The Farmville herald. [volume] (Farmville, Va.) 1890-1934, 1899-07-07
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J Back TO Light and Love !
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THE silentstarsl looked down throu yh
clear, still night upon a host OF
sleeping men. The brigade had d.
vanced 10y forced marches, and now ly
within two miles Of the dervish car p.
To-morrow's dawn would see the S.
sault. Two officers stood togeth r,
talking i'm low whispers, for it was Of
the utmost Importance that the emery
should be taken by surprise, and le
orders as TO silence were strict,
Buck up, old chap; youu cone
through all right. And If not, what does
it amount to? You've got 40 women
folk 10 bother about"
NO, thank heaven. tits in times Il ,e
this that one is glad never to have
married-like poor old Harcourt."
why poor?"
Il was thinking of his wife. ]
shouldn't care TO be tied TO an ue BY
woman myself"
That's all rot, Hamilton" retort ID
the other. 81 don't believe it matters
a row Of pins, SO long, of course, as size
isn't repulsiye or underbred."
Think SOP"
"Yes. The most unlikely WON
sometimes attract most"
well, old chap, I'm precious than <
ful I've no thoughts of woman to bot l.
er me tonight. | shall try for a le.
tomorrow, even if have got he route;
we've a good chance of being first inio
the zareba."
I'VE viii give you a race for it, an
how. But we'd better try and get a
sleep, for this awful heat takes it out
of fellow"
The two went 10 their separate posts.
And as he lay, sleeploss the thoug t
came TO Hamilton that il was s0mewh
lonesome to think that no woman's ey 5
would fin at the news of his death; ard
he looked upward at the stars above
him, wondering where his soul would
be tomorrow.
The shadow of death lay upon him,
as at times it does upon the brave
soldier; he would fight none the wor o
for il in the morning.
The sun had risen.
IN the previous short half-hour of /
dawn the assault had been delivere
the deryish forces had been driven
from their intrenchments, and now tie
black, grinning "Gippys" were frate-
nizing and triumphing with ther
laughing and chatting white comrades.
Backward, across the half-mile Cf
plain, the surgeons were busy. Away
10 the southwark could be heard tie
sounds Of pursuit as the British lancer
chased the flying Baggara.
4 field hospital at the front is not
pleasant place, neither can it be
described in cold black and white War
correspondents, as readers of tls
dailies have no doubt noticed, jud
ciously avoid more than the merest
mention of such places.
There were some ghastly cases, AMI
both surgeons and assistants had bee
worked hard. But the pressure wa
over. and at last there was time TO al
tend to the wounds which were not
deadly.
"Now. Hamilton. let's see," said Sur
geon Maj. Murphy, approaching an off
Ger who lay motionless on stretche'
who had so lain half an hour at least.
The doctor looked his patient over,
gave a low whistle, and beckoned t.
one of the orderlies, who at that mo
ment turned his head.
Look. see, Dawlins, here's a bac
easel He must 60 back to the hospital.
"Bad as that, doctor?" asked the mo
tionlcss man family. (
"'Tis so. Now you keep quiet"
Lieut.. Hamilton had been totally
blinded by the explosion of a shell il
an earthwork as. well i'm front, he wa
eading his company. lie was sent t.
he real-to hospital-and Sister Ma,
vas given charge of him.
lie had not much pain, only he wa
blind. Treatment appeared to have nc
fleet on this; il seemed likely TO be :
ong business. The days began to hang
leayily. Then came the old story: Love
n Idleness."
Hospital sisters do not cease to be
.omen when they take up their work
lister May was just as susceptible 20
Dve as though she had been silly
oung thing Of IS, though, in fact, she
-as ten years older. And he? Pity =,
cling akin TO love, the recipient Of pity u
uns q double risk. Her voice was soft
nd musical, her touch was soothing, =
er care Of him seemed first motherly 70
hen sisterly, and then "
So it was that by easy stages they
rifted into that strange attraction
-hich the world calls Glove" &
And her one fear was that some day t'
e might see again. The surgeon said W
was just possible, and was advising Ia
consultation with the world-famed IA
rof. Augenwirte, Of Graefrath. She al
-ayed against that possibility. for in p'
sr own eyes she was plain-nay, ugly, e
... = 4T,.srasI, l.. could