Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1901-03-09
BOBS THE BELOVED
A True Episode oftLs Boer War.
Copyright, 1901. by James Barnes.)
Written for The Evening Star by James Barnes.


Private Miller. No. S2o3. lay in the end
cot The big school room had been turned
into a hospital. and the blackboards
stretched around the walls like a band OF
premature mourning.
Once he had been a very big man, but
now his hairy arms that lay listlessly out
side the cover were almost the same size
from wrist to shoulder, and every bone in
his skull showed plainly through the skin.
His hair had been clipped and so had his
beard but a thick stubble hid his big,
gaunt jaws. The doctor said that he was
probably going to recover, but he did not
look it. Enteric fever had made such a
wreck of him that death seemed to be
| written in his deep-sunken eyes and sound
in the weak, hollow tones of his voice. He
was used to hospital life, having been down
to Wynberg twice, in the first six months
of the war, with Mauser holes In him. Then
he got the fever at Natal Spruit, and this
was all that was left to look at-the mere
framework of the strongest man in the
regiment!
1t was very quiet in the bare little room
Occasionally a man muttered, but as RUE
they all lay there with their eyelids closed,
or else looking blandly up at the ceiling In
a slow breathing, half waking sleep.
An army nursing sister came into the
room quietly. Some of the men followed
her with their eyes. She went to the little
table near the window and put little
bunch of flowers in glass. She WASH
very pretty; she was tall and angular, ana
had prominent front teeth that were con-
tinually showing; but her very presence
seemed to brighten the room. The little cap,
with its long, white streamers, appeared TO
soften the strongly marked face. After she
had arranged the flowers she turned to the
end cot and Strengthened the pillow with
knowing pull here and a soft pat there. she
was very proud of him. was Sister Potter
4,,.;< .l,4,- 1,DI
around his bed, behind which men are ex-
peeted to die more privately, as it were, and
make their exit as gracefully as they can
alone and uninterrupted. But Sister Potter
had determined to pull him through, If pos
sble Not that she was not determined TO
pull every one through who came into her
hands. but this man especially, for the or
derlies said that the end cot would soon be
vacant And Lord there were plenty enough
waiting out in the tents of No. field hospi-
tai to fill it score of times over.
The volunteer surgeon who had charge OF
the ward declared that Sister Potter had
saved Private Miller by sheer force of will
Every one knew she had a will of her own,
and her word was law. But whatever II
was, the screen had been withdrawn and
the cloud of death had passed by the end
cot to settle suddenly and Unexpectedly on
a light case near the doorway. The sister
had not said anything to her patient as she
arranged his pillow. She had simply smiled
at him, more with her eyes than her lips,
which We're open continually. She felt his
brow with her long, cold fingers. Number
1908 looked up at her. He did not smile in
return, but started to say something. and
after one or two efforts came out with it
weakly:
Us ia little mon comm ia see me?" he
asked.
The nurse did not reply at first. 1t was
the same thing he had said over and over
again in his delirium: When was the little
man coming. Why wouldn't they let him in?
He was just outside there asking for Pri-
IN IN oil
sorts of ways it had been repeated; as a
question, a complaint, or a request. Now
here he was without a degree of fever, and
yet with the same words on his lips
"Oh, he's coming soon, but l suppose he
is very busy now said the nurse. quietly,
and as she spoke it was evident wherein lay
her power and charm. 1t was her voice, so
low and sweet and comforting. Many a
poor fellow had listened to it and never
known why he felt better. Many had found
the secret, and questioned her for the mere
sake of the sound Of her reply, Private
Miller only nodded his head slowly two or
three times, as if he agreed and was con-
soled.
In the evening. as is customary with the
fever, his temperature rose and when the
nurse came to give him his little bowl of
arrowroot he was little iighty and would
not touch 1t.
HE waud ma coom," he muttered Hes
hard pressed WI ia big fight that's comm
on. l want ia dee. He waud ma COON"
mo, he couldn't come today said Sister
Potter, but perhaps tomorrow.
Then she went out and told the volunteer
surgeon; and that night he dined with a
member Of the headquarters staff.
The convalescents, in their light blue hos
pital suits, with the broad, white trimmings,
stood up and saluted little knot of red
capped nurses in the corridor were in a fut-
ter of whispering. The orderlies standing
at the entrance of the wards froze into an
attitude Of attention. Sister Potter bent over
Private Miller'S pillow.
He'll be in in few minutes" she said.
"Who?"
"The little man. You know you wanted
to see him..
"God guide us. I'm not fit to be seen!
Caud ma L get shave first, Ell? Am sair
unkept"
He put his weak fingers to his rough.
hairy chin. I'm disreeputable. But you're
ma meanin' It," he added, weakly. HE
wand ma take the trouble to see the like O.
me-"
In reply the nurse gave a little soothing
caless to his wasted bony hand.
Down the corridor came four or five
khaki-clad figures. At the head walked the
volunteer surgeon, and beside him, with a
strong, quick step, walked a short we'll
knit figure. clad in an Immediately neat
uniform, held in by broad belt and cross
with gentle, almost merry, expression In
the eyes. A firm mouth, with strong down
ward lines, yet sympathetic as a woman's
a brow furrowed by care and work. and
voice that like the nurses. made ones heart
warm to him, completed the man.
1t was the little mon," "Bobs," the be-
loved!
The occupant Of the end cot caught sight