The Farmville herald. [volume] (Farmville, Va.) 1890-1934, 1900-10-19

I had been married only few months,
and was very, very happy.
"One morning while we were plaving
tennis a telegram was handed to my
husband. He requested permission OF
the queen to go and send a reply, and
one of the other men took his place
in the game. As soon as / could hur-
ried away and into the hotel and found
my husband throwing some things in
a great hurry into a travelling bag
Instantly | realized what the tele-
gram meant.
" I am going, too said, for It was
suddenly made perfectly clear TO me
without my being told, that Piet was
going home, and that the war had be-
gun"
After reaching their home in South
Africa. Mr.. Van AarAdt O4fered hfs
services to President Kruger, who ssnt
him on to Cronje. Mrs. Van Aarnda
stayed for time in Pretoria, and then
went to her farm on the border between
Cape Colony and the Orange Free State.
it was one Sunday morning that she
heard the coming Of the British SOL
diers who stopped at her place for a
rest of five hours, as they told her, aft
er taking the breakfast from the stove
that the maids were preparing. Very
quickly the bright little woman real
tied that they were planning a sur
prise for the Boer soldiers, and she
racked her brain with the thought:
"How can get them word?' Pretend
ting to go to the milkhouse to get a
drink for one of the officers, she man.
aged 10 secure a saddle, fastened it on
a horse and was soon speeding away
with her message, never stopping un-
Ill she had carried the warning TO Gen.
Cronie.
Mrs. Van Aarndt remained among
the fighting Beers until after the death
OF her husband
"One day." she Tecounts, Il saw three
men carrying figure so familiar TO
me that at sight Of it my heart almost
stopped beating.
"The dying comrade that they bore
was my husband.
"He was quite unconscious. He had /
been cut by lyddite shell and his skin
was all bright yellow, and ] could
see the blood dripping from his hand,
which WAS hanging down. started
20 run to him, but stronger arms
pushed me back into the trench Just
ne a shell struck, and then a wagon
famed up.
I'VE made room and they brought
my husband 10 our trench. lie was
still unconscious, and we were afraid
how il would be when he saw me. for
he did not know was with the army.
But when be opened his eyes he was
not at all surprised that ! was with
i'm, and did not ask how had come
here until afterwards.
AT night ] carried water. which was
he only comfort he had. The heat
vas so terrible that we could have
lone without anything better than the
water.
THE shells were bursting ont IN tho
amp every minute, but We were used
o them, even when they burst on the
cry edge of our trench and ratified the
and down.
1--WE knew these were the last hours
ge could ever have together, for the
British were coming nearer and the
ring was stronger.
"Oh, how I prayed that be might
ass away from il all before the oud.
Tut we were neither Of us sorry we !
ad not stayed in Holland. s
"The horses which had brought Us q
0 far we could not protect from the {
wful firing. nor the wagons.
AT night the men dug one grave,
S long as they could, and others laid !,
ito II those who had died during the I
ay, and when we stood By we all i
new that any Of US might soon be 4
mong the ones who lay so still on d.
ie ground, and not among those who q
led TO sing q last hymn TO the dead. 4
zone morning ny husband bsde me :
ood-by. All day I sat by him in the u
DIVIDED trench. holding his dear, dead