The Jersey City news. (Jersey City [N.J.]) 1889-1906, 1899-04-15
PRIVATE TRIMBLY.

On the day when Full Private Trimbly
was wounded in the trenches before Ma
Mia the wounded man himself thought
that his end had come. He did not mind
that so very much. He had volunteered
for this war with a very clear understand
ing in his mind of its risks and had sail
ed from San Francisco with the idea that,
taking one chance with another, he was as
likely as not to leave his zones either in
the Philippines or at the bottom of the In
dian ocean. Therefore, when he felt the
curious numbness about both his legs and
had made quite sure he could not move
another step, he sat down at the bottom of
the trench and closed his eyes, thinking of
folks he had left at home, but chiefly one
person.
However, after slowly and not unpleas-
antly losing consciousness, Private Trim
bly, awoke, not knowing what length Of
time might have elapsed, in an improyis-
ed hospital. The doctor told him he was
not dead and Private Trimbly thought the
doctor ought to know. The. doctor also
told him that he was not likely to die, and
that, too, Private Trimbly tried to believe.
After about a week of suffering, which
tried even his philosophy to the utmost, he
was pronounced convalescent.
Then came the hardest trial of all for
his stoical patriotism. 1t was fever. Some
how he had not laid much stress on the
chances of fever in his anticieation of
what he might have to suffer for his
try. Most of his calculations had been
based on the probability of a quick and
soldierly death, like what he had really
thought had come to him when he felt
that numbness in the trench before Ma
Mia. But the slow, hot, delirious ordeal,
with hardly enough sense of time and To-
cality to make him feel human, was an
other sort of thing, not sufficiently count
ed upon when he first put this uniform
on"
Evidently there was NO more fighting
for him. His chum, who dropped in to
talk to him every day, seemed to think
there was no more fighting for my of
them. 1.-THE jig is up" he said and re-
peated it day after day. In that case
Trimbly wished they would send him
home. He had left the counter of a hard
ware store to soldier in the far east for
Uncle Sam. If there was nc more soldier
ing wanted-real suffering, as. distinct
from police duty-Trimbly would like to
get back to the counter-and to that par
ticular person.
And that was why his stern philosophy
was not enough to keep him from yelling
stHurrah!'' when the doctor came and
told him he was to go home inyalided.
ssWhy, Trimbly, - said the doctor, smil-
ing a quizzical smile, 81 thought you
wanted to stay and see it out?"
aIt is out, isn't it, doctor?" said the
pallid, hollow eyed man. "There was
only one thing l wanted here, and now
there isn't much chance of that. Some
body else got it, I guess"
"What was it?"
81 never told you about it, did I, doc
tor? Not when l was out of my head?
Well, the truth is I had a kind of fancy to
carry back a Spanish flag as a present for
my sweetheart, and that morning ! got
dropped I saw one on a little earthwork
that I thought would just do"
Never mind, Trimbly," said the doc
tor. "You have the consolation of know
ing that your regiment got the earthwork,
and / suppose it got the flag too"
Eyes, sir" said Trimbly. "My chum,
Tevis, told me that much. But the ques-
ton is, Who hauled down. that flag? I
never would talk to Tevis about that-had
my own reasons. The regiment has gone
on ahead now, and I don't suppose I shall
see any of them before I start"
In that Trimbly was entirely right. He
sailed within a few days after his onver
sation with the doctor.
Why they all made such a hero of him
when he got home Trimbly was honestly
unable to quite understand.
.sNow, if l had done anything like Hob
SON, say, . he told his mother, lit would
be natural. But what I did was no more
than all the other boys did"
"But you got wounded" his sister pu6
in by way of making it all plain to him.
sfThat was only a chance, " Trimbly in
sisted. "And the thing I started out to do
I didn't do it."
ssThat was only a chance" his mother
retorted.
Mother he said, "I want to ask you
something privately If Oracle will leave
us alone for five minutes"
Oracle Withdrew, as requested, but
smiled as if she could pretty nearly guess
what the confidential communication was
to be about.
mother, has Carrie Nelson been to in
quire about me?"
why, bless you, child, she's been here
half a dozen times. What a question, to
be surel'
After a silence of a few seconds the in
valid asked, "Do you know if she's heard
from Wat Tevis?"
"No, Jack; I don't know. Does Wat
write to here"
81 didn't ask when / was out there"
said Trimbly. HE and I made it q point
never to talk about Carrie. Mother, 1
want you to do something for me-"
what is it, childs"
eff shelf Carrie-comes here, you and
Oracle talk to her. Anyway, you must
never leave her and me together without
one of you in the ROOM"
well, I declare! And you'll What
makes you talk that way, Jack? Thought
Carrie and YOU
aNever mind, mother. You see-you
see, it wouldn't be fair-to Teyis. You
promise mea"
Eyes, l promise you, if you wantit SO"
The result of this self denying ordinance
was that on the only two occasions when
Carrie came after that and was allowed TO
see the sick man their conversation was OF
the most conventional and i~mpersonal
character. Not only did the boys mother
marvel at the injunction he had laid upon
her. but his sister was astonished at thu
orders she received from her mother.
However, under the circumstances, Jack $
will was law in that home. Still Oracle
Trimbly found it hard to pass by and hear
patiently her brother calling Carrie Miss