Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1891-04-04

| cot 1t was occupied indeed, but by Tommy
| himself. She was surprised. moreover. to see
J that be had been washed and combed and had
| had his clothes changed and was not exactly
! dressed, but wound in strips Of soft white
| sheets, and laid comfortably on a clean white
bed: He was sleeping quietly The surgeon
IN charge was going his rounds and stopped at
| Tommys cot
Il am surprised" said the sister in a low
Tone ito find him still alive. Is there the least
| chance for him.
II do not think so" replied the surgeon: she
Is very badly mangled. We had 10 cut his
clothes OF him and could not put others on.
We hed to wind him in strips of sheeting.''
And then he gave Sister Aloysia some direc-
| tons as to the treatment Of the wounded
boy and passed on.
Sister Aloysia had other duties Indeed. all
! that ward was under her superintendence and
though she had a staff of assistant nurses, both
men and women. she could not give the man.
gled boy as much attention as she would like
to have done. Fortunately he did not require
much service. All day long he lay quietly on
ms back, only taking food or medicine when
Ieellng the spoon or glass placed to his lips.
For military hospital all was very quiet in the
ward. Nothing broke the silence but an occa-
sionai moan from n man on a cot, that would
bring nurse to his side to change the hot wet
napkin on his head for q cool one or to put a
flake of ice to his parched lips, or to give him
food or medicine, or to attend to some other
want.
At intervals the surgeon came in and walked
ms quiet rounds pausing at each cot and giving
directions to the nurse in attendance.
At nearly every round the surgeon would
stand by the side OF some silent and motion
less patient, carefully examine him and then
sign to men within call. who would quietly
bring In stretcher, on which they would lay
the body from which the soul had taken its
flight and remove it to the dead house. SO sew
eral cots were vacated during the day, to be oc-
cupied by new sufferers, for a fresh detachment
Of wounded men had arrived from the battle
field.
All this time Tommy lay quietly sleeping and
Sister Aloysia, when she rested from walks Of
duty through the wards, sat down in low chair
beside his cot. Frequently she would be reused
by moan. when she would move silently to the
SIDE OF the sufferer and minister to his needs,
Late In the afternoon the surgeon-in-chief,
attended by several assistants, made his last
round for the day and dressed the wounds of
those that required his especial attention and
gave directions for the night. In due course he
came to Tommys cot, where Sister Aloysia was
resting. After brief look he decided not to
disturb him. To the sisters questions he e1-
pressed his surprise that the boy still .sheld the
fort, as he called it, and then passed on. Soon
after this Sister Aloysia relieved and went to
her rest, not forgetting in her prisons to recon-
mend to MARY Mother" the poor boy who was
dying so far from his mother, if, indeed he
had one living.
Again when she entered the ward the next
morning she found several changes ALI of the
cots were occupied, but many of them by
strangers, silently telling the tale of deaths
during the night Other strangers were pres
emit there Mothers, wives and sisters who had
been summoned to the dying to receive their
last breath and to take home the bodies Of their
beloved ones. Some came even too late for
thati
Sister Aloysia passed down the ward, silently
but alphabetically bowling to the heart-broken
saf hps he nnfa lii 10
the nurses. until she reached Tommy's cot,
which she fully expected to find occupied by a
new patient. But MOI
Tommy was still lying therei Awake. con-
sclous and replying In a weak little voice, but
In sensible manner, to the questions of a con-
valescent soldier, who was acting as nurse and
who now sat in q chair beside him feeding him
with spoon from a bowl of beef tea that he
held on his knee. for Tommy still lay fat on his
back, unable to move hand or foot, scarcely
feeding him, wiped his mouth with a towel
and then, bowl in hand. rose, politely saluted
the sister and gave mis- Place to her.
The boy is better?" said the sister
"fis, thanks to tie howly saints and the
blissid mither in hivin, Sister Aloysisl Though
all the same 1t n..y be decaivin change! If
modification Is set in
Hush" said the sister in a very low voice
bliss the boy he not attendin! See he's
dozed of, sister" said the man. as he sauntered
But the boy had not dozed off, for when the
sister stopped over him to look at him he
opened his eyes and met her gaze with a CRATE
full and even an afectionate look, which seemed
to indicate that he had not been so unconscious
OF her tender ministrations for the past three
DAYS as he had seemed to be.
How are you, Tommy she gently inquired
Better, thank you. Miss Alice Louisa" he
answered in faint but grateful tone.
The sister smiled at the mistake the boy had
10 in ar hfnl 81,
tinued to make. but abe never corrected him.
II thank heaven that you are better NV
boy" she said. as she took her seat beside him
You are 30 good to me, Miss Alice Louisa, -
he said.
"Our Lord is good to you, Tommy. I do no
is He whom you must thank. And now. Tommy
would you like me to write a letter for you to
anybody?''
The boy sighed deeply and answered:
NO, 1 thank you, Miss Alice Louisa. 1t
would only make mother cry and pappy
couldn't let her come" The poor boy was
almost crying himself, and the sister, fearful
of exhausting him, said no more on the SUBJ
ject
"'As one whom his mother comforteth 40
will comfort you, murmured the sister
Yes know that text. Miss Alice Louisa
/ used to hear il like whisper when was ont
yonder. And He will. won't Hep
surely, Tommy. Now go to sleep. I will
see you again soon.
At this moment an agonizing cry rang through
the ward. Several patients Turned uneasiIy on
their cots and moaned. Sister Aloysia went to
see the cause Of the outcry. 1t was from the
young wife Of a soldier who had Just expired.
Kind arms bore her out and kind hands and
voices ministered to her.
More pathetic than these outbreaks of desper-
alton were the patient sufferers who sat in
mute despair beside their diving loved ones.
The ward was full of woe. Every cot was oc-
cupied, but not one of the original patients
who had been brought in with Tommy was left.
All bad died; most of them were buried. The rest
had been embalmed to be sent to their distant
homes. Only Tommy remained, and il was but
question of time, SO the surgeons said, when
he would die too. He still lay fiat on his back.
silent and naotionless. except when he opened
his mouth to answer a question or TO swallow
the food OF medicine offered him. He was still
holding the fort"
An opinion seemed to prevail among the
nurses that Tommy would 60 of suddenly at
any moment But in Tommys own opinion
he was always 'better"-always ''going to get
well soon."
Sister Aloysia had found out all about him
now.
His name was Thomas White He had been
''mortally wounded while saving the colors of
his regiment that had fallen from the hands of
the slaughtered bearer. He would win promo
ton IL he should live. But ii was impossible
for him to live-so his attendants decided.
The women who visited the hospital dailv
bringing fruits, jellies custards and other def,
cacies for the sick and wounded. became very
much interested in the bow and ne was the frat