The Virginia enterprise. [volume] (Virginia, St. Louis County, Minn.) 1893-19??, 1900-12-28

M !scs%a9cs Of va!saeis S:S was :
~aS good as she was pretty, and
her modesty and simplicity commanded
the respect Of all.
Left an orphan at thirteen years of
age she lived with her brother. three
years her senior, who, having suddenly
for his little sister and himself at cabi-
net making
The two lived happily together; but
the years passed and the time Of mill
tary service came. Louis was obliged
to so. The separation was terrible to
those two children, who loved each 9TH
er so much.
Left alone in the little lodgings, thus
suddenly become too large for her, Noe
mi with bleeding heart applied herself
the flax fields.
Each Saturday she carried back her
work and when she returned home d.
Vided her earnings in two parts. Must
she not send a small subsidy to her SOL
der, who was thinking of her there in
his far-aWay garrison?
On his side Louis behaved in his regi-
ment as he did in Valenciennes; that is
to say, like an honest man, and so, at
the end of the second year of his alb
sence he was able to announce one
beautiful morning that he had been
promoted to be sergeant.
You can imagine how happy Noemi
was! How her heart throbbeu with Joy!
Oh, how proud she was of her dear
brother: But her happiness was short.
In few weeks came letter. The war
cloud had burst all at once; armed
France rushed to the frontier of the
East.
The dreadful war began.
From the letters of her beloved Louis
she learned the successive defeats of
the French army, Woerth, Rozenville,
Saint-Private, Gravelotte, Sedan. Then
silence followed-no more letters, no
more news, nothing.
Noemi, who never read the papers,
fastened now to the office of the Guet-
teur de \alenciennes and of the Echo
de la Frontiere, seeking there some lit
tie ray of hope. She listened to the
talk on the street. she mingled with
the groups of people commenting on
the news, she gave ear to the painful
accounts Of the war and she learned,
with sinking heart, that her brothers
regiment had met with severe losses.
Meanwhile the wounded soldiers were
sent. through Hirsan and Avesnes. to
the towns and cities on the northern
frontier. Every day fresh conveys ar
rived in Valenciennes
All the hospitals were full, and still
they came. Then private ambulances
were organized everywhere, churches
and factories opened their doors to the
wounded soldiers.
One morning the report was circu-
lated that a convoy of wounded from
her brothers regiment had arrived dur
ing the night.
TO the poor girl a glimmer of hope
She ran from one to the other asking
Of the nurses, bending over every cot;
but the hope of the morning vanished.
All at once she remembered that the
day before they had opened in Saint
Saulve hospital intended especially
for the officers. Was there any posi-
bility that an unknown sergeant might
have been brought there? Surely not.
Yet, Notwithstanding, she found
strength to go thither.
An army surgeon came toward her.
"What do you wish, mademoiselle ?"
ing for my brother, Sergeant Louis YER
dier."
"You mean Lieutenant Louis Ver-
dier?" And pointing with his finger
down the long row of mattresses on the
floor, ''there he is in the sixth bed"
TO the poor girl it seemed as if the
earth vanished from beneath her feet.
She choked back an exclamation of ioy,
tottered forward a few steps and with
an outburst of infinite happiness knelt
DclOlc luc Ocu VI AAlculCAduL tCTulcT.
who, with his head wrapped in linen,
was lying in heavy stupor.
"Louis! Louis! 1t is l." she ex-
claimed, trembling, with clasped hands,
ready to fall.
At this appeal the wounded man re-
covered his consciousness, opened his
eyes and perceived his sister, but not
being able to raise his head he stretch
ed forth both his hands, which she
seized in hers and covered with tears,
In the meantime the surgeon ap-
preached, and, half unwillingly, led her
away.
"You must not cause him any emo
ton, or we cannot guarantee anything,
sapristi! Your brothers wound is do
ing we'll; he will recover, that is GER
tain, il you do not undo our work."