The New Orleans bulletin. [volume] (New Orleans [La.]) 1874-1876, 1876-01-09

Among the numerous incidents recorded as
the startling phenomena presented by the
facial expression of the dead is found in the
following, as occurring during the late Franco.
Prussian war: 1t seems that one of the red
cross nurses. one of those Mercy Merricks,
perhaps with whom Wilkie Collins has made
us familiar, had among her patients young
man. an exceedingly handsome fellow, whose
nationality she could not find out. He was
in the Prussian uniform yet not, she thought,
a Prussian. He had been struck by spent
ball. they supposed, and was paralyzed and
speechless.
Occasionally he would open his eyes and
gaze at her with troubled expression. and
she noticed that the eyes were very beautiful,
black, and soft as velvet. In her ministra-
tons she got to understand the language OF
these poor eyes, and found out when he was
pleased or disappointment at what she was
doing. One day she took up his coat, and
feeling in his pocket, she found letter; she
looked at.him, and the eyes said IS Read it. !"
It gave her the KEY to the situation, and she de-
rived the idea that he could hear and under.
stand her if she talked to him, 80 she would
sit and talk and ask questions. and he would
answer with his eyes. She got at the idea
that he was a young English diplomat, who
had been sent down to the scene OF war to
AOOSANS>A
into the Prussian army as favor to facilitate
his work; that he was engaged in this work
when he was struck down.
She had much to do, this Mercy Merrlck
with her red CROSS, but she found time every
few hours to come back to her patient and to
tell him the story of Saarbruck, of Strasbourg,
of Sedan, and to find from the shifting lustre
in his eyes if he were pleased or saddened.
One day she took up his watch and chain and
examined his seal. The eyes grew painfully
bright and anxious. The idea struck her that
she would take the impression in wax. She
did so. and found the motto and crest OF a
we'll known English family. Then she sat
down and wrote letter home, for she. too,
was English. The patient fingered and list
ened, but never spoke. He grew better, how.
ever, and could smile, brilliant, eloquent and
| fascinating.
1t went to the heart of the red-cross nurse.
Perhaps she had suffered, and loved, and
waited, and hoped, and had known the
anguish of hope deferred. The poor paral-
wed hand gained finally a little power, and
one evening, as she took it in her warm en-
ergetic, generous palm, it gave feeble
pressure. Sympathy is a famous physician.
He has cured many otherwise mortaily
Young English diplomat. One night, as the
red-cross nurse lay down to her well-earned
sleep, the male attendant who had charge OF
the paralyzed Englishman came and knocked
at the door.
"He is dying" said he, and his eyes are
very Wild"
| She dressed herself and went to him. The
unspoken language between these two had
become spiritual commission. She read bis
thoughts Did he wish to have lock OF his
hair cut? Yes, for her; his watch and chain,
and certain ring on it, were to be returned,
when she could find the owner and his
chsrpe-the work which he had to do when be
xa3 stricken down-she must find out II il
were done, and if he was known to have been
faithful to the end; yes, she would do it all.
And he gave her one wonderful look, look
which was a caress; one smile, like sunlight
his bright eyes said more gratitude in one
glance than lips could say in month; then
came a film over them and they went out for.
ever. The next day as the red cross nurse
stood looking at his dead face, an English
physician arrived. :,
II am looking for young Escourt, said
he, "the man of whom you have written tc
England, who owned this motto and seal.
.sThere he u.s." said she quietly.
"Poor fellow, poor fellow; hard case.
said the physician. "Do you know hit
story? Sent over to protect two eminent
ladies, one q princess, who got caught IN
country house here between the two armies
Russian complications and all that sort o
thing. He behaved singularly we'll. showed
enormous tact, courage. and chivalry too. fol
one of them fell desperately in love with him