The Carbon advocate. [volume] (Lehighton, Pa.) 1872-1924, 1891-07-04
AN INCIDENT OF WAR.
DY AN ESdLIsELAN.

-'A-'s-A-'s
Tho war which refer to was not one
Of those which we have lately had unon
our hands. hut that whirh a few wears
ago ragged so long, so fcrcely, between
the Northern and Southern States of
America. It was my fortune to serve on
the medical staff with a portion of the
Northern army during most OF that ter
rible struggle; and it is needless to say
that many personal incidents came under
my notice which will never leave my
memory. Not one of them, however,
made so painful an impression upon mo
as that which | am about to describe.
Towards noon on the day after one OF
the iiercestbattles ofthe war, a young sol
der was brought in from the battle field.
where by some mischance he had been
overlooked and abandoned, while com
rades of his far less grievously wounded
than he, had been sheltered and tended
before nightfall. The poor fellow had
lain all night and during the long scorch-
ing hours of the morning, amid heaps of
dead, both men and horses, suffering
from the loss of an arm, and other
wounds. An army surgeon is not as
rule a man prone to undue sentiment or
to feminine softness at the sight OF phys
ical suffering; am not conscious of any
weakness that makes me an exception in
this particular. There was, however. in
this youths expression of countenance
something which struck me irresistiblv,
and with the strong glance of his large
bright eye, fixed my attention and awak-
ened my eager interest He was a slen-
der youth, tall, yet gracefully made, with
a head which, as the novelist phrases it.
would bring ecstasy to the soul of a seulp
tor and every feature nodded to the
true type of manly beauty. A single
glance gave me this summary outline of
my patient before had time to ascertain
the nature or extent of his injuries. A
very brief examination soon told me that
the life which for hours had been ebbing
SO painfully away, was well nigh spent;
and he must have read theawful truth in
my face, for he whispered to me family
and said as l rose: I" Is there, then, no
hope?n
Alasl there was no hope; but I had
not speech to tell him SO; for something
was rising into my throat and choking
me, and a moisture in my eyes was
binding me; and the only reply could
give him was a shake of my head. The
brave spirit which had nerved him
through the fight had kept him up till
now; but now, when the dismal truth
had broken upon him, there passed over
his pallid face a look of mingled disap-
pointment and resignation which it was
painful beyond expression to witness. 1
lost no time in giving him such surgical
aid as his desperate condition called for
and his waning strength could bear. I
had hardly done so when an unexpected
voice addressed him: "My own dear bowl
my brave heroic boy!" The tone was of
cheery encouragement, yet feebly dis
guising the woe of breaking heart: for
it was his mothers voice that spoke, and
her lips that kissed his fevered brow.
Gently she turned back his disordered
and blood stained locks, assembling with
evident effort the mothers anguish lest
she should add another sorrow to tho
paugs of his dying hour.
Ny motherl" he cried with almost
frantic delight "Is it you, my motheri
How came you here? Is it you, or am
dreaming ?'-and as he spoke he threw
his only remaining arm around her neck,
and ki ael her with all the rapture Of
chid. Thank God!" he continued in
snatches, as his failing strength allowed
him" thank God for this blessed JOY,
that | see your face once mora, my
l.. Z. .