The Penn's Grove record., 1899-07-14
Two BRAVE ARMY GIRLS.
One Noble Sister Who Nursed the
Other Through Yellow Fever.
FATHER DIED OF DISEASE IN CUBA

His Daughters Sailed Away-Miss
Helen Caught the Disease and Miss
Ella DevotedIy Nursed Her Back to
a. Hea1th-A Tale of womanIy Heroisrn'
New YORK CITY (SpeciaD.- OF the hero.
ism Of the men OF the army, volumes have
been written, With this heroism the story
following has nothing to DO. 1t treats oil
the herolsm CT two "army g%iils," brave,
true hearted Yankee misses, whose lives
since they have been out Of pinaiores have
been spent In barracks, within the sound
OF drums and the rumble Of feet tramplng
in cadence.
The name Of these "army girls" is Glen
denim. They are the daughters OF n martyr
to duty and they are martyrs themselves.
One OF them Is slowly convaleseing from an
attack of yellow fever on Swinburne ISL
and; the other is recovering from the strain
OF nursing her sister through the Illness
that threatened her life. In a trench out
side of Boniato Camp, near Santiago, the
body of their father has been buried,
though Mt first they did not know It.
Paul Clendenin was a physician In Gales
burg, ILL.,, fourteen years ago. He had two
little daughters, Helen and Ella, and to
them he was father and mother, for his
Young wife had died. He sought forget
fulness of his afiiction, but he could not
gain it in the drowsy atmosphere OF Gales
burg, Materially fond OF n nomadlc exist
ence, life in the army appealed to him.
He applied for a position in the Medical
Corps, passed n brilliant examination and
became IN assistant surgeon in November,
1886.
When the war with Spain broke out DR..
Clendenin had reached the grade OF cap
tain, and was considered one of the best OF
the army cllgeons. He made application
to be allow i to enter the volunteers, and
permission was granted. In juno, 1893, he
was made n brigade surgeon with the rank
Of major, and was assigned to General
Ftzhugh Lees command.
Major Clendeni7 had his hands full.
The hospital was fall OF soldiers the winter
through. From general to private the
army fought off the fever, and right In the
van OF the attacking force were the Glen
denim girls. But the fight was futile-the
fever came, and enc OF the first to feel Its
effects in the Santiago district was Major
Clendenin.
He battled with the disease with all the
skill and strength OF a trained fighter, but
It conquered him. Late in June he told
his daughters that they must get out OF
Santiago.
What go to the cool breezes of the mid
J lie west and leave their father sweltering
under the Santiago sun, i'll perhapsl The
Cleudenin sisters said mo" to the PROPOSE
tion, but their fathers arguments oyercaIne
their scruples.
Arrangements we're made for the Glen
denim girls to go to New York on the trans
port Mcclellan, together with nearly 100
others hurrying from the fever infested
town. On the day before the Mcclellan
sailed, Major Clendenin was stricken down
With the fever.
He said nothing to his daughters about
1t, In the fear that they might refuse to
leave him. Not until the ship had sailed
did he give way.
On the first day out from Santiago Helen
Clendenin became i'll. The ships surgeon
told her that she had yellow fever, and so
she bad. In spite Of the protests of Ella
Clendenin she was not allowed to nurse
her sister. But she was allowed to sit near
the door of her cabin and talk to her,
Through the voyage she scarcely left hGi
post. The other passengers formed
watches and took turns in keeping by the
lonely girl.
DR.. Doty, when he boarded the McClel.
Fan at Quarantine, was told of the eondl-
tion OF affairs on board.
"Miss Clendenin?' he said. as she the
daughter OF Major Clendenin, who died in
Santiago2"
"S-s-hp' said Captain Briekley. "They
do not know"
And so, when Helen Clendenin was taken
off the Mcclellan and transferred to Swim
burne Island she was told that her father
was well. Ella Clendenin insisted that she
be allowed to nurse her sister.
'If papa should have to hear that she
was nursed by strangers" said the brave
girl, "be would not like IT,"
Down to Swinburne Island went Ella
Clendenin. Night and day she watched at
The bedside of her stricken sister, and not
until DR.. Doty absolutely insisted that she
should relax her vigilance did she consent
to tsxe a protracted rest. Thanks to the
strong constitution of Miss Helen and the
excellent treatment she has received, both
aboard ship and on the island, she is now
on the road to complete recovery.
1t was pathetic to hear these two brave
army girls talk OF their father. Both were
overjoyed in the false belief that he sur
vived his Illness and is again the strong,
courage Us worker they have known from
childhood.
in the course of my service as Health
Ohicer," said DR.. Doty, 81 have had many
unpleasant duties to perform. l would
willingly have gone through all of them in
succession rather than to have told those
two brave girls the truth"