San Antonio daily light. [volume] (San Antonio, Tex.) 1886-1907, 1891-10-30

OF it. The only fay of hope / II. ~
cheer me as the soldier guard marched
| away was conveyed in the last words of
the officer making the detail.
lieutenant Melville's friends will
soon arrive from the east" he said, and
| then you can join your regiment"
Owing to the lack of proper transporta-
ton the young mans relatives did not
reach him until three weeks had passed.
When they did arrive he was still I'M
conscious. They had learned of our ex-
act whereabouts only after visit to the
camping place of the company which
had acted as guard to the hospital. With
their instructions for finding the farm
house they had also received some writ
ten orders to be delivered to me. The
orders were as short as they were disa-
greeable: Stay with your charge so long
as y0u cen be of use"
said just now that Lieutenant Mel
vile was still unconscious when his rela-
tives arrived. By relatives | mean his
mother and Il famous New York surgeon
in some way connected with the family.
He was more than unconscious. He was
raving night and day like an insane per-
son. His mOther-a pale, aristo0ratiC
lady with perfect manners and Il perfect
face-sat by his side nearly Il month be-
fore he recognized her,
The morning he regained consciousness
his mother, acting under the directions
of the surgeon, took his wasted hand in
her own and called his name. The
patients eyes rested inquiringly for a
moment upon the kind face above him
and turned away. Twas in another part
of the room at the time, but the cry of
anguish that came from the bedside the
next moment told me what had hap
pened. The wounded man, although
seemingly in the full possession of his
senses, had failed to recognize his mother!
The surgeon quieted the mother as
best he might and led her away. Then
began systematic examination of the
invalid's shattered mind. For days the
surgeons skillful efforts produced no
hopeful results.
The injured mans brain retained not
one incident of his life previous to the
time he was struck senseless by the acct
dent in the hospital He did not even
the occasion of his injury.
Lieutenant Melville had been patient
student, and had been regarded in his
regiment as a we'll read man. Now
every result of his early studies had
passed from his mind. He could not
even remember one single event of his
home life. His mind was an absolute
blank.
At last, by such patient efforts as
only mother could exert, faint glim- |
merings of his former life came back to !
him, scenes of his childhood coming first
and most distinctly. At first he recog-
nized only such scenes as were suggested |
to him time after time by his mothers |
loving words. Then he began to ask |
questions regarding circumstances to |
which his attention had not been called. |
The JOY of the mother at these faint evil |
dences of her sons recovery is beyond |
my poor powers Of description. The |
surgeon constantly warned her not to be |
too sanguine.
You must remember" he said, that |
the injury to Richards brain was inhict- |
ed just as he was recovering from an at |
tack Of brain fever, when he was weak |
as well as physically. | hope |
for the best, but it may be years before |
his brain RECEIVERS its former strength |
Such cases are not rare He will soon |
be we'll physically, but mentally he must |
begin life anew"
With this faint hope in her heart Mrs
Melville started home with her invalid |
son. returned to my regiment, and |
the farmhouse and all | knew there
passed out Of my life.