Green-Mountain freeman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1844-1884, 1881-10-26
A Hospital Sketch.
By MARY LOUISE BEECHER.
"To Willie, from his mother.

"To Willie, from his mother"
"IfT should die in the hospital or on
the battlefield, for the sake of God and
humanity, will you communicate with my
mother, Mrs. Charles Dodge.--town
static"
This, written upon the fiy-lesf of little
black pocket Testament.
/ am fast getting to be an old woman,
but never shall forget those old hospital
days. And this little book has brought
back the old memories, Just as the sight
of old andirons and spinning-wheel will
carry one back to grandmothers time.
You see, haven't always had gray hair
and crows feet There was a time long
ago when thought that life meant happi-
ness. But when our neighbor's boy. 10.
whom had played with in my childhood,
came to me and asked me to make a
choice for life, had to put it all away
for father and mother died that year and
left four little brothers in an elder sister S
care. did the best l could for them,
but we were poor. and sometimes the
weight was well-nigh too heavy for
young shoulders.
Well! my boys grew up and went out
into the world; all but jamie, poor little
cripple. boy. l loved him the more be-
cause of dependence on me. But he took
sick, and one spring day laid him away
in the meeting house grave yard and went
back to lonely home. Nobody knows
how my heart ached for something to
love and work for. And then the war
broke out, and as l hadn't husband or
sons to give to my country thought I'd
90 myself, Not to fight. Oh no; but as a
| nurse in the hospital. And so that's how
happened to 60 | had been there sew
eral months when the battle of c.
killed and wounded so many of our boys,
you remember. Quite a number Of them
were brought to our hospital. saw them
carried in and then went through the
wards to do what could As was hur
rying from one to another came to this
one in the corner. | couldn't help but
notice right away. how young and boyish
the face was. Somehow l thought of
Jamie, and my heart gave great throb.
He raised up on his elbow as came near,
gave Il cheerful nod and said, "Good
morning Auntie."
L wanted to put my arms around his
neck and give him IL motherly hug, but,
you see, we had to learn to overcome our
feelings there. So [ only said, Good
morning." as quietly rs l could and then
went to work to smooth out the army
blanket. and replace the haversack.
doing duty as pillow, by wooleu shawl
of my own. You see | was thinking so
hard of Jamie it never occurred to me
that he was wounded, until he put his
hand over his breast and gave a little
short breath. "What have they been do
ing to youp' l asked. taking away his
hand.
USED me for a target. Auntie. Splen-
did shot, true as you live,' and he smiled
Just as though he was talking about some
sport.
"Did the surgeon take the ball outp'
said |.
That old fellow with the saw and screw
| driverp Whew! he bored till | mos
thought he was the gimlet and | was the
hole. Guess he didn't find it.'
saw that it wanted dressing, so Sc
about it. 1t didn't look very bad. | ven
tured to say so, and you ought to hav,
seen his face brighten, while he asked 81
| tuEutSlly, DO pOu bIlllh SUI u uSl WILD
l thought. I'll be all right in few days
Don't you think will?
| shook my head. didn't want to disa
gree with him but knew it was better thar
70 give false hope. mo; not in few
dressed the wound, by this time, so ht
said in his CHEEKY way that he'd take {
little trip into the land of Nod, and the
began to snore like mischievous school
boy. went about my other duties, bu
by and by came around just to see how
he was; and, sure enough. he was sleeping
Just AS quietly as a baby.
Next morning | stopped the surgeon
after he had gone through the wards, 70
though he was in a hurry, wanted t.
know when my boy was going to get well
| thought likely as not bed ask me again
and it would be so much better to sa.
the doctor says So The way that sur
oeon frowned when asked him-and h
answered so sharp, "Whenp Shot throug
the lung, madam; Just as surely dead a
though his head was cut off"
1t was we'll that had so many month
of discipline among the suffering and dy
ng. or | could never have heardit and bee
so calm for, you see, this boy was takin
Jamie's place; so when went in with tn
} bowls of porridge l couldn't smile bac
at him, although saw him raise up on hi
} elbow the minute | stepped inside th
: door. Of course expected he would b
worse. but he ate his porrdge with a boy
relish. and declared that he felt goo
enough to stand on his head. While wa
working for the others heard littl
, tune. now softly whistled, now sung, CON
} ing from the corner. 1t was somethin
about the patter of the rain-drops on th
roof" When [ came around again h
stopped his tune long enough to ask me
/ | ever sung it, told him didn' I sins
but perhaps somebody could.
"No matter anyway" he said; onl
mother used to sing it to us when we wer
, little chaps at home. l thought it woul
sound sort of good here, but don't suppos
, anybody could sing it quite like her."
, told him l didn't believe anybod
could.
The next day, to my great surprise.
J seemed great deal better. l had mad
resolve to have him send letter HON
= that day; but when he began to tai
/ about getting we'll, in his CHEEKY way,
, grew harder and harder.
Don't you suppose I'll have furlougl
Auntie, after the old hole gets filled upP
t You deserve one," couldn't help bl
5 say. But hadn't you better write
1 your mother, so not to frighten herP"
t "Oh, no; 'twould scare the little womu
g out of her wits. Besides, | want to su
s prise her. Won't she be glad enough
Q burst when she sees me walking in tn
= side door by the lilac bushesW
: And he began to get so excited Ju
r talking about it that had to scold hi
and tell him to 90 to sleep, or he wouldn
60 home very soon.
Really, I couldn't help keeping up tt
: deluson. He WAS so much better, an
y so hopeful too; really began to think Il
s surgeon was mistaken about the wount
r The next day he felt so we'll he wantt
S to sit up; but said no, and tried to anus
him every minute could be spared frol
n the others He said rubbed his head q
r most like his mother, and wouldn't she
g glad to see him though! When he spol
:, of his mother. asked him if he hadr