Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1892-06-18

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remember that the name affixed to it is that
which / signed at the foot of document We
made ont together-namely. return Of deaths.
At the foot of this paper our names stood ore
beneath the other-stand there still, perhaps,
in some forgotten bundle of papers at the war
Office
/ only hope that she will not see this, for she
might consider it a breach of professional Ell
quette. and | attach great importance to the
opinion Of this woman, whom have only seen
once in nv whole life. Moreover, on that &C.
casion she was subordinate to me-more or less
in The position of a servant.
Suffice it to say. therefore, that it was war
time. and our trade was what the commercial
papers call brisk. war better remembered OF
the young than Of the old. because it was. COM
paratively speaking. recent. The old fellows
seem TO remember the old fights better
those fights that were fought when their blood
was still young and the vessels thereof I'M
clogged.
1t was. BY the wav. nv first campaign. but
was not new to the business Of blood: for am
no soldier-only doctor. My only uniform
my full parade dress-is a red cross on the arm
OF an old blue serge jacket said jacket being
much stained with certain dull patches which
are better not investigated.
All who have taken part in war-doing the
damage of repairing it-know that things are
not done In quite the same way when ball
cartridge is served out instead of blank The
correspondents are very fond Of reporting that
the behavior of the men suggested parade
which simile IL Is to be presumed was borne in
npon their fantastic brains by its utter inap-
plicability. The parade NAV be suggested be-
fore the real work begins-when it is a question
OF marching away from the landing stage. but
after the work-our work-has begun. there is
remarkably little resemblance to a review
We are served with many official papers
which We never I'LL in. because. on the spur Of
the moment. it Is apt to suggest itself that mems
lives are more important. We misapply vast
majority of our surgical supplies because the
most important item is usually left behind at
headquarters or at the seaport depot. In fact
we do many things that we should leave undone.
and omit to do more which We are expected
(officially) to do.
For some reason-presumably the absence of
better men-I was sent up to the front before
We had been three DAYS at work Our hospital
BY the river was not full when received orders
to follow the flying column with two assistants
and the appliances of a field hospital.
Out Of this little nucleus spraug the largest
depot for sick and wounded that was formed
during the campaign. We were within easy
reach of headquarters. and i was fortunately
allowed a free hand. Thus our establishment
In the desert grew daily more important, and
finally superseded the hospital at Headquarters
We had busy time. for the main column had
now closed up with the first evolutionary
enemy not forty miles away from me.
In the course of time-when the authorities
learned to cease despising the fOe which il a
little failing in British military high places-it
was deemed expedient to fortify u.s. and then
In addition to two medical assistants. was al
lowed three government nurses. This last
piece OF news was not hailed with so much en-
thusiasnl might have been expected. 1 am
not in favor of bringing women anywhere near
the front They are. for their own sakes and
for the peace of mind of Others much better
left behind II they are beyond n certain age
they break down and have TO be sent back at
considerable trouble-that is to saw. an escort
and an ambulance cart. Of which latter there
are never enough. If they are below the eli
macteric-ever so little below it-they cause
mischief of another description and the wounded
are neglected, for there is no passion of the
human heart so cruel and selfish Us love.
Il am sorry to hear it, said to light
hearted little Sammy Fitz-Wsrrener. of the
naval brigade, who brought me the news.
''Sorry to hear it? Cad, / shouldn't be-
Tie place has got different look about it when
there are women-folk around. They are SO
jolly clever in their ways-worth ten Of your
red cross ruffians"
THAT Is NAV be- I answered breaking
open the case of whisky which Sammy had
brought up on the carriage Of his machine gun
for my private consumption.
He was taking this machine gun up TO the
'front.' and mighty proud he was of it.
"a clever gun" he called it; IAN almighty
clever gun"
He had ridden alongside Of listing on the
top of hls horse as sailors do-through seventy
miles of desert without halt: watching over
il and tending it as he might have watched and
tended his mother, or perhaps some other
woman.
.'Gad, doctor,'' he exclaimed. kicking out his
sturdy legs and contemplating with some salts
faction the yellow hice top boots which he had
rryh~ .ff hsa a
the boots we'll. and-avoid them. Cad. doc
tor. you should see that gun on the warpath
Travels as light as a tricyle. And when she
begins To talk my stars Click .
click click For all the
world like g steam launch's engine-mowing
EN- down all the time. No work for YOU there
II viii be no use YOU and your s,alactites prog
gfng about with skewers for the bullet. Look
at the other eide. nv bow ard you'll find the
beauty has just walked through them
Soda or plain?' | asked-in parenthesis.
''SOda- / don't like the flavor of dead camel
A big drink. please feel as if 1 were lined
with sandpaper."
He slept that night in the little shanty built
Of mud, and rooted chiefly with old ralm mats,
which was gracefully called the head surgeon .
quarters. That is 10 say, he partOok Of such
hospitality ~ l bad 10 offer him
sammy and had met before he had touched
rope or l a scalpel We hailed from the same
part OF the country-down Devonshire way
and 70 limited extent knew each other
people. which little phrase has a vast meaning
In places where men do congregate
We turned in pretty eariy-I on a hospital
mattress he on my bed, but Sam would not GO
TO sleep. He would lie with his arms above bis
head (Which II not an attitude of sleep) and talk
about that everlasting gun.
j dozed OF to the murmur Of his voice expa-
oattng ON the extreme cunning Of the ejector
and awoke to hear details Of the rifing.
We did not tall Of home "A do men in books