The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1900-01-02
WARS HURANlZING WORK.
II subdues Arthcialities, Inspires
Contempt For Luxuries and Pro-
notes Fraternization.

It subdues Artihcialities, Inspires
Contempt For Luxuries and Pro-
notes TraterniEation.
London truth: The following letter
has been addressed to me. II Is too
long to quote In full. and, therefore
only the most Interesting part can be
given;
4At last the order came for US 70
charge, which was q relief in q Way, for
Ii IS indescribably demcrallzing 70 have
10 stand stIil in the open with the bul.
lets whiRsing on al sides: NOW over
your head. now past the left ear now
past the right leg, or then making the
dirt ny at your feet The enemy were
on the hill opposite. short valley sepa-
rating us from its base, and az the
'kopje' was covered with boulders the
task which had been lntrusted to ua was
not fascinating. ! admit Il without
hesitation thai my legs felt heavy as
started running across the open-G KIND
OF paralysis, should imagine. brought
on, not by want OF courage, but ny ex-
element which affects those whose
nei-vesare highly strung or are constltu-
ti0nhlly defective During this rush,
the whizztng Of the bullets was less OBJ
trislVe than 1t had been beGore-no
doubt because we were preoccupled
With the act OF charging and the POSI-
billtihS which awaited US when we
should come TO hand-tO-hand tlght
with the enemy. In q charge OF that
kind these possibilities greatly depend on
ch6nca The fateS may 80 arrange mar
tiers that your particular opponent z q
giant with long arms-which, Of course,
places the advantage on his slde-or
WeaiGling (which places Il on yours. or
the distribution OF your men may bring
Il about that you have TO attack sinRly
q group OF two or more, or that you lead
q group yourself agalnst a single enes
my.
',But this Is depression. We clam
bered up the hill with as much agility
as we could command, and not the least
disaGreeabIe item on this part OF the
programme was that occasionally. even
frequently, through excitement, by ac-
cidental contact with boulder. or by
negligence. a gun was discharged IN the
rear close TO you. The Beers are, as
body neither good shots nor brave, ac-
cordlng to our conception Of bravery.
Good, steady shooting could have rolled
most Of our men over like rabbits long
before they reached half way 10 the
BOer position. The fates are to be
thanked that such shooting was absent,
AS We approached the crest Of the kopje
over / went, and the men swept
past me. most Of them intent on the
work before them, the one here and
there calling out 4 kind word to me.
What happened after that cannot say,
ukviI = ,tVN4 m
apart from the Initial shock. became
unconscious. When regalned con-
sciousness It was pitch dark; the rain
was pouring down In torrents; / opened
my mouth wide and swallowed the big
drops to quench my thirst; the cold was
Understandable. and far more indescrlha-
bic was my sense of utter demoraltza-
tIon.
There l was, unable to stir, lump
of barely living human clay in the inn
pentrable darlnegB-deSerted, suffering
inside from the effects Of my wounds
and outside from the situation which l
was In. heard man gr0an not far
from where was, and another, eVldent-
~ dellrlous. was singing snatches from
Soldiers of the Queen This is the
most curious incident. that / did not
then think Of my home, my household
goods, my friends in the regiment or In
| society. nor did / contrast my condition
with the comforts Of luncheons and din
nerS at Wlllls's or afternoons on the
Thames. All could think Of was mo
terrier Vic. How longed for her to
be sitting by my side, wagsEng her little
stumpy spotted tail, and anxlously
pressing her long nose into my neck!
AS the light came had to en-
counter more horrible experience. for
Z fHaPnatva6 f11n hn11RiNfin man Nnfnfl1IIV
approaching me. dragging himself along
as should imagine q wounded worm
would. Were he violent what could
do in my defenseless condition, the more
so that had now, as Il were. set to the
ground? The fear of death scarcely
presented itself to my mind, SO absorbed
was by one idea, the dread OF dying
desolate and deserted. am now
in hospital, and the contrast with that
internal night makes the present seem
more beautiful than tits
II am more attached to my cot and Its
surroundings than ever was to the
luxuriant home In which was bred.
The nurses that are employed here l
regard as the most beautiful and the
most perfect women that the world con-
tains. and would endure much 10 be OF
the slightest use to any OF my compan-
Ions IN the hospital, Suffering brings
out the good qualities; pleasure the
bad-I never felt SO good since / was
boy In the nursery, and certainly
never met with so much dislnterested
kindness. SO You will ask Would
I be pleased to be sent to the front
again? Yes, would Since being
wounded. or rather since being rescued
by kind hands from my boulder bed. all
the romance Of life has been revived in
my Imagination, which has been gradu-
ally obscured by society affectations
and artlhcialltles the demoraliZing in.
Guences OF luxurious living and the Gym
Ical indifference to every fine feeling OF
the ordinary London woman. am
now. as when boy, eager to earn the
Victoria CroSS. to lead my men to vic.
tory, and even ambitious as commander
In chief to OVerrun Europe! AZ you SIT
at the club smoking big cigar after
fastidiously chosen luncheon, render
ed more cynical than usual by the COM
bInation Of those comforts. you will, on
reading this, no doubt turn to friend.
and say Poor -. he Is evidently stlll
dellrIous'