The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1898-08-31
WOMEN AT THE CAMP.
ARRIVE IN CROWDS ON EVERY
TRAIN. SOLDIER MAD.

" AOH AACN
quette Prescribes That She BE
Calm and QuIet-GirIs i'm Gay
Gowns Who Beg for Buttons ana
Want to Re Told All About It-A
Soldiers Catholic Taste In Never
ages.
Camp Wikon Letter In New York Com
merciei Advertiser.
Within the past day or two the camp
has been overrun with women. The early
morning train brings down some and the
noon train a host. Last week. when there
was some thought of general quarantine,
when most of the men were in detention
and the guards were numerous, the wo-
men were few. But since the camp has
| become practically open TO everybody,
mud, dirt, or long distances DO not brighten
the women, and they appear everywhere,
young and old. in carriages and a-foot,
soldier mad.
First of all there is the regular officers
wife. For days she haunts the station,
watching and waiting for the arrival of
the transports. She is quiet and self-con-
tanned, for it is a breach of etiquette for
a regular officers wife TO show emotion
in respect to her husbands dangers and
sufferings. They are a part of the pro-
| fession. But her voice is a bit trembly,
and she has a quiet way of saying Thank
you, with a smile, that tells more than
words or tears. One of these women came
| down to camp every day last week and
every day this week She carried poodle,
which she called Dear little doggie," so
that people smiled. can you tell me
sir" she said to one of the young officers
about the station, what transport has
been sighted?"
'They say it is the -"
DO you know whether the Twenty-hrst
is on board?"
| YETI
THANK you"
by Jove," said the young officer, turn
ing to a companion, that's the old cap
tain's wife. The last time l saw the cap
tein he was at Siboney lying on stretch
| er with his hands crossed on his breast
I was one of those who carried the STREET
cher. But I didn't tell her that"
In the afternoon she returned to neigh
boring town.
Capt. - did not come To-day. but per-
haps he will come Tomorrow" she said,
quietly to a fellow passenger
1t was two or three days after this that
| she stood watching the regulars march
| past the station.
Can you tell me. sir, whether Capt.
was landed here this nlorning?" she asked,
when the men had passed by.
| They say he was taken uD to the hos
| pital in an ambulance"
The detention hospital?'
| Yes, of course"
'"Then I might as well go back"
For days following she came to the sta
ton. asking always for the latest news
| from the hospitals always the same, quiet
and outwardly calm. Each day she got
| into stage and went over the hill. Each
day she came back again. Il did not see
Capt. - to-day" she would say, sim
| ply.
Finally one day she said when some one
asked how she had succeeded: 81 saw my
| husband to-day. He is very weak and
feeble, but 1 am going to take him away
| with me in a few days" She was quiet
and calm as ever.
Then there is the young volunteer
mother. Her boy Is lying up in the general
hospital perhaps She brings a basket OF
package of good things with her in the
| morning, and goes up to the hospital with
them. In the afternoon she returns to the
| station and weeps off and on in the same
quiet corner till train time.
Il found my boy this morning." said a
woman to one of the friends that are SO
easily and quickly made at Camp Wikoff
| Il went into the general hospital and went
| through all the wards and didn't see him.
! I was going 10 go away, but 1 says to my
self. He must be here; Ia look again.
SO 1 went through all the wards a second
time. Finally l noticed boy lying on one
| of those little co.'s. with his eyes shut.
| Somehow l gave a little start, and saws to
| myself Can that be my Harry?' But /
| said, No, that isn't him. and 1 walked
past. But 1 couldn't help turning around
and going back again to look. l stopped
at the cot, and the boy opened his eyes
and said 'Motherr Well, l nearly broke
down and cried, but for his sake / kept
up. He told me all he'd been through. and
| tell you the blame ought to be fixed some
where for what my boy has suffered. Why
he SAID
Another woman had come from Spring
field to see her son, a private in the Sec
| ond Massachusetts. She had got him down
TO the station. He was lying on a bench
his head resting on a blanket, and she was
sitting beside him.
IF it hadn't been for me you wouldn't
have got away to-day" she was saying.
1.-The surgeons hadn't time 10 see about the
| papers to-day, they said, so l saw the Sec
] rotary OF war ana ne sent an Ofuef UP
there for them to make them out right
away. OF course, you ought TO go home
to-day he said. He was ready 70 do any
thing for the boys that went to Santiago,
he said l had the honor of shaking hands
with him. Now don't you want to eat part
of this orange?"
Still another is the young girl who has
come down TO camp to see friend, who
perhaps, was almost more than a friend
Two young girls like this, dressed in gay
summer attire were talking with a Seven
ty-first man at the station this evening
The train was at the platform the crowd
moved this way and that-sick soldiers on
| furlough, accompanied by their friends
black cavafrymen, laborers smutty with
| Montauk dirt visitors, officers, ala wan
dering about restlcssly. The young sol
der pale and sunkeh checked as he was
bowed and smiled as the girls talked. There
was a touch Of gaHantry in his bearing
not the invariable galiantry Of the soldier
TO women, but that Of the society man. in
/ terested and conventional.