The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1898-07-29

ana went up the long gray stairs until we
came 10 the piazza, whence a wooden STAIR
way, built outside. led to wonderful 1T
Tie chapei Ia mid-air a tiny place ii was
with tiny white and gray altar, on
Which myrlads Of candles glowed amid a
wealth Of tropical flowers. Never was /
al a more touching ceremony, for, slowly
ana weakly enough. the poor sick men
who We're at ali able to attend made their
way in. Seamen and officers kneit side
by side. All were equal In this little house
OF God. jackie big and clumsy and
brown of face, rolled in, dipping a great
hand in The holy water font and baptiz-
ing himself copously. Then he knelt in
the front row, his burly form spreading
far out and beyond the little prledieu, his
rough head bent ia alteration. And near
MN was comrude and next to him a ma
val officer, and further on two convaies-
cent soldiers, White and drawn Of face,
sat on low chairs and listened TO the soft
chanting Of the sweet nun voices. Instead
Of windows, long doors opened on the piaz-
zas, and the wind drifted in and played on
the candles, which bent their name-heads
toward the Host, as If In alteration, too.
and 1t waited the incense out of doors to
humming bird, VINO, mistalklng 1t for the
odor of some tropical flower came darting
IN like a flying jewel and stayed to whirr
ana hum his little rantum Ergo, while
outside the mockiug bird sang and sang
as # he would Guido the beautiful human
notes with his heavenly warbling.
II was an odd community. Those sick
sahoTs and soldiers belonging to all creeds
and faiths, those Episcopalian nurses,
those little slender biack-robcd sisters ard
Gods little creatures, the birds all ador-
Ing and blessing and praising Him In that
little mid-ar house, that seemed cut Off
up there from every other habitatou In the
world-Open to sky and rain and wind. 1t
was a wonderful linking of Gods crea-
lures bent in prayer before him, and the
thoughts that must have been thrilling in
every breast in every heart, that moment,
The thought Of the men who were madly
fighting on the hot shores of Cuba in the
cause of humanity, in the cause at least
of their country and their flag, added not a
bttie 20 the pathos of that sublime and
poetic hour. All one-in that moment-all
His children and His sheepl
The little sisters are busy getting the
beds ready for The wounded they expect
any day from Santiago Already several
fresh rooms have been fitted up and ar
ranged he grim operating tables are
all ready. The sponges and linen ana
basins and paraphernalia are All here. The
finest surgical appliances known to the
world OF surgery are In place. and they
viii be needed. The pest house for yellow
fever patients situated about mile and
a half away, has also been put In shape,
furnished with beds and dlspensary; the
or scarlet fever or measles Is also ready.
The army hospital steward has his stores
well supplied, and his henchmen in the
kitchens are ready with their pots and
pans and costly appliances.
As fast as the men are cured they are
shipped back TO their posts or home on
sick leave, and their places are filled by
others. And the little army of splendid
women are at their posts, afraid of noth-
ing, only grieving as one Of them said
to me, because I'VE are so well off here
with every comfort, while our poor men
are enduring everything" only grieving
because I'VE can not do more to help
them" Glad and happy they are 10 be
here in this grim place ready TO nurse
through yellow fever or cholera or small
pox or any of the fearful pestilences from
which men and women ordinarily fly.
Here they are, four young women In the
very prime Of life, and a score or so of
little teaching sisters-untrained maybe in
the ways of nursing, but 50 skilled in
those tender and sympathetic touches that
gentle women have; so obedient TO the or
ders Of others-living up there on the roof,
clustered round the cupola, out of the
way of the world, and yet now SO In the
very heart of it!-singing Their mathis
and their lauds, ringing their gentle little
bells, serving their mass and benedction
and all their holy services In their little
airy Gods house-doing Gods work every
day and every hour.