The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1876-11-15
A Yellow Fever Story.

There was a curious incident in the
yellow fever panic at Savannah which
has not attracted as much attention as it
deserves. The hero. of the mournful cpl
sode was a young drug clerk. When the
fever broke out at Savannah the whole
force in the drug store where be was at
work deserted the post of danger and
left the city. His friends, who lived in
Augusta. sent word to him to come
home, but he refused, and remained on
duty until the proprietor of the store or
dered him to close it. He then went to
another drug store in Savannah and
worked laboriously as prescription
clerk. He was kept so busily engaged
that he had little time for his meals, no
chance to change his clothes and no op-
portunity for rest or amusement. His
employer took the fever and died, al
though the boy nursed him faithfully.
The cook took it, and he attended to
her also and she recovered. A young
comrade was then taken Ill and the stead
fast druggist nursed him and performed
his duties in the store night and day.
His friend regained his health slowly,
and then the clerk was himself seized
With the fever, but as he Was strong and
cheerful he sent word to his relatives
that he had no fears. It was then his
companions turn to show the kind of
stuff of which he was made; and the
material turned out to be pure gold. He
nursed his friend from day TO day, keep
ing up constant communication with his
home by telegraph as long as the tele-
graph messengers could be persuaded to
venture into the infected part of the
town. His last dispatches we're: 81
will stick to him to the last, and 81
shall not sleep tonight" Both of the
young men died that night.
We are not much addicted to what is
known in the newspaper profession as
gush, and have no desire to tura COM
monplace matter into heroism by few
gorgeous phrases glittering in the light
Of an overheated imagination; but we
are inclined to think that some honor is
due to the memory of these two young
fellows, and should be frankly paid.
They found themselves in the heart of a
city afflicted with the plague, place in
which even brave men often quail and
from which selfish ones always shrink.
They were in no sense before the public
eye, and whatever they did was done
through loyalty to their own impulses,
not in the hope of reputation or reward.
They had that kind of duty to perform
which is the hardest that can be put
upon man. 1t was ugly, wearing, disa-
greeable and dangerous. The self-sac-
rifce required was not sudden and
startling enough to win glory, but it
was of that moderate, continuous and
exhausting kind which only rare pa
tience can stand. If these young Geor-
giaus had fallen side by side in battle
field in the endeavor to sustain their
flag or rescue each other, no one would
have wondered at their death; but to
find them wearing out their health in
nursing the sick, and faithful to each
other through weary vigils, is sweet
surprise. At a time when the national
character has suffered a great deal
abroad through the misconduct OF off.
cials through whom we are mainly
known to other peoples, and the Ameri-
can is pictured as hard, angular, super
fetal, unscrupulous parsonage, occur
rences like this ut Savannah should
bring us reinsurance and comfort. It is
only one incident ont OF many from day
to day suggesting rare powers and pro-
pensities for good. Every skirmish on
the plains, the overturning of pleasure
yacht, or the rescue of shipwrecked
crew, is sure to bring some hint of ca
pability for heroism which seems to be
an American heritage. Few readers
will fail to respond to the words of the
correspondent who has told in a private
letter the facts which we have just re-
peated: s'They were brave boys, were
they not 2 Does it make any difference
which side or which flag such souls
fought for twelve years ago. CANT you
reach out and shake hands over any dis
tance ~ World.