The Chickasha daily express. (Chickasha, Indian Territory [Okla.]) 1899-current, 1901-04-19


time the number began TO multiply, as
women began to realize how they, too,
could help on the cause Of the Union
by lessening the horrors Of the battle
field by their tender ministrations to
the sick and wounded. Many a
mother sent her only son to the front
more willingly, knowing that should
sickness or wounds befall him he would
still be under woman's tender, moth
erly care
The army nurse was confined to no
one rank in social life. The raaks Of
the rich as we'll as the poor and hum
bic furnished recruits. They we're Of
all ages, iut largely from 80 years up
ward, though there we're in post hospi-
tails many who hid youth and beauty
under disdgunng white cap and gray
dress, which was their only uniform.
Most Of them were regularly enlisted,
aud drew pay like the soldiers, rank
ing from private to major in that re-
spect. Their motives we're various.
More than one high born and wealthy
woman, whose hands had never before
known toll Of any kind. donned the
humble cap and gray dress, and de-
voted years to q service that was more
trying to the nerves and modest sensi-
bililies than words can depict all from
sheer devotion to the cause, refusing
all other pay or reward than a con-
sciousness Of a noble duty well done
and the appreciation of "their boys"
as they invariably called the soldiers
under their care.
Others, wives and mothers or sisters,
or perhaps holding another tender re-
lation to some "boy in blue, having
seLt their all TO the 'front.' husband,
son, brother. or lover, and unable to
bear the terrible strain Of waiting day
by day for news from the battle-felds.
rushed to the front themselves, and
threw themselves into hospital work
with feyerish energy that often ended
IN their own sickness, and left them
with constitutions as shattered as that
Of the most battle-scarred veteran.
Others went simply from n sense of
duty, as did many Of the men in the
ranks; feeling that some one ought to
60, they made the sacrifice and went
Others there were. especially among
the younger ones, who were simply
carried away by burst Of sentimental
enthusiasm, and whose only idea Of
the work was to sit by the cot Of some
sick or wounded gallant young fellow,
generally an officer, and fan him and
bathe his fevered brow with eau de
cologne. Some of these when they
learned the true nature Of the nurses |
work. with its many repulsive features,
grew faint and sick. and utterly failed. 4
and returned to their homes with the /
romance Of war taken ont Of them. /
Bat the greater number of these /
sentimental, young enthusiasts per-
haps grew quite as faint and as much /
appalled, at the nature OF the work be- /
fore them as their less brave sisters,
but paused and hesitated only long 4
enough for their true womanhood to
assert itself, when they doffod their
fnerv, donned the homely gray and
came to the front. the true heroines Of
the war, borne In the memories Of the
sick and wounded boys with an almost
worshipful idolatry, as veritable
tAAA NA1 "a AANAtNf
A small number went to the front
Just for the nurses pay, which was
generally liberal But even these sell
dom failed OF fiinched in doing a noble.
tender womans work. But not all /.
we're handsome, or gifted. or refined,
even vel born. There were many who
were coarse. uneducated. and h0mely.
but With deii hands and pitvinq.
vomanly hearts. they, too. won a place
IN the memory Of the hoys. A notable
Of how little beauty counted
iu a nurse may be seen in the case
Mrs. Jane Gray Swisshelm. Thin.
angular. homelv, and grim visaged. vet
always knowing just the vight thing to
Do. often better, even, than the surgeon
himselfs never hinching from anything.
however disagreeable Y0u can't con
vince one Of her boys that the grim.
homely face was not the face Of an
angel.
Many q Michigan veteran wen re-