The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1898-10-19
THE GOOD SAMARITAN.
CIVILIAN PERSON WHO ASSISTED a
SICK SOLDIER AT MANILA.


An Incident of Charity-COuld III
Spare the Time But He Took 1t
Just the same-One of the Occur
rences That smooth the Hard
wrinkles Out of Grim War.
Manila Correspondence Of Inter-ocean
He was the only man on the upper deck
who did not have a commission. He was
just plain private and really had no
right 10 be in the pace where the officers
go. The attendants from the hospital had
put him aboard just as the tender was
about to start on her morning trip from
Cavite. When he was with his mates at
Palo Alto and represented Stanford in ath-
letics he weighed about 100, but seven
weeks in the hospital had changed an
that. His eyes We're deep black pockets in
the tightly drawn faded parchment skin
that held together his brain rack. His legs
and arms were like the slender bamboo
stems among which his comrades had been
fighting south of Manila. He lay fat on his
back, wrapped up in the folds of the brown
canvas uniform that fitted him once. His
ridiculous shoes stuck straight up, except
that now and then they wabbled bit on
the feet that no longer fitted them. Under
his head was pair of moldy boots wrap
ped in his extra shirt. He wasn't very
comfortable, but ne was going back to his
regiment, 10 the boys once more, where
there would be friendly faces and some
one to talk to him, and if his imagination
could force Itself far enough, something
ike the breath of home. II was the civil
ian person who rated" place with the
officers that broke The ice with the cheer
fully feeble question:
Been sick?''
Somewhere down in the black caverns
the eyes responded with the suggestion
of a twinkle. Then the voice struggled into
audibility:
no" il said; been fishing"
"Oh!, sad the civilian person. Thought
you'd been in hospital"
Seven weeks, answered the voice. but
I'm going back to my regiment.
He tried to smile, but when che thin lips
drew back he seemed to be afraid his
jaws would fail apart, and gave il up
Seven weeks, the voice said again,
land l haven't even fired a shot Haven
done bit of work since We got here;
haven't seen Spaniard, not even Guam
prisoner"
The thin lips parted again, and there
was the old suggestion of twinkle in the
dttp eyes. lie ClNllldu pSISOu Sdt uOWl
beside him. Turkish fasion, on the deck.
pretty comfortable?' he asked Somehow
he wanted to talk but he didn't know
just what to say. The soldier actually
grinned.
Pretty fresh when ! started" he said.
The voice was almost a whisper. The tug
had struck the long roll kicked up by the
breeze. This thing bothers a bit" he
went on, bat I'll get along. I'm going
back TO the bows Won know
The Rapido got out into the bay among
all the ships. The sick man rolled his
head and saw the new transports and the
men-o-war.
Il never saw these boats before" he
whispered.
Would you like to sit up on the bench?'
asked the civilian person.
Can't make it, whispered the soldier
The civilian person thrust one burly arm
under his shoulders and the other under
his knees, Strengthened up with him, east
ly, as If he were a child, and sat down
with him at the rail, where he could see
all the bay, and the shipping and the green
and the white walls and red roofs of Ma
Mia and the big bright Stars and Stripes
floating over the Lunetta.
Not so heavy as l was" whispered the
solder Guess | don't weigh more'n
ninety pounds
He looked at all the ships, and the civ
Han person told. him their names, and
when they came and what troops thew
brought, then about the capture of the
city and the work the soldiers comrades
had done. His company was the first to
reach the Lunetta, and one of his mates
was shot down there.
Say" whispered the sick man. cts
great to have you talk to me this way
It's all right in the hospital, but the doc
tors are busy and they get sort of used
seeing 'ro1IpH nd ~
long. And the people that come in just
look at you and go away l used 10 wish
they'd talk to me, but 1 guess they we're
busy.
Sometimes they died there in the hos
pital One night one died right near me-
He was pretty sick, you know, and he
didn't get any mail There were lots of
letters but he didn't get any. l don't
pray much; never prayed in my life till
that night, l guess il was midnight. any
way; they were all asleep | got out of
my cot and crawled down on my hands
and knees-I couldn't walk much-to his
cot and Just prayed And he prayed, too
Then he died and / crawled back to my cot
and by and by they found him."
The Rapido turned into the Pasig and
made for her landing
How are you going to get out to your
company asked the civilian person
ooh, guess I'll make il. somehow. I
amt so IIesn as L was, OUT III make 1t
by and by. How far is it?"
1.-TWO miles"
The sick man dropped his head on the
rail. Guess I'll have to go back" he
said at last. IF you'll help me down I'll
just lie here on the deck till she goes
back, and it'll be all right"
The civilian person had work to do that
required his attention without delay He
helped the sick man back to his old posi-
ticn, with the shoes for a pillow, and chen
told a lie.
Il haven't anything to do he said; If
you think you can stand it I'll take you
out there. want to see some of the boys
anyway"
The pipc-stem fingers twitched and
feeble hand reached out to meet the grasp
of the civilian person. There was light
in the deep eyes that was not a twinkle.
The Rapido tied up at her landing
Il never was in Manila before" said
the soldier, with the laugh in his eyes
again. IT'S a long way from Market
street"
The soldier lay on the deck and the civil
ian person went out to find a carriage.
The stone city lay under the unclouded