The record-union., 1899-10-16
ABSOLUTELY PURE

cold, and on reaching the hotel I was
completely exhausted as we'll as chilled
to the bone, resulting in my contracting
severe cold. It never quite left me
until l reached home"
You always went back to Manila at
night? Did you never stay on the field
all night %
Yes, twice; and both times slept in
an ambulance. 1t was at Calumpit,
where so many were wounded, and l
just couldn't leave. The firing never
ceased, and the awful wounds the poor
fellows had. 1t seemed to me 1 never
saw more terrible wounds than at that
battle"
And you were not frightened?"
mot in the least. We were all so
busy / never thought of being fright
| ened; and, then, one can even get used
to bullets flying around, and take it as
a matter of course. You see that cart
ridge belt? 1t was after that battle
that l fed a poor fellow some beans;
he was wounded in the back and could
not move. He had had nothing to eat
since the day before. When he got
we'll he sent me his belt. l have it full
of bullets and other such mementoes."
She emptied the contents into her lap,
and picking them out told me about the
different ones. Some of them had been
shot out of the gun, and were fiattened
and bent into odd shapes.
Our Springf1elds make such terrible
wounds! See how they f1atten when
they strike; and then they whirl
around and tear the flesh to shreds.
Those poor Filipinos! 1 felt so sorry
for some of them, though sometimes
they made us step around lively. Once
at Malolos, we had to keep the wounded
in the trenches and under cover, the
bullets We're coming SO fast
As she sat there looking at the Maui
ser bullets and turning them over and
around, she told me about an Irishman
who was wounded and had been taken
to the dressing station.
Il had been out in the field, and as
many of the wounded We're being taken
into the station [ followed On entering
a great big brawny fellow attracted my
attention. He was propped up against
the wall and had a pipe in his mouth.
smoking like a chimney We'll, my
man. I said, where did they get you?
In the leg, num-
Does it hurt much I asked as
l gave him some matted milk.
Indade it does, mum; but it's worth
all the pain in the word to see such
nice lady as yourself out here He
had never murmured, although his leg
had been broken in two places.
Such grit and such unselfifshness! I
tell you, our boys are made of grit.
Never one murmur, no matter how
great the pain. Under all conditions
they were always thoughtful for Others
who might need the matted milk or
broth more than they did Time and
time again, when I would give them
something to drink, they would drink
haf and say to give the rest to a fell
low sufferer. Not one drop more would
they touch until assured there was
plenty. Sometimes | just couldn't stand
II any longer; the tears would come.
II was so pltiful to see them lying
there suffering, and yet never forgetfuI
Oh others who might be worse.
1here We're so many instances where
grlt-grft in every sense of the word
was shown. One fellow who had had a
hand to hand fight with two Filipinos
came IN terribly cut. Knives had been
used and great cash was cut in his
cheek and the fingers of each hand laid
open TO the bone where the knife had
been jerked out of his hand. Do Won
know that man stood there. puffed
away at cigar, and never 1inched
once while the doctors took seven
stitches in his cheek He smoked con-
%Ia airr
mouth with his drawn-up hand. 1t was
only when they began to work on his
hngers, where the nerve centers were.
that he said anything, and he jerked
ms hands away, saying, Good God,
leave them alonei"
But hadn't you better quit smok-
ing" l asked him.
No lady; I couldn't stand the pain
if I did
Another time little Dutchman
came in holding up bleeding, shat
tered hand.
Hello, fellows; how you vas? Dey
got you, too?' he called out cheeriIv
and he never moved nor murmured the
Whole time the surgeon worked on his
hand. l gave him straight whisky.
Matted milk was too mild for such grit.
and he declares to this day that 1 saved
his life"
We ehatted on different subjects for
while gand then gradually drifted
down to Manila again and to the soldier
boys who have found their resting
places there.
The saddest sight-the sight that
makes your heart ache and the hot
tears come to your eveS-iS to Goa fo,,r
or hVe, sometimes six, hearses going to
the cemetery and not one mourner
could not bear to see those poor fellows
taken out there without, seemingly, one
soul to mourn them. Often would
follow the hearses and think that some
poor mother at home hight be grateful
II she knew Woman-a woman who
mad boy of her own-had followed