summoned 
 to take me to the nurses* quarters, and 
 nurse Lee was reported "off duty.'* 
 
 For a day or two I managed to appear 
 at meals; for: "The human grub' must 
 eat till the butterfly is ready to break 
 loose," and no one had time to carry food 
 such a distance, while it was possible for 
 me to go to it. Far be it from me to add 
 another affliction or reproach to that en- 
 during black soul the cook Sallie, for com- 
 pared to her predecessor, she was a horn 
 of plenty ; but I put it to any candid mind 
 — is not the following bill of fare suscepti- 
 ble of improvement, without plunging the 
 nation madly into debt? The three meals 
 were "pretty much of a sameness," and 
 consisted of beef (when we had it) evi- 
 dently put down for the men of '61 ; pork, 
 just in from the woods, army bread, com- 
 posed of sawdust and saleratus; butter 
 three times a week, and salt as if churn- 
 ed by Lot's wife ; stewed prunes, so much 
 like preserved beetle.^, that only those de- 
 void of imagination could partake thereof 
 with relish; coffee, mild and muddy or 
 strong and bitter, tea tasting like Senna 
 tea, animated and unconscious to any ap- 
 proach to clearness. Variety being the 
 
 151 
 
spice of life, a small pinch of the article 
 would have been appreciated by the hun- 
 gry, hard working sisterhood ; one of 
 whom, though accustomed to plain fare, 
 soon found herself reduced to bread and 
 water; having an inborn repugnance to 
 the fat of the land, and the salt of the 
 earth. 
 
 It is only just to relate that this state 
 of affairs lasted but a short time, in fact 
 no longer than our neat, bonny and capa- 
 ble dietitians arrived upon the scene. 
 They took the culinary establishment in 
 hand and worked such magic that no one 
 would have believed it to be the same 
 place a few weeks later. We were soon 
 finding ourselves transplanted "as it were" 
 from a bare Sodom and Gamorrah sort of 
 place to a land "flowing with milk and 
 honey." 
 
 Very soon after leaving the ward, I dis- 
 covered I had no appetite, and cut the 
 bread and butter interests almost entire- 
 ly, trying the exercise and sun cure instead 
 but the lame foot handicapped the exer- 
 cise, so I had to be contented by sitting 
 upon my bed and occupying the time by 
 reading, writing or knitting. I longed to 
 get out and explore the woods and sur- 
 rounding country, but my foot was so 
 swollen and painful, I could not venture 
 
 152 
 
far in a community one-half of whose 
 male population seemed to be taking 
 the other half to the guard house,^ 
 but every morning I took a brisk run in one 
 direction or another; for the February 
 days were as mild as spring. Finally the 
 foot getting no better at last balked and 
 would not permit my using it at all. The 
 surgeon who examined it suggested an 
 operation, but not being in favor of such 
 procedure, I took it in hand and began to 
 poultice it myself, obeying the surgeon's 
 injunction to keep off of it. With the help 
 of several kind-hearted nurses, we soon 
 brought it around to where I could hobble 
 about on crutches. Our Chief being laid 
 up at the same time from a fall on the ice, 
 a fortnight previous to this gave us many 
 a pleasant chat and visit together. 
 
 But some of those days shut up in the 
 dormitory with no voice, spirits or books, 
 was not a holiday by any means. Finding 
 meals a humbug, I stopped away altogeth- 
 er, trusting that if this sparrow was of 
 any worth, the Lord would not let it fall 
 to the ground. Like a flock of friendly 
 ravens, my sister nurses fed me, not only 
 with food for the body, but kind words for 
 the mind ; and soon from being half starv- 
 ed, I found myself so be-teaed and be- 
 toasted, petted and served, that I was 
 
 153 
 
nearly killed with kindness, in spite of 
 cough, headache, a painful consciousness 
 of my pleura and pain in my swollen foot. 
 Not being able these days to help in the 
 care of fleshly bodies, arms and legs, I 
 solaced myself by mending cotton ones, 
 and as I sat sewing at my window, watch- 
 ed the moving panorama that passed be- 
 low ; amusing myself with taking notes of 
 the most striking figures in it. Long 
 trains of army trucks kept up a perpetual 
 rumble from morning till night. Ambu- 
 lances rattled to and fro with busy sur- 
 geons or nurses taking an airing or con- 
 valescents going to town or over to the 
 camp. There were more mules here than I 
 had ever expected existed, and they were 
 my special delight; an hour's study of a 
 constant succession of them introduced me 
 to many of their characteristics; for in- 
 stance, the coquettish mule had small feet, 
 a nicely trimmed tassel of a tail, perked 
 up ears, and seemed much given to little 
 tosses of the head, affected skips and 
 prances, and as if he wore the bells, he 
 put on as many airs as any belle. The 
 moral mule was a stout, hard-working 
 creature, always tugging with all his 
 might, often pulling away after the rest 
 had stopped, laboring under the conscien- 
 tious delusion that food for the entire 
 
 154 
 
army depended upon his private exertions. 
 I respected this style of mule, and had I 
 possesed a juicy turnip, would have press- 
 ed it upon him, with thanks for his excel- 
 lent example. The pathetic mule was, 
 perhaps, the most interesting of all; for 
 though he always seemed to be the small- 
 est, thinnest and weakest, he struggled 
 feebly along, head down, coat muddy and 
 rough, eye spiritless and sad, his very tail 
 a mortified stump, and the whole beast a 
 picture of meek misery, fit to touch a heart 
 of stone. The jovial mule was a roly poly 
 happy-go-lucky little piece of horse flesh, 
 taking everything easily, from cudgelling 
 to caressing ; strolling along with a roguish 
 twinkle of the eye, and if the thing were 
 possible would have had his hands in his 
 pockets, and whistled as he went. If 
 there ever chanced to be an apple-core, a 
 stray carrot or wisp of hay in the gutter, 
 this Happy Hooligan was sure to find it, 
 and none of his mates seemed to begrudge 
 him his bite. I suspected this fellow was 
 the peacemaker, confidant and friend of 
 all the others, for he had a sort of cheer- 
 up-old-boy, I'U-pull-you-through" look, 
 which was exceedingly engaging. 
 
 But more interesting than officers, 
 ladies, pigs or mules were my colored 
 brothers and sisters, because so unlike 
 
 155 
 
anything I had ever seen in the North. 
 Here was the genuine article, (this side of 
 Africa) . But the sort of creatures genera- 
 tions of slavery had made them had never 
 migrated from the spot where three gen- 
 erations had been born, lived, died — their 
 children had been born and lived, or exist- 
 ed, I should say, trickish, lazy and ignor- 
 ant, yet kind-hearted, merry tempered, 
 quick to feel and accept the least token of 
 the brotherly love which is slowly teach- 
 ing the white hand to grasp the black, in 
 this benevolent, broadening, fair-minded 
 land of freedom. 
 
 I had not been off duty a week coming 
 in contact with the many and various 
 sized servants about the nurses* home, 
 with the neglected, "devil may care" ex- 
 pression in many of the faces, till it seem- 
 ed an urgent appeal to leave nursing white 
 bodies, and take some care of these black 
 souls. Much as the lazy boys and saucy 
 girls tormented me, I liked them, and 
 found that any show of interest or friend- 
 liness brought out the better traits which 
 live in the most degraded and forsaken of 
 us all. 
 
 Companies of soldier boys would pass 
 my window marching, always marching, 
 sometimes in the rain, their slickers glis- 
 tening like silk, and their army shoes 
 
 156 
 
soaked and despattered with mud. It was 
 during these weeks that our camp was 
 visited by an epidemic of that dreaded 
 disease meningitis. A very strict quaran- 
 tine was placed over the hospital, camp 
 and the town of A — . No one was allow- 
 ed to go or come and for one whole month 
 all public gatherings were prohibited, even 
 the Y. M. C. A. Hut was closed, where 
 twice a week we attended services con- 
 ducted by our able, kind-hearted chaplain, 
 Lieut. Arnold. 
 
 At the end of three weeks my foot com- 
 ing on so nicely and all traces of the grippe 
 having disappeared, I could not listen to 
 the accounts of the busy times in the 
 wards and remain away longer, so one day 
 going to the Chief I asked permission to 
 go back to work, and to be permitted to 
 work in one of the wards for meningitis. 
 This was on Thursday, and she told me I 
 could not go to work before the following 
 Monday A. M. I contented myself in the 
 meantime by reading, and writing letters 
 and on Sunday evening went with some 
 other nurses for a stroll around the 
 grounds, and along the railroad which was 
 a favorite promenade. It was the last 
 days of February, the air was balmy and 
 spring-like, and grass was everywhere 
 peeping out of the ground. The pine trees 
 
 157 
 
which had never lost their fresh green 
 color all through the winter looked beau- 
 tiful in the sunlight, and the large beau- 
 tiful palm leaves all through the woods, 
 made it seem like paradise to one who had 
 been cooped up inside for nearly ten days. 
 I thanked the Dear Lord in my heart for 
 permitting me to be able to be about again, 
 enjoying the beauties of nature and the 
 prospect of soon being back at my work 
 where everyone was needed so badly. I 
 was delighted on Monday A. M. when Miss 
 Alberts, our Chief, assigned me to a con- 
 valescent ward for meningitis. I was here 
 one month and if I had longed for an op- 
 portunity to "do things*' for the poor sick 
 helpless boys before, my wants were grati- 
 fied, for though this was a convalescent 
 ward, scarcely one of the forty patients 
 was able to walk or help himself. It was 
 a most pitiful sight to behold, what had 
 been strong stalwart men, reduced to a 
 mere skeleton, with perhaps the loss from 
 paralysis, of an arm or limb, or perhaps 
 the hearing gone or eyes weak, and even 
 blind in some cases. But I shall not dwell 
 on, or go into details here, suffice it to say 
 that many of these patients never left the 
 ward and those who did after many weeks, 
 were all wrecks of their former selves. 
 When my month of work in this ward 
 158 
 
was finished, it was by this time my turn 
 at night duty, and it fell my lot to spend 
 my first night duty in the meningitis ward 
 proper. As I look back over that month's 
 experience, it seemed one long nightmare 
 of howling, screaming, cursing, swearing, 
 moaning, groaning, suffering humanity. 
 The only consolation was that they were 
 delirious most of the time and knew 
 naught of their sufferings. There were 
 three nurses and three corps boys on duty 
 through the night here, while a doctor 
 spent his time between this and the con- 
 valescent ward next door. We were all 
 kept busy all of the night long for each 
 patient seemed to be obsessed in his deli- 
 rium with a desire to promenade through 
 the ward, so it was necessary for each at- 
 tendant as well as the nurses to keep vigi- 
 lant watch at all times to keep them in 
 their beds. 
 
 We lived in isolation during this month, 
 and tents were put up in the rear of the 
 nurses' home for those working in these 
 wards. My tentmate was a lovable, sweet 
 natured girl from Boston, Massachusetts. 
 All the girls in isolation loved to come to 
 our tent, as we had it fixed up so cozy and 
 home-like. A soldier boy started fires in 
 the little funnel shaped stoves in all of the 
 tents in the mornings, and when we arose 
 
 159 
 
it was warm and comfortable in each tent. 
 I enjoyed life in our little tent more than 
 in the dormitory. We even had electric 
 lights with a rose shade! Our shoe rack 
 was made of stout cord fastened to the 
 board wall with nails and we even had 
 pictures on the wall and rugs on the floor. 
 The month soon flew by, the terrible epi- 
 demic abated, quarantine was lifted and 
 we were all happy once more. I have 
 come to believe that the majority of peo- 
 ple are compelled to find happiness as best 
 they may, in doing what they cannot al- 
 together help, and in choosing what ap- 
 pears to be the lesser of two evils, though 
 it may ultimately turn out a real good. 
 While others who always seem to have 
 their own way, in everything, as aids for 
 procuring their own happiness, oftener 
 fail in doing so, than those for whom des- 
 tiny seems to have marked out their 
 course of life. 
 
 By the time the little tents were vacated 
 the new nurses' home, which had been in 
 process of construction for weeks, was 
 completed and I will confess that it was, 
 with a real pang of regret, that I moved 
 from the dear little tent that had grown 
 to be such a cozy home, even to a lovely 
 room in the new barracks. I was very 
 happy over the room which was assigned 
 
 160 
 
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 CD 
 
 O) 
 
 05 
 O 
 <rt- 
 (t> 
 
 a' 
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 CD 
 CO 
 
 
 U2 
 
 a> 
 
 CfQ 
 CD 
 
 CO 
 
to me, however, as it looked out upon the 
 front veranda, and from my window I 
 could see away down the road, past the 
 "old home" through the woods, toward the 
 camp. At night when Taps was blown, 
 the sound wafted on the air through the 
 woods was thrilling and impressive. In 
 the morning the revilee at the camp two 
 miles away could be heard through the 
 woods as plainly almost as the "Can't get 
 'em up" of our own hospital bugler. 
 
 As spring passed and summer came on, 
 our work grew lighter, and it was then 
 our Chief advised all who wished to take 
 a short vacation to do so, while they could 
 easily be spared from duty. 
 
 It was during the spring months here, 
 that I first beheld the beautiful sweet bay 
 blossoms, and the bloom from the majes- 
 tic magnolia tree. Some of the blossoms 
 were large as dinner plates. On our hours 
 off duty the nurses enjoyed strolling in 
 the woods, where wild flowers abounded, 
 and the green of the foliage seemed a love- 
 lier green than I had ever beheld before. 
 The place abounded in pretty scenery. 
 There were many picnic parties, and trips 
 to the bathing beach, twenty miles away, 
 so we never lacked for amusement and re- 
 creation when off duty those days. Horse 
 
 161 
 
back riding was very popular among those 
 who cared for it. 
 
 During the latter part of the summer 
 the Governors of three states came to re- 
 view the troops at the camp, before they 
 were to be sent overseas. Permission was 
 given to as many nurses as happened to 
 have the hours off, to go over to the camp 
 and enjoy the impressive ceremonies. I 
 happened to be among the lucky number. 
 An ambulance came for us at the appoint- 
 ed time, we had reserved seats very near 
 the Governors, and their staffs, and I shall 
 never forget the impressions of that day 
 as long as I live. Before the troops came 
 by we had ample opportunity to study the 
 distinguished members of the party of 
 Governors near us. The much bebraided, 
 betasselled and beploomed officers, looked 
 like they might have stepped out of some 
 book about Knighthood of olden times. 
 The Governors themselves were plainly 
 dressed except for the high silk hats worn 
 by two of them ; the other one wearing a 
 plain fedora, but looking as much the gen- 
 tleman as his silk hatted companions. 
 
 As the boys came marching by, each 
 regfiment was led by its own band, and I 
 never expect to see again upon this earth 
 such an impressive sight. Fifty thousand 
 strong, our dear lads marched by, many 
 
 162 
 
of them had been sick under our very care,, 
 all looking so manly and fine, marching in 
 perfect step to the music of their band. 
 As we realized what it all meant, our 
 hearts were very sad, so many of those 
 manly forms would remain in foreign 
 lands, and after sailing so bravely away 
 would never more return. 
 
 My ward next day was honored by a 
 visit from the very Governors themselves, 
 who were making a tour of the hospital 
 in company with the Commanding officer. 
 
 I was surprised, that the Governor I had 
 met on the train, on my way to camp, 
 should remember my face, but he did, and 
 was very cordial as he offered some com- 
 plimentary remark concerning the appear- 
 ance of the ward, and the patients therein. 
 Once during the summer we had a talk at 
 the nurses' home from the big General in 
 command of the camp; who had just re- 
 turned from France. This was the one 
 and only occasion I ever heard of this dis- 
 tinguished gentleman honoring our hospi- 
 tal with his presence. 
 
 In August a dear friend, another nurse 
 and myself went for a ten days outing 
 down to the Gulf. It being only a little 
 over one hundred miles away it was not 
 much of a iourney, but we enjoyed every 
 moment of the trip. The semi-tropical 
 
 163 
 
sun which had poured down with such in- 
 tense heat over the camp, seemed to grow 
 shades less warm as we neared the Gulf. 
 The shady, cool palm drives, and lovely 
 drives and walks along the gulf coast with 
 a trip to Lake Champlain, Boloxi and Pass 
 Christian, the salt breeze putting new life 
 into our tired bodies, made new people of 
 us, so when we returned after our brief 
 outing, we took up work again with new 
 zest. 
 
 All summer long the letters from my 
 sister in Washington, gave interesting ac- 
 counts of the Government Hospital being 
 enlarged, and equipped for the many pa- 
 tients being brought back from overseas, 
 hospitals, that put a great desire in my 
 heart, to visit my Nation's Capital, and 
 lend a hand at helping care for those of 
 our boys who had come back sick, maimed 
 and wounded, from the battle fields. My 
 sister's presence in Washington was also 
 a magnet drawing me, so I set about get- 
 ting a Government transfer from the 
 Southern Base to the Hospital in Wash- 
 ington. My friend and Pal, Miss Bates, 
 declared if I left the camp she would go 
 too, so when we returned from our vaca- 
 tion our transfer was already made out 
 for the middle of September. 
 
 164 
 
CHAPTER XIII 
 
 A Unique Experience 
 
 I HE last two weeks stay at the 
 Southern Base Hospital were 
 memorable indeed. My work 
 during this time was in a 
 ward for colored soldiers, and 
 I would not have missed this experience, 
 unique and varied, and so different from 
 anything I had ever experienced, for all 
 the other experiences put together. My 
 first entrance upon this field of work was, 
 I will admit, with a mind filled with some 
 misgivings, and temerity, and I may say 
 that it was with a feeling akin to repug- 
 nance that I entered the ward the first day 
 and beheld two long rows of beds, each 
 containing a dusky visaged occupant, 
 whose black face against the white pil- 
 lows, recalling a picture I have seen some- 
 where, of a black urchin in the middle of a 
 large bed, whose little black face stood out 
 in relief against the huge white pillows 
 behind it, and, underneath the words, *'far 
 from the maddening crowd." 
 
 165 
 
Here were faces resembling all species 
 of the hairy tribe, from the Gorilla down. 
 But after working among them for a short 
 while, I soon learned that they too were 
 just a lot of sick, helpless, pitiful human- 
 ity, more touching in their helplessness 
 and if such a thing could be, even more 
 grateful and appreciative for the least 
 kindness shown them, or thought taken for 
 their comfort. 
 
 There were thirty patients in the ward, 
 and though as I have said, we had all sorts 
 of peculiar visaged ones, there were also 
 some fine specimens of their race, but all 
 were humble, meek and lowly, and almost 
 to a man, very religious. It was very in- 
 teresting to listen to them at times. Those 
 who were able ate their meals at a large 
 table on the porch at the end of the ward. 
 They never partook of their meal without 
 first returning thanks to their Heavenly 
 Father for His many blessings, amidst the 
 hardships of hospital life. The prayers 
 ivhich poured forth from those dusky 
 throats were wonderful to hear. On Sun- 
 day and Wednesday there was preaching, 
 for among the patients was one Reverend 
 Johnson, who was a convalescent and 
 preached to the boys who were able to go 
 out to the porch where the meetings were 
 held. I never had the opportunity of at- 
 
 166 
 
tending any of these meetings, as it took 
 place after the day's work was over in the 
 ward, but if the sermons were delivered 
 with the same unction and fervor that 
 his prayers were, then it must have been 
 a treat indeed to hear him. 
 
 There are those who think meanly of 
 prayer, and never bow the knee to the 
 giver of all good from one year's end to 
 another. Such persons would do well to 
 imitate our lowly brethren, who in many 
 instances show more of that humble 
 Christ-like piety than many so-called 
 Christians of the higher races. They 
 sometimes ask, "what profit should we 
 have if we pray to the Almighty?" Job 
 21-15. The true answer is, "much every 
 way" for 
 
 *'There is an eye that never sleeps, 
 
 Beneath the wings of night; 
 There is an ear that never shuts 
 
 When sink the beams of light. 
 
 There is an arm, that never tires 
 When human strength gives way; 
 
 There is a love that never fails 
 When earthly loves decay. 
 
 That eye is fixed on seraph throngs, 
 
 That arm upholds the sky ; 
 That ear is filled with Angel songs ; 
 
 That love is throned on high. 
 167 
 
But there's a power which man can wield 
 
 When mortal aid is vain ; 
 That eye, that ear, that love to reach ; 
 
 That listening ear to gain. 
 
 That power is Prayer, which soars on high 
 Through Jesus, to the throne; 
 
 And moves the hand which moves the 
 world. 
 To bring salvation down. 
 
 It was the desire of one and all of the 
 colored brethren to possess a New Testa- 
 ment, so one day I walked over to the Y. 
 M. C. A. and asked the man in charge for 
 some testaments for our ward. Having 
 about a dozen on hand, for distribution 
 among the soldiers, he gave them to me, 
 and returning to the ward, I presented 
 them to those who seemed most desirous 
 of obtaining one. They were delighted, 
 and asked me to write their names in each 
 man's book, for many of them could neith- 
 er read nor write. 
 
 At mealtime, one day, shortly after this, 
 I missed one of the most devout brethren, 
 and of course a search was instigated at 
 once, when just as Parson Johnson had 
 finished saying grace, in rushed Riley, 
 panting and out of breath from his en- 
 deavor to get back to the ward before be- 
 ing missed. Upon inquiry as to where he 
 
 168 
 
had been, this was his reply : "You knows 
 Miss, dat black rascal whut done slept 
 next to me, he done gone back to camp 
 s'mon'i'n?" "Well dat good-fo'-nothin' ras- 
 cal, he done stole ma testament." "I jes' 
 caught him in time." "He wuz right in 
 the act of goin' off in de amb-lance. "He 
 done see's me, comin,' and reaches ma' 
 book to me fo any dem Lef'tenants sees 
 what I cum fo." "So I jes lets him alone, 
 and cum on back to ma' ainnah." And 
 with a broad grin and a hearty slap on his 
 breast pocket, he added, "But I'se all right 
 I'se got ma' test'ment agin." 
 
 We had one very peculiar specimen in 
 this ward. I was for some days a little in 
 awe of him ; as he would neither talk, eat, 
 lie down, or sleep. But sat staring stolid- 
 ly into space, like some huge statue of a 
 Gorilla. His expressionless eyes looked 
 straight ahead, without one iota of emo- 
 tion or interest in his surroundings, even 
 though corps boys, patients, doctors, and 
 all around him, tried by every persuasive 
 means to obtain some inkling of notice 
 from him. I thought to catch him off his 
 guard, by preparing his food with care 
 and delicacy and serving it to him as 
 though he were a king, but to no purpose. 
 He sat indifferent to all appeals, baffling 
 the doctors, a sight pitiful enough to touch 
 
 169 
 
a heart of stone. He was taken away 
 later to a psychopathic ward, and I never 
 learned what befell him afterward. 
 
 There were three Northern nurses work- 
 ed in this ward, some of the Southern girls 
 thought it degrading to serve and wait 
 upon the colored race, and flatly refused 
 to be placed in the ward for them. I soon 
 come to feel that it was just as important 
 and ennobling a task to care for and help 
 those poor pitiful creatures, as to care for 
 the white men, and indeed in many in- 
 stances the blacks seemed superior in gen- 
 tle kindness and tender thoughtfulness to- 
 ward one another, than some of the white 
 fellows. 
 
 I cared for them at first with some such 
 feeling as I might have shown toward a 
 ward full of Newfoundland dogs, or black 
 bears, but I soon come to feel that they 
 were human souls, though black outward- 
 ly, many of them were as "white" inside, 
 whose acts were as kindly and christian 
 as any race of any color. 
 
 When it came time for my departure 
 from this ward, some of the sick boys 
 heard I was going away to "Washington,**^ 
 and there were tears of sincere sorrow in 
 their eyes as they said good bye, and told 
 me they were sorry I was going away. I 
 felt their gratitude and their sorrow at 
 
 170 
 
my departure was as great a compliment 
 as one could have wished. I told them if 
 we never met here, I hoped we would meet 
 again in the "Sweet bye and bye," and I 
 was sincere in saying it. 
 
 I many times resolve, by the Grace of 
 God, upon a determination to keep stead- 
 ily in view the existence of a future state, 
 where all pure in heart and good people, 
 as well as our friends and loved ones have 
 gone, a consideration which bears in its 
 consequences upon every iota of our ac- 
 tions, believing that our every act has 
 vast influence over our moral undertak- 
 ings, and of which I acknowledge myself 
 many times, wickedly forgetful. 
 
 Having spent much prayer over the 
 matter of changing my location, there 
 seemed no hindrance to the move, so in 
 company with my friend. Miss Bates, I 
 took my departure from the camp hospital 
 on September 9, 1918, having spent just 
 nine months at the Base Hospital in the 
 South. 
 
 171 
 
CHAPTER XIV 
 
 A Pleasant Journey. 
 
 lO describe our pleasant three 
 days journey from the South- 
 land, up to the Eastern city, 
 where the Nation's capital 
 sits in smiling repose, would 
 be to write another story, so I will not at- 
 tempt it at this time. We met many con- 
 genial travelers, for it being war time, 
 people were going to their different fields 
 of action, for the pursuance of their var- 
 ious duties. A regiment of soldiers to 
 Camp Meade in Maryland, a crowd of 
 Aviators from a flying field in Florida, be- 
 ing mustered to the coast, thence on over- 
 seas, from whence I can but hope they all, 
 but fear many never returned. Nurses 
 going to their various fields of duty. Gov- 
 ernment clerks hastening to Washington 
 to take their place among the throngs of 
 those patriotic souls already there, doing 
 their bit in the thousands of offices, and 
 helping on the country's need at this time 
 as best they could. 
 
 172 
 
Upon arriving in Washington, and find- 
 ing the hospital to which we were going, 
 situated ten miles from the city, we de- 
 cided it was a good time to see something 
 of the place we had heard so many won- 
 derful and glowing accounts of, since 
 childhood, and this day being sort of a 
 holiday, between giving up our old work 
 and assuming the duties at the new hos- 
 pital and anxious to see the sister I had 
 not seen for nine long busy months, we 
 took a car and visited many places of note 
 during the day, toward evening, when she 
 should be at leisure, driving out to sister 
 Ruth's place of abode. After a happy 
 repast together she accompanied us to the 
 hospital where we were to pursue our 
 duties as Army nurses as long as our 
 country had need of us. 
 
 The chief nurse, a tall gray-haired wo- 
 man from Canada, greeted us cordially, 
 and assigned us to our quarters in Bar- 
 racks No. 1, a handsome brick structure 
 whose luxuriously furnished interior seem- 
 ed to us a palace, coming as we had from 
 the crude temporary building at the camp. 
 
 An incident occured while visiting the 
 capital building the day before, which I 
 will relate here. 
 
 My colleague, a girl twice the avoirdu- 
 pois of myself, decided after traveling 
 
 173 
 
over what seemed miles of stone corridor, 
 to await the crowd at the foot of one of 
 the massive stone stairs, after resting 
 there a bit to rejoin us again as we came 
 that way. The crowd of sightsee'rs forg- 
 ed on, up the stair, following the guide 
 who was busily engaged in giving an in- 
 teresting account of all points of interest, 
 as he pointed them out to us. We had 
 gone through Senate Chamber, House of 
 Representatives, down another stair and 
 corridor through Statuary Hall when I 
 discovered to my dismay, that we were 
 leaving the building and my friend. Miss 
 Bates, was not in the party. I spoke to 
 the driver on reaching the car and he, 
 kindly gentleman that he was, suggested 
 while another man drove the remainder 
 of the party to the Congressional Library 
 (which was a short distance) to return 
 with me to the capital to search for the 
 one "numbered amongst the missing." We 
 retraced the ground we had covered in our 
 earlier rounds, from garret to basement, 
 but Miss Bates was nowhere to be seen. 
 I begun to picture myself going on life's 
 journey alone, while she languished until 
 life became extinct in some one of these 
 numerous stone grottoes of which the Cap- 
 ital seemed so full. After we were thoro- 
 ughly convinced that she was no where in 
 
 174 
 
the building, at least not visible to the eye 
 of flesh, we gave up and I, very sad at 
 heart,, worried and perplexed, accompan- 
 ied the guide back to the Library, where 
 upon reaching, the first person I laid eyes 
 on was the smiling, happy countenance of 
 Miss Bates, awaiting me at the entrance. 
 We had quite a laugh over the episode, 
 though a few moments before it had ap- 
 peared very alarming to me. She had got- 
 ten tired waiting at the stairs, for of course 
 we never came back that way, and had 
 strolled on over to the Library which was 
 the next stop. 
 
 My assignment to duty the next day 
 was in the main building, a large brick, 
 which was one of the original buildings of 
 this Government Hospital, which had been 
 in existence as a home for sick soldiers 
 since the Civil War. This was a very 
 handsome building, thoroughly equipped 
 with all conveniences that modem inven- 
 tion could produce. Hardwood floors, pol- 
 ished so slick that one was in danger of 
 injury at any time from a fall, woodwork 
 and beds of a snowy appearance, windows 
 polished till they shone like diamonds. 
 
 The long clean and airy wards were fully 
 appreciated by Nurse Lee coming from 
 wards with tar-like oil all over the floors, 
 which clung to the shoes, leaving a grease 
 
 175 
 
spot wherever one set their foot. As I 
 watched the proceedings, I recalled my 
 former tribulations, and contrasted the 
 two hospitals in a way that would have 
 caused my summary dismissal from 
 the former had it been known earlier. 
 Here order, method, common sense and 
 liberality seemed to rule in a style that did 
 one's heart good to see. While at the 
 camp, in some of the wards, disorder, dis- 
 comfort and bad management reduced 
 things to a condition which I despair 
 of describing. The presiding genius 
 over this particular department was an 
 "Army Nurse" of several generations. 
 Like so many of these long suffering indi- 
 viduals, the years spent in keeping a mili- 
 tary establishment up to the mark, had 
 seemingly dried up all milk of human kind- 
 ness, that ever had existed, and rendered 
 a being almost mechanical in precision, 
 with no mercy for man, woman, or beast, 
 if such contended with the strict and for- 
 mal rules and regulations of Army life; 
 until the boys expression of "hard boiled" 
 became in some instances, very appro- 
 priate. Deliver me from the possibility of 
 ever becoming a hard tyranical, unsympa- 
 thetic "Military" woman ! The work here 
 was very interesting. Being a department 
 of bone surgery, we had to do with hun- 
 
 176 
 
dreds of cases of bone defection, the pa- 
 tients coming to our department for exam- 
 ination, correction, etc., from all over the 
 hospital, as well as the surrounding camps 
 of Meade, Meggs and Fort Myer. 
 
 There were two very high classed bone 
 specialists here, which were the surgeons 
 who did the largest bulk of the bone 
 work. Major B. from New York State 
 and Capt. R. from Massachusetts. The 
 whole morning was given to dressing 
 wounds, the work sometimes being contin- 
 ued into the afternoon. It wasn't a fes- 
 tive scene, by any means. For Major B. 
 whose aid I was constituted, fell to work 
 with a vigor which soon convinced me that 
 I was a weaker vessel, though nothing 
 would have induced me to confess it then. 
 
 He had served in the Spanish-American 
 war, and seemed to regard a dilapidated 
 body very much as I should have regarded 
 a damaged garment ; and slipping into his 
 gown, whipped open a very unpleasant 
 looking case of instruments, cutting, saw- 
 ing, patching and piercing with the enthu- 
 siasm of an accomplished surgical seam- 
 stress; explaining the process, in scienti- 
 fic terms, to the patient, meantime, which 
 of course, was immensely cheering, and 
 comfortable. There was an uncanny sort 
 
 177 
 
of fascination in watching him as he peer- 
 ed and probed into the mechanism of those 
 wonderful bodies, whose mysteries he un- 
 derstood so well. 
 
 The more intricate the wound, the bet- 
 ter he liked it. A poor private with both 
 legs off and shot through the lungs, pos- 
 sessed more attractions for him than half 
 a dozen Generals slightly scratched in 
 some "masterly retreat," and had any one 
 appeared in small pieces requesting to be 
 put together again, he would have consid- 
 ered it a special dispensation. 
 
 Major B. was a capital surgeon and a 
 kindly man, though I sometimes feared 
 his profession blunted his sensibilities, and 
 perhaps rendered him indifferent to the 
 sight of pain. He was not wilfully hard 
 or cruel, but through long acquaintance 
 with many of the ills flesh is heir to, had 
 acquired a somewhat trying habit of re- 
 garding a man and his wound as separate 
 institutions, and seemed rather annoyed 
 that the former should express any opin- 
 ion upon the latter, or claim any right in 
 it, while under his care. He had a way, 
 after a bandage was removed, of giving a 
 limb a comprehensive sort of clutch, which 
 though no doubt entirely scientific, was 
 rather startling than soothing and highly 
 
 178 
 
objectionable as a means of preparing 
 nerves for any painful ordeal. He some- 
 times expected the patient to assist in 
 small operations, as he termed them, and 
 to restrain all demonstrations during the 
 process. "Here, my boy, just hold it this 
 way, while I look into it a bit," he said one 
 day to a little sergeant, putting a wounded 
 arm into the keeping of a sound one, and 
 proceeding to poke about among bits of 
 bone, and the visible muscles in a red and 
 black chasm, made by some infernal ma- 
 chine of the shot and shell description. 
 
 Poor Davis held on like grim death, 
 ashamed to show fear before a woman, till 
 it grew more than he could bear in silence, 
 and, after a few smothered groans, he 
 looked at me imploringly, as if to say, "I 
 wouldn't ma'am, if I could help it," and 
 fainted quietly away. 
 
 The Major looked up, gave a compas- 
 sionate sort of cluck and prodded away 
 more busily than ever, with a nod at me 
 and a brief — "never mind" "be so good as 
 to hold this till I finish." I obeyed, cher- 
 ishing the while a strong desire to insin- 
 uate a few of his own disagreeable knives 
 and scissors into him, and see how he 
 liked it. A very disrespectful and ridicu- 
 lous fancy of course, for he was doing all 
 
 179 
 
that could be done, and the arm prospered 
 finely in his hands. 
 
 But the human mind is prone to preju- 
 dice, and though a personable man, speak- 
 ing French like a born "Parla Voo," and 
 whipping off legs like an animated guillo- 
 tine, I must confess to a sense of relief 
 when he was ordered overseas, and sus- 
 pect that several of the boys would have 
 faced a Hun battery with less trepidition 
 than they did Major B. when he came 
 briskly in on his morning round. 
 
 As if to give us the pleasure of a con- 
 trast. Captain R. succeeded him, who, I 
 think suffered more in giving pain than 
 did his patient in enduring it, for he often 
 paused to ask : "Do I hurt you ?" and see- 
 ing his solicitude, the boys invariably an- 
 swered "not much, go ahead doctor," 
 though the lips that uttered this aimable 
 fib might be white with pain as they spoke. 
 
 Over the dressing of some of the wounds 
 we used to carry on conversations upon 
 subjects foreign to the work in hand, that 
 the patient might forget himself in the 
 charms of our discourse. 
 
 Hallowe'en was spent in this way: The 
 Captain strapping the little sergeant's 
 arm, I holding the extension light, while 
 all three laughed and talked as if any- 
 
 180 
 
where but in a hospital ward, except when 
 the chat was broken by a long "oh !" from 
 the Sergeant, an abrupt request from the 
 doctor to, "hold the light a little higher 
 please," or an encouraging "most through 
 sergeant," from Nurse Lee. 
 
 isi 
 
CHAPTER XIV 
 Influenza 
 
 ^BOUT this time my days were 
 saddened by the departure of 
 my friend, Miss Bates, to 
 Camp H. which being swooped 
 down upon by a violent epi- 
 demic of Influenza, and having a shortage 
 of nurses, was reinforced by twenty of our 
 nurses, Miss Bates being among them. 
 
 After the epidemic subsided she was 
 sent on overseas, and though we have kept 
 up a regular correspondence, I have noT 
 seen her since her return from France, but 
 continually look forward to our meeting 
 once more and a happy visit together 
 some time in the future. 
 
 It was well for me that my days were 
 so filled with work, for it lessened, per- 
 haps, the lonliness of her absence. I should 
 have said nights, rather than days per- 
 haps, for I went on night duty in a ward 
 of Influenza patients, and being the only 
 nurse, with two attendants in a ward of 
 fifty and a greater part of the time sixty 
 
 182 
 
men, sick enough to die, was not conduc- 
 tive to a habit of spending much time be- 
 moaning the departure of a friend, be she 
 ever so necessary to one's happiness. Even 
 when off duty, there was little time to 
 spend in thought, for weary from the long 
 strenuous night in the ward, the shining 
 hours were taken up by sleep, that great 
 restorer of tired and weary bodies, until 
 it was time to go on again. 
 
 JBut being fond of the night side of na- 
 ture, "night duty" was one of my special- 
 ties during training, so here I had an ex- 
 cellent opportunity for indulging in my 
 favorite pastime of "owling" with all the 
 horros and thrills imaginable accompany- 
 ing it, to my heart's content. 
 
 My ward was divided into three parts, 
 two rooms and a very long porch, where 
 those cases having a tendency toward 
 pneumonia were placed. 
 
 Wherever the sickest or most helpless 
 man chanced to be, there I held my watch, 
 when not busily engaged upon the afore- 
 mentioned charts, which required an 
 alarming amount of one's time and which 
 I begrudged them every moment spent 
 thereon. I often visited the other rooms 
 to see that the general watchman or corps 
 boys were doing their duty, and not asleep 
 
 183 
 
and to get fresher air than the rooms 
 sometimes afforded. 
 
 One of the harmless ghosts, who bore 
 me company during the haunted hours 
 here, was Andrews, my colleague and 
 corps man, whom I regarded with a cer- 
 tain awe; for though so much together, I 
 never fairly saw his face, and, but for his 
 legs, should never have recognized him, as 
 we seldom met by day. His little round 
 head set upon as it were a pair of very long 
 legs, gave me the idea of a preambulating 
 clothespin, for his body being short ro- 
 tund, and done up in a grey army sweater, 
 helped to complete one's imaginative pro- 
 pensity toward this conclusion. The col- 
 lar to his sweater hid the lower part of his 
 face, his hat brim the upper, and all I ever 
 discovered was a pair of sleepy eyes, and a 
 very mild voice. 
 
 Another goblin who appeared to me, 
 was the other faithful attendant, who be- 
 ing a kind-hearted soul, was often attend- 
 ing two or three men at a time, weak and 
 wandering as babies, after the fever had 
 gone. When not thus engaged, the aim- 
 able creature beguiled the watches of the 
 night, by brewing jorums of a harmless, 
 but nauseating beverage he called cocoa, 
 and insisted on sharing with me. 
 
 Overtaking me with a great bowl of 
 
 184 
 
something resembling mud soup, rich in an 
 all-pervading flavor of molasses and 
 scorched milk. Such an amount of good 
 will, and neighborly kindness also went in- 
 to the mess, that I never could find the 
 heart to refuse, but always received it with 
 thanks and hypocritically whipped it into 
 the sink at the first opportunity, the m- 
 stant he departed. It was a strange life- 
 asleep half the day, exploring the sur- 
 roundings the other half, and all night 
 hovering like a massive cherubim, in a red 
 sweater, over the slumbering sons of men. 
 The snores alone, were quite a study, vary- 
 ing from the mild snif to the stentorian 
 snort, which startled the echoes and hoist- 
 ed the performer erect to accuse his neigh- 
 bor of the deed, magnanimously forgive 
 him, and wrapping the drapery of his 
 couch about him, lie down to vocal slum- 
 ber, 
 
 I would have given much to have pos- 
 sessed the art of sketching from life, for 
 many of the faces became wonderfully in- 
 teresting when unconscious. 
 -_Often the roughest grew young and 
 pleasant when sleep smoothed the lines 
 away, letting the real nature assert itself ; 
 many almost seemed to speak and I learn- 
 ed to know these men better by night than 
 through any intercourse by day. A few 
 
 185 
 
talked busily and one young boy sang 
 sweetly, though no persuasions could win 
 a note from him by day, and several de- 
 pended upon being told what they had 
 talked of in the morning. 
 
 Sentinels tramped round us all night 
 long, their rifles glittering in the Autumn 
 moonlight, as they walked or stood before 
 the doors, straight and silent, as figures 
 of stone. 
 
 Wandering up and down these lower 
 rooms (for ours was a two-story building, 
 there being the same proportioned ward 
 upstairs) I often heard cries from above, 
 steps hurrying to and fro, saw surgeons 
 passing up, or men coming down carrying 
 a stretcher, where lay a long white figure, 
 whose face was shrouded and whose fight 
 was done. 
 
 An incident which occurred about this 
 time shows how the pathetic and comic 
 went hand in hand that one sometimes 
 stopped and wondered at the seeming cal- 
 lousness of life. 
 
 I had taken my station by a Virginia 
 boy whose fever was higher than usual 
 this night, his eyes restless, his head never 
 still. It was after midnight, the "0. D." 
 had made his rounds, the corps boy had 
 watched by his bed while I had taken a 
 
 186 
 
few bites of refreshment and had now 
 gone to his supper at the mess hall, and 
 as I sat by my patient, trying to soothe 
 his poor distracted brain by a constant ap- 
 plication of wet towels to his burning fore- 
 head, he was slowly wearying himself in- 
 to fitful intervals of quietude, when in one 
 of these pauses, a curious sound arrested 
 my attention. Looking up I saw a one- 
 legged phantom hopping nimbly down the 
 room, and going to meet it I recognized a 
 big athlete from New Hampshire, who had 
 lost one limb at Chatteau Thierry and 
 whose fever had taken a turn for the 
 worse, and set him literally tripping on 
 the light, fantastic toe "toward home" as 
 he blandly informed me, touching his hat 
 in a military manner, said hat forming a 
 striking contrast to the severe simplicity 
 of the rest of his undress uniform. Bal- 
 ancing himself on one leg, like a medita- 
 tive stork, he plunged into an animated 
 discussion of the war, the Kaiser, French 
 wines and Enfield rifles, regardless of any 
 suggestions of mine, as to the propriety 
 of returning to bed. 
 
 Anything more supremely ridiculous can 
 hardly be imagined than this figure, pa ja- 
 ma suit of striped black and white, the 
 empty leg dangling limply, its one foot 
 covered with a big brown sock, a dingy 
 
 187 
 
hat sat rakishly askew on its head, and 
 placid satisfaction beaming in his coun- 
 tenance, as it flourished a granite cup in 
 one hand, an old shoe in the other, calling 
 them mess kit and canteen, while it 
 skipped and fluttered in the most unearth- 
 ly fashion. What to do with the fellow I 
 didn't know; Andrews was still at supper, 
 and if I went to find him the preambula- 
 tor might festoon himself out of the win- 
 dow, set himself on fire, or do some of his 
 neighbors a mischief. The other attend- 
 ant was sleeping like the "Rock of Gibral- 
 tar," and nothing short of pins would 
 rouse him. 
 
 Still declaiming, in a fine flow of elo- 
 quence, the demented gentleman hopped 
 on, blind and deaf to my graspings and en- 
 treaties, and I was about to slam the door 
 in his face and run for help when a second 
 and saner phantom came to the rescue, in 
 the person of a big Russian, who spoke no 
 English, but devined the crisis, and put an 
 end to it by bundling the lively monaped 
 into his bed, like a baby, with an authori- 
 tative command to "stay put," which re- 
 ceived added weight by being delivered in 
 an odd conglomeration of Russian and 
 French accompanied by warning wags of a 
 head decorated with a gray outing flannel 
 night cap with an imposing peak at the 
 
 188 
 
top, like the hood of a Monk. Rather ex- 
 hausted by his exertions, the one time 
 athlete subsided, and after an irrepressible 
 laugh together, though unable to under- 
 stand a word of each other's speech, my 
 Russian ally and myself returned to our 
 places and if not quiet, at least peace 
 reigned throughout the ward the remaind- 
 er of the night. 
 
 139 
 
CHAPTER XV 
 
 Another Phase of War 
 
 sHERE was plenty of variation 
 in the work at this hospital, 
 for though I had expected 
 when entering the army, to 
 occupy my time in nursing 
 sick soldiers only, I found myself not long 
 after this acting as night special nurse to 
 one of my own unfortunate sisters of the 
 profession, who had entered the Red 
 Cross nursing service at one of the South- 
 ern Base Hospitals, and being of a high- 
 strung nervous temperament, had in try- 
 ing to adjust herself to the unnatural and 
 strenuous conditions surrounding Army 
 life, lost her mental balance and had been 
 sent to the large Government hospital at 
 Washington for treatment, and it was 
 hoped she would regain once more her 
 mental efficiency and be able to return to 
 her Western home. 
 
 I had what I considered some nerve- 
 racking experiences during the two 
 weeks attendance upon this patient 
 
 190 
 
through the long watches of the night 
 alone, for it happened the night I took 
 up my first watch with her, she was moved 
 from the room in the officers' ward, 
 where other nurses were on duty and 
 other patients could be seen occasionally, 
 to a building quite remote from the other 
 part of the hospital, occupied by doctors 
 offices during the day time but silent and 
 tomb-like as the grave through the long 
 hours of the night. Our only neighboring 
 building being the psychopathic ward, did 
 not add to the cheerfulness of the place by 
 any means, for all through the doleful 
 hours of the night could be heard the 
 moans and hideous shrieks of the dement- 
 ed unfortunates who were imprisoned 
 therein. 
 
 To add to the gloom of that first night 
 with an insane patient, I was hailed and 
 greeted by some of my fellow nurses as I 
 met them coming off duty as I was going 
 on, by such remarks as the following: 
 **Good bye Nurse Lee,I sure would hate 
 to be in your shoes," and Oh ! Miss L. she 
 has been simply terrible today, no one 
 could manage her, nearly killed Miss B. 
 etc. Such remarks were not the most en- 
 couraging or comforting to one who had 
 as yet had very little dealings with insane 
 people aside from a few D.Ts., D.Fs. and 
 
 191 
 
neurasthenics on different occasions 
 throughout my nursing career. But screw- 
 ing up my courage to the top notch and 
 calling upon my Friend above to see me 
 through, I took hold of the situation and 
 finally came out vict^jrious I believe, for 
 from the first the patient seemed to form 
 a liking for me, in her more rational mo- 
 ments, and till the day I parted company 
 with her seemed to manifest great confi- 
 dence in what I did and said, though my 
 first night with her she nearly frightened 
 the wits out of me. 
 
 The only person inhabiting our lonely 
 exile through the night time was a night 
 sergeant who slept in an office quite a dis- 
 tance from our room down the corridor. 
 I was to call him should I have need of 
 help at any time during the night. I 
 grimly consoled myself with the thought 
 that this woman who was thrice my size 
 would have time to scalp, tar and feather 
 me had she so chosen, ere my cries could 
 awaken my valliant protector from the 
 stentorian echoes resounding throughout 
 the building which issued from his door. 
 The only mirror of any size our suite had 
 access to was in a bathroom some twelve 
 yards down the hall, necessitating much 
 travel back and forth a good part of the 
 time, for like some more of her sex who 
 
 192 
 
The place abounded in pretty scenery. 
 See page 161. 
 
The place abounded in pretty scenery. 
 See page 161. 
 
with more reason in their heads and less 
 reason for so doing, this woman evinced 
 an uncontrolable desire to primp and fix 
 and comb at her hair, meanwhile never 
 removing her eyes from her own face in 
 the mirror. It being my method to allow 
 her what privileges I could, I permitted 
 her to do as her fancy inclined so long as 
 it was in bounds and trotted meekly along 
 at her side watching her for an hour at a 
 time, trying her hair in every conceivable 
 style known to the feminine mind. She 
 brooked no interference when planted be- 
 fore the mirror, comb in hand as she vio- 
 lently wielded the hair brush and comb as 
 though her life depended upon getting it 
 done at a given time, and no sooner was 
 the elaborate coiffeur finished than down 
 it came to begin all over again with some 
 altogether different style of arrangement. 
 After watching this process until it be- 
 gun to tell upon the nerves of Nurse L, as 
 well as the patient and feeling uncomfort- 
 able from the chilliness of this bathroom 
 in a long cold hall, I decided that if I was 
 to become mistress of this situation the 
 time to assume control was at the very be- 
 ginning, so speaking to my patient with 
 as much kindness as I could command, but 
 with no uncertain sound, I told her she 
 must finish her toilet at once, as the room 
 
 193 
 
was chilly and I did not wish to remain 
 longer away from our room. She violent- 
 ly threw both comb and brush on the floor 
 with much force, slammed the door shut 
 and wheeling as quickly as a cat can leap, 
 planted both strong hands upon my should- 
 ers, almost knocking my feet from under 
 me, and stared wildly into my face and 
 could as easily have strangled me to death 
 had she chosen, for the strength with 
 which she had thrown her hands upon my 
 shoulders showed me that strong women 
 that she was I would be as putty in her 
 hands should she choose to use violence 
 toward me. Nevertheless I pluckily stood 
 my ground and even smiled I believe as I 
 looked at her a second before turning my 
 face aside with a pretended yawn as I ask- 
 ed her to excuse me, all the while my knees 
 were knocking together beneath me and 
 my hair felt as though it were standing on 
 end. I did not wish her to discover my 
 fright as I admonished her to get a hustle 
 on herself now as I was cold and wanted 
 to go back to the room and retire, and pre- 
 tended to be very sleepy. I chose a way 
 of talking to her as though she were a ra- 
 tional being, instead of one out of her 
 mind, and whether this method had any 
 influence over her condition or not I do 
 not know, but it did have a comforting ef- 
 
 194 
 
feet upon my own nerves as I thought 
 how nice it would be if she were 
 really as sane as I was pretending. I 
 come to fancy my mode of treatment did 
 help for she often told me that I seemed 
 to calm her, and that she did not feel half 
 so *'crazy" when I was with her, (for she 
 knew she was not right), but seemed to 
 have no control over her imagination most 
 of the time. She did not pursue her at- 
 tempt at trying to frighten me, but re- 
 marked on our way back to the room "you 
 are not afraid of me, are you Miss Lee?" 
 I gave a fairly good imitation of a laugh 
 as I thought of my fright a few moments 
 ago, but replied, "I see nothing whatever 
 to be afraid of, why should I be afraid?" 
 "You are simply a little nervous and 
 wrought up perhaps, but when you are 
 thoroughly rested and built up with nour- 
 ishing food you will be yourself again I 
 am quite sure. Meanwhile as we are to 
 depend upon one another for amusement 
 and comfort for awhile, we must begin by 
 being as pleasant and agreeable as we can, 
 don't you think so?" I asked curious to 
 see what her reply would be. 
 
 She gave a little hysterical laugh as she 
 answered, I think you know how to man- 
 age me all right. At times she would un- 
 dertake to command me, and wield the su- 
 
 195 
 
premacy but on such occasions I assumed 
 authority, and would tell her that though 
 I wanted to be kind to her as I could, when 
 she took a turn of this kind obstinate and 
 morose, that I would not yield one iota 
 and that I was the Commanding officer of 
 this Brigade. We usually ended up by 
 having a good laugh together, for strange 
 to say she never seemed to lose a keen 
 sense of humor, which is far from being a 
 general characteristic of an insane person. 
 
 She was worse during the day and after 
 two weeks it was decided by the powers 
 that be to send her to an institution for 
 the insane twenty miles away. I felt very 
 sorry when I learned of this, for though 
 she was by no means a rational person, I 
 did not consider her condition bad enough 
 for her to be sent to this place, for as I 
 believed, could she have been removed to 
 some quiet place, say in the country, with 
 pleasant surroundings and kind treatment, 
 I believe she would have again regained 
 her equilibrium mentally and once more 
 become a happy as well as useful member 
 of society. 
 
 I had several letters from her after this, 
 thanking me for all my kindness to her 
 and requesting me to write her father in 
 the West as to her whereabouts, as I 
 promptly did, and hope he soon came 
 
 196 
 
to take her home, for as I thought 
 during my short visit there, that should 
 a perfectly sane person have to take up 
 their abode in such a place, as an inmate, 
 I doubt if they would long remain sane in 
 that bedlam of noises from the screaming, 
 howling and moaning coming from the 
 windows on all sides. It is needless to 
 say that this part of my army nursing was 
 very, very sad, and brought to my mind a 
 realizing sense of a phase of war that I 
 had not even dreamed of before. 
 
 It was my disagreeable duty to accom- 
 pany this girl, in company with her day 
 special, also two sergeants of the hospital 
 corps, to the institution for the insane 
 across the city, for as the Chief nurse said 
 when awakening me from my peaceful 
 slumbers at midday, she would not go one 
 step unless her night nurse sanctioned the 
 move and accompanied her. Upon arriv- 
 ing at our destination and seeing my pa- 
 tient as far as was possible comfortably 
 settled in her new home (if such a place 
 could be called home) I learned, while in 
 conversation with the doctor in charge of 
 the institution, who was a woman from 
 my own state, that the asylum was prac- 
 tically filled with officers, men and nurses 
 since the war begun, who had gone down 
 in the maelstrom of one of life's greatest 
 
 197 
 
woes, insanity. A sickening sense of the 
 horror of war with all its multitude of 
 suffering and woe overcame me for awhile 
 and as I returned to the hospital I felt I 
 should always be a sadder and wiser wo- 
 man for having had the unpleasant expe- 
 rience above mentioned. As Nurse Lee 
 brushed her raven locks preparatory to re- 
 tiring that night she did not wonder at 
 the numerous gray hairs which a few 
 months previous had been totally absent, 
 but which were creeping in among the 
 black tresses very rapidly, for *tis a known 
 fact that sad and wearying scenes age one 
 more quickly than work. It is with a wish 
 to avoid anything like a tendency to em- 
 phasize my own philanthropic zeal, in 
 these notes, but as I am the person who 
 experienced these happenings, the person- 
 al pronoun I occurring frequently may 
 cause some to have some such conjecture. 
 I must relate the incidents as they occur- 
 red, and it is with no desire to enlarge 
 upon my own part in them, but I will say 
 that in many instances circumstances 
 seemed to help the furtherance of chari- 
 table inclinations and make it possible and 
 even easy to do almost the impossible in 
 many matters toward helping the sick, 
 suffering and wounded. 
 I believe if we make it the one great ob- 
 
 198 
 
ject of life to serve the Redeemer, in do- 
 ing deeds of kindness and love, we will 
 find that all things help to work out for 
 us what we aim to do, and everything fall 
 in as aids to work out our plans as we 
 would have them, if always in the Lord's 
 will. 
 
 While the person who is always finding 
 circumstances working against them and 
 are always battling against "hard luck" as 
 they term it, and sometimes have a grouch 
 on life in general, it is my private opinion 
 that if they would only give their life into 
 the hands of their Saviour and live it in 
 a desire to do His will they would find life 
 much more simple and would find things 
 beginning to shape themselves more in 
 their favor and the scriptures would be 
 fulfilled in their lives, which is written in 
 the Book of James : "That all things work 
 together for good to them that love the 
 Lord and obey His commandments. 
 
 199 
 
CHAPTER XVI 
 
 A Happy Crowd 
 
 )NE would almost, naturally, 
 think that a ward filled with 
 boys, all of whom had left an 
 arm or limb on foreign fields, 
 would be a rather doleful 
 place to be in, but not so, for the orthope- 
 dic ward at this hospital was one of the 
 j oiliest places one could find in many a 
 day's journey I feel safe in saying. It 
 was some, one of the boys here I think, 
 who originated the fashion of calling his 
 neighbors by their afflictions instead of 
 their names and I was rather taken a-back 
 by hearing them bandy remarks of this 
 sort, with perfect good humor and much 
 enjoyment of the new game. "How are 
 you this morning toothout ?" "Look here, 
 no hand, lend me a stamp, there's a good 
 feller," "I say Miss Lee, may I give *Eye- 
 gone* one of these pears?" etc. 
 
 Corporal Sands was christened Wingless 
 because of the loss of an arm in the Ar- 
 gonne. Very fussy about his food was 
 
 200 
 
Corporal S. and much trotting of attend- 
 ants was necessary when he partook of 
 nourishment. Anything more irresistibly 
 wheedlesome I never saw, and constantly 
 found myself indulging him, like the most 
 weak-minded parent, merely for the pleas- 
 ure of seeing his blue eyes twinkle, his 
 merry mouth break into a smile and hi* 
 one hand execute a jaunty salute that was 
 entirely captivating. It was ludricous be- 
 yond mention to watch the boys in hilar- 
 ious sham boxing matches using their ar- 
 tificial hands and arms in the most expres- 
 sive way giving vehement knocks and 
 cuffs with these detachable members with 
 evidently as much pleasure and satisfac- 
 tion as though they were real. Sergeant 
 B. walking up to Private L. would exclaim 
 ^*Hi, there, no toes, how be ye this mom- 
 in'?" give us a shake!" While reaching 
 forth the artificial gloved hand with which 
 he was not yet familiar enough himself to 
 have it adjusted properly, whereupon "No 
 toes," (so christened from the loss of the 
 fore part of a foot) gives a vigorous grab 
 and shake which dislodges the member en- 
 tirely and brings forth a burst of laugh- 
 ter from all those who happen to be look- 
 ing. I was here but a short time caring 
 for these happy-go-lucky "Hail fellow well 
 met" individuals, and was very sorry to 
 
 201 
 
leave them, but in the Army one has to go 
 when duty calls, and this time duty called 
 me to specialling a Colonel's wife in the 
 main building, through a long and tedious 
 illness. Her recovery being slowly it was 
 Thanksgiving day before she was able to 
 be taken to her home in the city. 
 
 She insisted upon my accompanying her 
 and as we sat at meat that evening in the 
 Colonel's home I partook of the first meal 
 eaten in a private dwelling for almost one 
 year. 
 
 My duties in an officers ward soon after- 
 ward convinced me that not all the heroes 
 of the great war were among the enlisted 
 men, sergeants and corporals, for some of 
 these men bore their sufferings with the 
 fortitude and patience of Job. 
 
 One Major with both limbs gone was 
 continually cheering on his comrades and 
 causing bursts of merriment by his witty 
 and clever sallies till one would almost get 
 the impression that he found it a great 
 beneficence to be deprived of his limbs. 
 
 An adidtion to our ward one day of a 
 Captain from Alabama and two Lieuten- 
 ants from Tennessee, brought in bleeding 
 and mangled as the result of an aeroplane 
 crash, showed us from the bravery and pa- 
 tience they exhibited in bearing their suf- 
 ferings that chivalry was not the only vir- 
 
 202 
 
tue a Southern gentleman could boast of. 
 
 A Colonel, a member of Pershing's staff, 
 while battling with pneumonia, contracted 
 while on official duty in America, sipped 
 milk from a tablespoon with as much rel- 
 ish and meek quiescence as the humblest 
 private and a realizing sense of the level- 
 ling propensity of sickness and death in 
 the army was shown when a Scottish 
 Noble, member of the Embassy and son- 
 in-law to an English Earl, died of pneu- 
 monia, was driven through the streets to 
 the morgue upon the floor of an ambu- 
 lance, with no more pomp or ceremony 
 than was shown Private Jones or Sergeant 
 Smith when a like sudden taking away 
 ended all earthly reviews. 
 
 Late in the fall I was called to my North- 
 ern home, there to nurse a member of my 
 family through the Flu, and upon return- 
 ing again to Washington found that not a 
 vestige of likelihood remained of our get- 
 ting to France at this time, the Armistice 
 having been signed in the meantime, while 
 my name, with twenty others, had been up 
 to go "across" before I left the hospital. 
 Though somewhat disappointing, our 
 hearts were filled with gratitude that the 
 long and bloody conflict was ended, and all 
 our brave lads who had survived the perils 
 and hardships of war would soon be re- 
 
 203 
 
turning to their homes and loved ones once 
 more. 
 
 My year in the Army was now nearing 
 its close, the nurses being mustered out of 
 service right along, as the hospital begun 
 to thin out and life once more ''flowed 
 along like a song." There were at this 
 time some twelve hundred patients, where- 
 as upon our -arrival here and during the 
 epidemic of Influenza, the patients num- 
 bered upwards of twenty-five hundred, 
 fifty of whom were nurses. A woman very 
 high in the nursing world passed beyond 
 from pneumonia at this time. Impressive 
 indeed were the ceremonies in the little 
 chapel before her final interment at Ar- 
 lington, attended by the whole nursing 
 personnel of the hospital, marching mili- 
 tary fashion, in their white uniforms, cov- 
 ered by the red lined blue army cape, left 
 flap of each thrown back over the should- 
 er, showing a dash of color which matched 
 the red cross on each white cap. 
 
 Before leaving the service each nurse 
 was requested to return the cape and cap 
 to the Red Cross which had loaned them 
 to us for the duration of our service. The 
 scene above mentioned recalled one of a 
 similar nature we had witnessed while in 
 the Base Hospital at the South. 
 
 In this case it was a nurse who had left 
 
 204 
 
her home in Canada and before arriving 
 at her destination had taken pneumonia 
 on the train and was so ill when arriving 
 at A. had been unable to tell who she was 
 or where she was going until papers found 
 upon her revealed the fact that she was a 
 nurse bound for our hospital. The two 
 nurses detailed to bring her to the hospital 
 found her on the third floor of a board- 
 ing house in A. and delirious with fever, 
 the poor soul never regained consciousness 
 but a few moments, ere she passed away 
 among total strangers, though the hands 
 who cared for her at the last were as kind 
 and loving as though they had belonged 
 to her own flesh and blood. For each one 
 might have thought as gazing upon her 
 lifeless form that but for I know not what 
 intervention this one lying so still and 
 cold might have been I. 
 
 Though all were strange to her, the fifty 
 nurses who attended her funeral services 
 at the undertaking parlor will scarcely 
 ever forget the impressive and touching 
 scene. The flag-draped casket of our sis- 
 ter nurse, dressed in uniform even to the 
 little red cross cap she had never worn in 
 life, as truly dying for her country as any 
 brave hero upon the battle field of France, 
 coming such a long distance to do her bit, 
 had been called the first from our ranks to 
 
 205 
 
answer the Great Roll Call above. Though 
 no relative or friends were there to show 
 the last loving respect, not a dry eye was 
 present in that throng, even the kind- 
 hearted undertaker was so touched with 
 emotion that he wept like a father over 
 the lonely casket. 
 
 206 
 
CHAPTER XVII. 
 
 Leaving the Service 
 
 lY LAST fortnight spent in the 
 hospital at Washington was 
 in a ward for pneumonia. As 
 though my life the last year 
 had moved in a circle, I had 
 started on December 8, in Ward 24 for 
 pneumonia and ended my work December 
 8, one year later, in a ward by the same 
 number and containing pneumonia pa- 
 tients, though the field of action was one 
 thousand miles apart. 
 
 There were many sad scenes occurred 
 during the work here, for our ward con- 
 tained a great many of those patients who 
 had survived the terrible onslaught of Flu 
 and pneumonia which had visited the hos- 
 pital with such force a few weeks pre- 
 vious, leaving strong men weakened and 
 amaciated to such a degree that though 
 we gave them the best of care that was 
 possible under the circumstances, almost 
 every day saw our ranks depleted until we 
 almost despaired of saving any. 
 
 207 
 
There was one bright boy in our ward 
 who continually called me Mother in his 
 delirium and in his rational moments used 
 to talk of his home and mother in a most 
 touching manner. He was an only son, 
 college student, and used to tell the boys 
 of the wonderful pies, mince, apple and 
 pumpkin, he knew his mother would have 
 prepared for him when he should be at 
 home Christmas, that festive holiday not 
 being far away. But his fever refused to 
 go down and his lungs, never very strong 
 since his long siege of Flu, were in a very 
 bad way. I watched him closely along 
 with the Captain of the ward, and shall 
 never forget the last day he was in my 
 ward. There was another ward for worse 
 cases of pneumonia, and Manning dreaded 
 lest he should be transferred to that ward. 
 We still had so many cases of influenza in 
 our ward that as a case developed pneu- 
 monia in a bad form, it was moved to the 
 next. Manning had pleaded for me not to 
 let them move him away from the ward, 
 but knowing how useless it would be to re- 
 quest his being left, I could only pray that 
 he would not be moved. But my heart 
 sank upon entering the ward one morning 
 and finding his bed empty. It lacked a 
 little time of being 7, the time I was to 
 report for duty, so I ran over to the ward 
 
 208 
 
where he had been taken. As I walked 
 down the long ward looking for my boy's 
 familiar face, he spied me first, and his 
 eyes lighted up as he exclaimed, "Oh ! Miss 
 Lee, I am so glad you have come, are 
 you going to work in this ward now?" I 
 hated to tell him I was not, so I said "I 
 will come in to see you each morning and 
 evening as I go to and from work, so cheer 
 up and be the brave boy you have always 
 been, and you will soon be getting well," 
 but I fear the words sounded hollow, for I 
 could see he was sinking fast. I told him 
 good bye, placing a kiss upon his forehead 
 and bade him be brave and wended my 
 way with a sad heart, for well I knew I 
 should see Manning no more, and my heart 
 went out in pity to the sorrowing home 
 somewhere in Syracuse, New York, to the 
 mother whose boy had called so piteously 
 for her in his delirium. 
 
 I stopped that evening as soon as my 
 duties in the ward had ended, but it was 
 as I had expected. Manning had gone to 
 stand last retreat in that land where suf- 
 fering is no more. 
 
 In another week the ward was pretty 
 well thinned, those to whom the task of 
 recovery had been too great an effort, 
 crossing the border to join their comrades 
 in a l^etter land, while those for whom it 
 
 209 
 
was decreed they should take up the bur- 
 den of life once more were now making 
 wonderful strides toward recovery, going 
 as they became able to their homes for 
 the Christmas holidays. Soon after this, 
 upon looking at the day's buletin in the 
 reception hall before going on duty one 
 morning, I was gladdened to see my name 
 with some twenty others up for release 
 from duty. We who had been in the ser- 
 vice for a year and over had grown weary 
 and tired of the sad scenes of suffering and 
 death, but had there been need for it, 
 would have stayed on indefinitely but now 
 new and fresh nurses were joining the 
 Red Cross right along so as it came our 
 turn we were very glad to be released and 
 take up our place once more out in the 
 world among the vast army of toilers. 
 
 So after a few days spent in transfer- 
 ring those patients who remained in the 
 ward, for the hospital had thinned down 
 so that several wards were marged into 
 one, as their numbers grew less. Our last 
 good byes over, there yet remained one 
 day to be taken up undergoing sundry ex- 
 aminations, physical and mental, as Uncle 
 Sam wanted to be sure we were all return- 
 ing to the world at large with the same 
 store of physical and mental ability which 
 we possessed upon entering his service, or 
 
 210 
 
if not to recompense us as best he could 
 for our loss. 
 
 One bright morning, just one year from 
 the day I had so enthusiastically entered 
 the Army Nursing services at the South- 
 ern Camp Hospital, an ambulance drove up 
 to the nurses' quarters and twenty nurses 
 with bags in hand (our trunks having 
 gone in another wagon) passed in line be- 
 fore the Chief nurse who bade us a fond 
 farewell, good luck and best wishes upon 
 our journey, for some were to go to homes 
 in different parts of the country, while a 
 few like myself, were to remain in Wash- 
 ington for awhile. The feeling of freedom 
 of being our own mistress once more after 
 being at the beck and call of Army orders, 
 was indescribable, and only those who have 
 ever been bound by that inexorable iron 
 hand, be the work ever so agreeable, can 
 understand what it meant. I flew to a 
 haven of rest in the shape of a cozy homey 
 little apartment in northwest Washing- 
 ton, for my sister and a girl from our 
 home town had just taken a place in that 
 location, and I was to live with them. And 
 to say I enjoyed that Christmas in a little 
 home of luxury, ease and comfort, is put- 
 ting it mildly, for no one who has not 
 banged about, moving from one room to 
 another about every month, with no per- 
 
 211 
 
manent place or work, living in a sort of 
 topsy-turvy dormitory, whose days were 
 spent in trying to console and comfort the 
 sick and suffering and continually witness- 
 ing saddening scenes of sorrow and death 
 for a long twelve months, I fear can not 
 begin to realize just what the comfort and 
 rest of a quiet home life once more did 
 mean. 
 
 I rested for awhile and then as an epi- 
 demic of pneumonia and influenza seemed 
 to be breaking out afresh in the city, I 
 registered for work and have been busily 
 caring for the sick ever since, except what 
 time I have wished to take for recreation 
 and rest. 
 
 "With faltering footsteps I will journey 
 on. 
 
 Watching the stars that roll the hours 
 away. 
 
 Till the faint light that guides me now is 
 gone. 
 
 And, hke another life, the glorious day 
 
 Shall open o*er me from the empyrean 
 height 
 
 With warmth, and certainty, and bound- 
 less light." 
 
 Before bringing the little book to a 
 close, I will try and answer a few of the 
 many questions which have been asked me 
 
 212 
 
concerning the hospital at Washington, 
 the name of which I have refrained from 
 mentioning, though I am quite sure none 
 of my readers are at a loss to know what 
 the name of the hospital is. My first im- 
 pression upon alighting here was of a lit- 
 tle city complete in itself. Covering about 
 two hundred acres of ground, containing 
 upwards of seventy five or eighty wards, 
 at that time, with a personnel of 400 offi- 
 cers, twenty-five hundred patients, two 
 hundred nurses, seventy-five reconstruc- 
 tion workers and about the same number 
 of student nurses. 
 
 Having its own Post Office, Laundry, 
 Bakery, Y. M. C. A., Recreation Buildings 
 and Clubs. 
 
 As it is continually increasing in size 
 and inhabitants, it is hard to give any de- 
 finite statistics concerning the place. A 
 whole city of sick and disabled menfolks, 
 is somewhat unusual. In walking about 
 the corridors to and from the nurses' quar- 
 ters to the hospital, or about the grounds 
 in any direction, one always met soldiers 
 sometimes in squads, sometimes in two's 
 and three's or one alone, walking on 
 crutches or several in wheel chairs, with 
 both limbs gone by the explosion of some 
 infernal machine invented to wreck men's 
 lives. 
 
 213 
 
Many there were with one or the other 
 sleeve hanging empty, young boyish faces, 
 so different from those one has been accus- 
 tomed to see, where the empty sleeve be- 
 longed usually to some aged veteran in a 
 suit of blue or gray. But to see these young 
 boys in the fresh bloom of youth come 
 back so maimed and stricken was very 
 touching indeed. Then to visit the wards 
 for those poor helpless wrecks of young 
 manhood, whose injuries are of the spine 
 and who will never walk again, was most 
 heart-rending. 
 
 Then others, victims of tuberculosis, 
 contracted from exposure to cold, wet, 
 hunger and injuries too numerous to m^en- 
 tion while in the trenches, and worst of all, 
 that long line of wrecked manhood suffer- 
 ing with diseases too horrible to contem- 
 plate, made this hospital anything but a 
 pleasure resort, but as some of the boys 
 said, "it was heaven compared to what 
 they had been through." 
 
 It grieved me much to see so many of 
 the boys total slaves to the trifling habit 
 of cigarette smoking. This vast army of 
 sufferers not realizing as yet the full ex- 
 tent of their affliction. Alas! it grieves 
 me far more that for this curse they are 
 forever indebted to many well meaning 
 American citizens. For if ever a misap- 
 
 214 
 
plied philanthropy was born of the lower 
 world, that same "wolf in sheeps clothing" 
 was the sending of cigarettes to our sol- 
 dier boys. 
 
 Many a boy who had never poisoned his 
 system by smoke before going to war, 
 came back an abject slave to a habit, de- 
 moralizing in the extreme. 
 
 Oh ! the pity of it ! That our American 
 women and girls should follow so blindly 
 such mistaken charity. Should in thought- 
 lessness and ignorance send our boys that 
 which should poison their young bodies, 
 and ruin their souls eternally. To follow 
 a fad, started no doubt by the unrighteous 
 tobacco combines, to fill their own coffers 
 at the expense of the lives and clean man- 
 hood of many of our boys. For the slave 
 of tobacco cannot live the full rounded life 
 a man should live before God, for it de- 
 stroys the finer sensibilities of the brain, 
 therefore rendering the user incapable of 
 seeing truly, reasoning truly, or living 
 truly. 
 
 It was a wholesale national wrong we 
 perpetrated upon our boys in their help- 
 lessness, and for which God will require 
 an answer at the judgment bar. 
 
 I am going to quote here an article on 
 tobacco by one of the most able and Godly 
 ministers in America today. The author is 
 
 215 
 
a D.D. of National repute, editor of a 
 Christian paper and president of one of our 
 Christian colleges. He says : 
 
 "Statistics show that last year (1919) 
 this country expended for tobacco $1,200,- 
 000,000. The war, among its many other 
 evils, was a great tobacco revival. It is 
 startling when we remind ourselves of the 
 fact that millions of people are actually 
 starving to death for food and the price of 
 necessities of life are so high, that even 
 the industrious poor must go underfed, 
 that millions of acres of land and millions 
 of laborers are used for the production of 
 a poisonous weed that is neither food, 
 clothing nor medicine, but is poison, un- 
 healthy, uncleanly and hurtful to all things 
 that are best. 
 
 Godly men ought not to raise tobacco, 
 ought not to buy, sell or use it. We be- 
 lieve there are Christian men, many of 
 them, mixed up and connected with the 
 tobacco industry, but with the proper 
 light on the subject, we believe they would 
 turn away from it. With men who love 
 God, trust in Jesus Christ and hope to 
 make their home in heaven, the right or 
 wrong of the thing must always be of first 
 consideration. With them it must not be 
 a question of money, but, is it right ? The 
 whole tobacco business measured by this 
 
 216 
 
standard means a f orks-of-the-road propo- 
 sition, and the devout man must bid fare- 
 well to the dirty weed. He will see that to 
 raise and sell an unhealthy weed which 
 means a waste of money to him who huys 
 it, and not only so, but a hurt to his 
 health, and an injury to his usefulness is 
 entirely contrary to the spirit and teach- 
 ings of the Lord Jesus. The whole tobac- 
 co business, from start to finish, has its 
 beginning and end in selfishness, world 
 without end." 
 
 So much sorrow and suffering to the 
 human race is entailed in a lack of proper 
 teaching of the child in the homes all over 
 our land. Perhaps there are those who 
 smile derisively at the thought of a spin- 
 ster giving an opinion as to how the child 
 should be taught, but I hope to be borne 
 out by the more broad-minded and gener- 
 ous of my countrymen and women in the 
 statement that if the simple truths of the 
 Bible were freely taught the young child 
 along with its lessons of cleanliness and 
 first juvenile learnings, it would give the 
 child so taught a far more beneficial out- 
 look upon life and help him in every way 
 he may turn. 
 
 So many grow to manhood and woman- 
 hood without expending much thought 
 
 217 
 
upon the meaning and purpose of life, (due 
 to neglect of, or default in teaching those 
 simple rudiments of life that Jesus 
 taught), to the child as a rule to gauge 
 their lives by not knowing or realizing 
 that their own best good, as well as that 
 of all persons with whom they come in 
 contact with, is more or less influenced for 
 good or evil, by their observance of, or 
 lack of such teaching. It is a very sad 
 truth that there are those who have not 
 hesitated to sneer at those lowly teachings 
 as the theme of fools, the hobby of enthu- 
 siasts, or the fanaticism of religious 
 idiots. 
 
 You may agree with them if you like, 
 but while I find these things treated with 
 all soberness in the Scriptures and bless- 
 ing spoken from heaven upon those who 
 heed and obey them, I must persist in a 
 different judgment, and ask to be excused 
 for believing with all my heart that in this 
 teaching we have a theme which grasps 
 deep into everything dear to us for time 
 and eternity. 
 
 The Bible says that "he that doeth His 
 will shall know the truth which implies 
 that if we wish to know whether these 
 things be true, we will set about obeying 
 them, then, the Spirit Himself will make 
 the truth of them plain to the seeker. 
 
 218 
 
May the Lord have mercy upon us and 
 save us from the sin of unbelief. 
 
 Some may think that this old world is 
 fast growing into the millenium. In our 
 day especially, people are looking and la- 
 boring for a grand jubilee of nations, 
 shaped to popular rule, and compacted by 
 common laws, interests and creed, in 
 which enlightened ideas shall bring about 
 that state of perfection of government we 
 all look forward longingly for, in which 
 revolutions and reforms and progress of 
 liberal ideas and overturning of old creeds 
 for the redemption of the world without 
 Chrst, and glorious philosophies ruling out 
 a personal Saviour, and exalting self and 
 passion in His place. But all their glitter- 
 ing ideals, of which to reconstruct society 
 and relocate the highest interests of man, 
 much as they may promise, and success- 
 fully as they may draw the heart and en- 
 ergy of the world after them, apart from 
 faith in the blood of Christ, are but the 
 nurslings of Satan's bosom, in which this 
 world lies, and the inspiration of his foul 
 breath. Dream, and prate, and preach, 
 and glory as men may, the Bible tells us 
 that the devil is the god and king of this 
 world. His mantle may be often changed, 
 and every day may exhibit a new garb, but 
 
 219 
 
the presiding geniues within is still that 
 old serpent, with all his pride and malice 
 and falsities. And so it will go on, "wick- 
 ed men and seducers waxing worse and 
 worse," till the last trumpet sounds. Then 
 shall come another order, not developed 
 from below, but enforced with sudden and 
 resistless power from above. Christ said, 
 "My kingdom is not of this world, it Com- 
 eth from above." A kingdom comes which 
 breaks in pieces, and consumes all other 
 kingdoms and stands forever. Having 
 given the world six thousand years in 
 which to choose and settle upon its proper 
 allegiance, and finding after all only an 
 intenser and more malignant apostasy 
 among the majority of worldings, He 
 causes the final trumpet to sound, breaks 
 in with His Almightiness, and enforces His 
 rightful dominion. When that day comes it 
 shall find wickedness and iniquity ripened 
 to the full. But when the seventh trumpet 
 sounds it will forever put an end to all in- 
 famous, unrighteousness of men, and the 
 maddened nations shall suddenly be dash- 
 ed to atoms, as a vessel of pottery struck 
 with a rod of iron. 0! glorious riddance 
 of our weary world, when "the Son of Man 
 shall send forth His angels, and they shall 
 gather out of His kingdom all things that 
 
 220 
 
offend, and them which do iniquity." Well, 
 may the enthroned Elders fall on their 
 faces and cry their thanks to the Lord 
 Almighty for it. Another item in the 
 schedule of the last trumpet is, that the 
 dead are to be judged then. When men 
 die and their bodies waste in the ground, 
 it is not the end of them. Whatever may 
 be their state meanwhile, they reappear 
 again. The holy Apostle John sees them, 
 the small and the great, all standing be- 
 fore the great white throne, to be judged, 
 every one of them, according to their 
 works. 
 
 There is to be a resurrection, even, of 
 the wicked. Some may think this a weird 
 and doleful subject to introduce into my 
 story, but as the book of Truth tells us 
 that such are the state of things, which 
 are to come to pass, I am of the opinion 
 that it were far better to think upon them 
 occasionally, and look them squarely in 
 the face, and try to be prepared for such 
 a time, than to foolishly put them aside, 
 afraid to look into them, and let that day 
 come upon us unawares. It would, in my 
 mind, be equal to the folly of a passen- 
 ger upon an ocean liner, learning that the 
 vessel was sinking, to get into a frenzy be- 
 cause some one had spoken of so dismal a 
 
 221 
 
subject, and declaim that he would rather 
 not be bothered about such things. No, my 
 friends. Not one of all who have ever 
 lived upon this earth can escape that day 
 and time. They that put an end to their 
 existence on earth, resolving not to live 
 any more, must still live, and take the 
 sentence of Heaven for all their deeds. 
 This side the grave, full justice is never 
 done, and up to that great day, no one re- 
 ceives entirely all his deserts. That is re- 
 served for the period of resurrection. 
 -Many a great criminal dies without hav- 
 ing had his guilt so much as known, whilst 
 perchance, innocent ones have had to suf- 
 fer for his sins. The wicked go unpunish- 
 ed, are even honored sometimes in their 
 crimes, and pass away with no experiences 
 to mark how they stand in the estimate 
 of Grod. Fortunes are made, and enjoyed, 
 and respected, and their holders held in 
 favorable esteem to the end of their days, 
 every dime of which is stained and cor- 
 roded with crime, and marked with fraud, 
 oppression and deeds of injustice. So 
 marked and constant are the inequalities 
 that occur, that even the holiest of per- 
 sons have often been tempted to despond- 
 ency whether their faith and godliness 
 are njot after all a mistake. Nor is their 
 
 222 
 
at times any adequate justification for 
 their course but in the fact that the end 
 of the matter is not in this world. Be- 
 yond is the theatre on which final settle- 
 ment is to be made, there shall all earth's 
 wrongs be righted, all present inequalities 
 adjusted and the administrations of God 
 forever vindicated. The dead have not 
 gone beyond His reach. The grave does 
 not cover them from His sight nor bar 
 them from His power. Having escaped 
 unpunished from this world, their just 
 portion still awaits them in the next. Peo- 
 ple may call it fable, and dream, and rea- 
 son it away as impossible, but that will 
 not alter it. And when the seventh angel 
 sounds, there will be exultant thanksgiv- 
 ings in heaven, that "the time of the dead 
 to be judged" is come. While the Lord 
 keeps those happy here who serve Him, no 
 Christian looks for his compensation in 
 this world. *Tor if in this life only we 
 have hope in Christ, we are most miser- 
 able," said Paul. Piety may not always 
 pay as regards this world, but it will pay 
 then. Not even the gift of a cup of water 
 to the thirsty in His name, shall then go 
 unrewarded, not a loss, or pain, or labor 
 of love, or a tear of sorrow, incurred for 
 Jesus or His Truth's sake, shall fail of its 
 
 223 
 
just recompense. Rewards for all who 
 hold steadfast, and suffer aught in Jesus 
 name and for all that fear God small and 
 great are in reserve. Jesus has gone to 
 make them ready. Faith sees them there, 
 and waits for them with eager hope. And 
 when the last trumpet sounds, they shall 
 be given. Then shall Paul get his "crown 
 of righteousness," and all the Apostles 
 take their everlasting thrones. Then shall 
 Moses possess the recompense to which he 
 had respect, when he chose rather "to suf- 
 fer affliction with the people of God, than 
 to enjoy the pleasures of sin for a season." 
 And every one that hath forsaken houses, 
 or brethren, or sisters, or father, or moth- 
 er, or wife or children or lands for the 
 sake of God and His Christ, shall receive 
 a hundred fold, and shall inherit everlast- 
 ing life. No wonder then that the blessed 
 Elders fall on their faces before God and 
 praise and thank Him with profoundest 
 song, when the signal for so glorious a 
 consummation sounds. Nor is all this 
 without the most intent moment to us. We 
 are all concerned with that last trumpet^s 
 sound. Our eternal interests are wrapped 
 up in what it is to bring. Big is it with 
 the doom and destiny of every one, and 
 everything that is. Be our place^ our 
 
 224 
 
.occupation what it may, our fate and lot, 
 and every question, every doubt, shall 
 then come to final settlement. Near or re- 
 mote as those scenes may be we shall all 
 be in them, and take from these the char- 
 acter of our forever. Believe it or not, we 
 every one shall be there; there as victims 
 of the great day of Almighty wrath, as 
 prisoners brought forth for final execu- 
 tion, or, as the friends and servants pf 
 Jesus, to be confessed, rewarded, and glor- 
 ified by our blessed Lord. And as we 
 spend these swift-passing days, and con- 
 duct ourselves in this brief life, will be 
 the character of our portion then. Building 
 on Jesus in humble faith and lowly stead- 
 fastness, we are safe, and our work is safe. 
 Then may we rejoice, and be exceedingly 
 glad, for great is the reward that we shall 
 get. Otherwise there is no dreader sound 
 than that of the last trumpet. And when 
 we think of the millions of dead and liv- 
 ing for whom it has no blessing, and of 
 the utter destruction which it shall bring 
 on them that know not God, and obey not 
 the Gospel, is there not a reason for us all 
 to be moved with fear, lest that day should 
 come upon us unawares? It will be too 
 late then to remedy present mistakes, neg- 
 ligences and omissions. If we are to meet 
 
 225 
 
that day with joy, and escape the horrors 
 it brings to the unprepared, we must be 
 getting ready now, getting ready by hon- 
 est repentance of our sins, joining our- 
 selves to Christ, and His people, and with 
 all our heart and energy seeking to be in 
 accord with His word and will. Happy 
 they who, when the last trumpet sounds, 
 shall be found in such a case! 
 
 **Jesus, do thou mine eyes unseal, 
 
 And let them grow. 
 Quick to discern whatever Thou dost re- 
 veal. 
 So shall I be delivered from that woe, 
 Blindly to stray 
 
 Through hopeless night, while all around 
 is day." 
 
 I am indebted to a number of authors 
 whose quotations I have used freely 
 throughout this little book, believing that 
 if a thing is worth writing once, it will 
 bear to be repeated, properly punctuated, 
 showing that it originated elsewhere. 
 
 For a gem of truth, like the loaves and 
 fishes, can be fed to the multitude, and 
 still remain to feed multitudes more, and 
 regardless of having been read and re- 
 read, is ever new and profitable reading. 
 
 Since this little bit of narrations has 
 
 226 
 
been finished, I hesitate, and wonder if it 
 is worth while troubling the publishers 
 with it, but hoping some may find amuse- 
 ment or profit from its pages, I send it on, 
 and though it started with a State Capital 
 and ended in the Nation's Capital, I can 
 scarcely hope for such a wide scope for its 
 travels. 
 
 Go, little book, and if you can, 
 Win some one to think and plan 
 For a higher life and better place. 
 Than this old world, so war effaced. 
 And if that soul should gain a home 
 Within the portals ne'er to roam, 
 With all its treasures to imburse 
 I hope he'll meet this Red Cross Nurse. 
 
 (The End) 
 
 227 
 
LIBRARY OF CONGRESS 
 
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