Omaha daily bee., 1899-09-15
NURSE WOODS TALE OF WAR
Life and Difficulties Of Philippine Warfare as
Seen by Nebraska Woman.
VETERANS At LINCOLN HEAR A NEW STORY
Helen wood of the Red Cross wittily
and EIoaucnt1y Details the Part
Played In the East by Ne
brnska's Volunteers.

r,st audience of the week gathered this after
noon In the big assembly tent on the Granu
Army reunion grounds to hear the address
OF Assistant Secretary OF War Meiklejohn.
On account OF the parade no morning meet
Ing was held today, but this afternoon the
big tent, estimated to hold 5000 people, was
crowded long before the time for the meet
ing to open. Many people were unable 10
secure admission at all.
Before Mr.. Meiklejohn was introduced the
Ord Military band played a program of patri-
otic airs and Miss Helen Wood OF Nebraska
City, recently returned from the Philippine
islands, delivered an address on the work OF
the Red Cross society In the islands.
Dr. Wood was one of the first sent as a
nurse by the State Red Cross association.
She is a woman Of rather small stature, dark
complexion, striking features and very at
tractive personality. Her easy delivery, clear
voice, splendid English and intense enthusi-
asm in her subject all combined to make her
a most charming speaker. In spite of her
modest avoidance Of reference to her own
personal service and the trials and discom-
forts she must have experienced, the careful
observer could not help realizing what a re-
markable career this frail though brave
woman had had. Her address, in part, fol-
lows:
FTaIhe tOr NeDTHeka SOluIeTB,
ut is with the greatest pleasure that
come before this assembly, for IL there ex-
lists one body of men that I delight to honor
above all others 1t Is the First Nebraska
regiment. Having been reared, as most of
these men were, in the same state; having
wandered, as they did, into the same far
away country, 1 realize as no one who has
remained at home can do, what they have
endured, what they have suffered, worked
for, fought for, died for In the past year.
Have you ever left the country that held
father, mother, brot hers, sisters sweethearts,
all that was most dear to you, and sailed
out Into what seemed the hmitless blue Of
an unknown sea with deep set fear In your
heart that you might never return? If not,
you win never know what these men felt
when they sailed out Of the Golden Gate,
away from the cool western shore OF this
continent, across the broad Pacific into the
tropic heat of the China sea.
Have you ever with this same weight on
your heart, been called to bear It surrounded
by an environment contrary in every par
ticular to all your pre- established ideas of
comfort and enjoyment? If not you will
never know what life on a government trans
port for four long weeks meant to the en-
listed men. Have you ever lived in strange
land, where all you ate and drank and wore
differed unpleasantly from that to which you
had been accustomed tom your very child
hood? II not, you will never appreciate the
AeNtent Of your daily comforts.
you have no idea how we'll fed you are,
how well dressed, how pleasant are the con-
ditions under which you lie down at night
and how rested you arise in the morning.
Have you ever been subjected to discipline
that you recognize as JUS, necessary, inev-
4 ftah hIit haf waa nj ipoa
to your most cherished ideas Of personal
| equality between man and man? II not you
| will never love as the American volunteer
/ henceforth will your absolute liberty in your
Intercourse with your fellow men.
Fearful Absence of the Usual.
1T is the fearful absence of the usual that
FOSTERS discomfort, propagates profanity and
engenders Inconsistencies In the army.
1T is possible to surfeit one with novelty
TIL he has sort Of heart dyspepsia, and the
doctors call it nostalgia, and the latty know
It as homesickness. Every day home scenes
and events are the bread and butter of the
heart, and novelty cannot take their place
Familiar discomforts are unimportant. A
man would rather have his nose and ears
froster In Nebraska than be called upon to
surmount the difficulties of the Mariquina
road. This longing for the natural, for the
usual, Is omnpresent.
I'VE women with the Red Cross reached
Manila September %, 1898. Soldiers would
follow us into store and, approaching
apologetically, ask If we were the Red Cross
women and. we would pardon them for
speaking. but they did SO want to shake
bands with an American woman.
"A gentleman whom l had met In the
! States called As l sat sewing / became
conscious he was quietly watching me
Suddenly he exclaimed: Its the best
thing that has happened for months-just
to see a woman sew" Another man taxed
my credulity by telling me that he be-
came at times so homesick for his child
that he used to go around and stand in
front Of Filipino hut by the hour to hear
Filipino baby cry.
81 remember very we'll the day a certain
high official rushed into the ward and with
the greatest exhibition OF pride and self
satisfaction presented me with one stick OF
chewing gum, the first that had been i'm
ported. Toward spring firm bought q
soda water fountain and served soda water
with ice cream made from the st. Charles
brand Of the condensed article. We drank
It, out of respect for its name. and pre-
tended that We thought 1t was good A,
one time was invited to dinner by some
Nebraska officers We had fried chicken
and gravy. Talk about oil on troubled wat
ers. that gravy was balm to my homesich
soul, as well as Joy to my palate. l could
have written poetry about that gravy.
Nebraskans Not Gnscons.
''I am most fortunate to be able to speal
to-day for many reasons. There Is mucf
that 1t seems to me no one could say quit,
so appropriately as ! can Those OF the
regiment would appear simply braggarts Il
they did themselves, or their comrades