The herald., 1898-10-07
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+ The Prlvate's Story !
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A hard campaign, full Of wants and
lacks and absences. brings a man speed
lily back to an appreciation of things
long disregarded or forgotten. In camp
somewhere in the woods between Sib-
oney and Santiago I happened to think
of Ice cream soda. hadn't drunk any
thing but beer and whisky for fifty
moons, but 1 got to dreaming OF ice
cream soda.and l came near dying
Of longing for it. 1 couldn't get 1t out Of
my mind, try as I would to concentrate
my thoughts upon the land crabs and
mud with which 1 was surrounded. All
could do was to swear to myself that
If ever reached the United States again
1 would Immediately make the nearest
soda water fountain look like Spanish
fours. 1 decided upon the flavor. In a
loud, firm voice would say: "Orange,
please" What with the work and ev-
erything, I suppose some Of us got to
be little childish.
But here is the funny part of it. In
due time, 1. with many other heroes. was
loaded upon a Chinese junk. We knew,
however that 1t was a United States
transport because it was commanded
by fool who was all bluster and bad
manners and fear of Spaniards. In
rough weather we made a sort Of pool
of all the sound legs and arms, and by
dint Of hanging hard to each other, we
lived until the old trap reached Fortress
Monroe.
AS we slowed down opposite the main
battery-known to the department as
Chamberlin's-we witnessed something
which informed US that with all our
wounds and fevers and starvations we
hadn't felt it ALL We were flying the
yellow flag, but a launch came and cir
cled swiftly about us. There was little
woman in the launch, and she kept
looking and looking and looking. Our
ship was so high that she could see only
those who hung at the rail. but she kept
looking and looking and looking. Pres
emily there was a commotion among
some black doughboys who had seer
her, and two Of them ran aft to their
colonel. The old man got up quickly and
appeared at the rail, his arm in sling
He cried: "Alice!"
stantly she covered her face with heI
hands as IL blinded with flash of white
fire. She made no outcry; 1t was all IL
tillS SAihpicS SWilt eeStuIc, uul Wc-Ns
knew then. 1t told us. 1t told us the
other part. And in vision we all saw
our own harbor lights. That is to say
| those Of who had harbor lights.
My difficulty being of a minor de-
scription, was one of the first ashore
A company of volunteers dug way
| for us through great crowd. Tht
| verandas of the two big hotels were
thronged with women and officers II
new uniforms. Everybody beheld us. 1
was very hard to face it out. Some O.
the boys had something which might b'
called stage fright. I knew we looked
tough, but didn't know how tough W,
looked until 1 saw all this splendid five
dollar-a-day crowd.
| Some of the boys could walk, but nat
urally there were many who couldn't
and these last were loaded upon biz
fiat car and towed 1t behind a trolle.
car. When that load passed the hotel
there was a noise made by Grove
which brought me up trembling. Per
haps it was moan, perhaps 1t was ;
sob-but, no, it was something far be
yond either moan or a sob. Anyhow
the sound of women weeping was in 1t
for saw many Of those fine ladies will
wet cheeks when that gang Of bandaged
ragged, emaciated. half starved Grip
pies went by in review.
And let me tell you, 1t brought some
thing to my eyes which I was ashamed
to have seen, and my saber arm went
stiff and strong as steel and I swore
that, despite legislation and the appoint
ment of incompetent quartermasters,
would live and die good soldier, true
straight, unlocking American regular
soldier.
Now here is funny thing. Avoiding
the hospital people who were herdine
US, 1 entered a drug store and marched
up to the soda water counter. The boy
looked at me and I said: "Orange
please. ."-Stephen Crane in the New