Western Kansas world. [volume] (WaKeeney, Kan.) 1885-current, 1901-02-02

The Emblem of the Free.
o, see that banner floating there,
Its stars SO bright and stripes so fair;
1t is the emblem of the free
That waves DER land and sea.
No finer flag in all this world
Was ever to the breeze unfurled;
And conquered it shall never be.
This flag of liberty.
No North. no South, no East, no West,
No one can say who loves it best;
Each Loyal heart it thrills to see
This emblem of the free.
Those stripes of red, that field of blue,
Those stars that sparkle like the dew
Our joy and pride shall ever be,
This flag of liberty
II Ger our homes these colors stream,
Or on the field of battle CLEAN;
In peace or war our guide shall be
This emblem of the free.
Let all who love sweet freedoms land
Beneath this banner firmly stand;
And conquered it shall never be,
This flag of liberty.
Clarence Chrisman in Leslie Weekly.
An Englishwoman Who Became q Soldier
History records several instances of
women enlisting as soldiers or sailors
and serving long terms undiscovered,
even fighting in battle and being
wounded. One of the most notable OF
these queer people was Hannah Smell,
an Englishwoman. She was born in
1923, and was strong, healthy lass,
fond of outdoor work of any sort who
much preferred pitching nay or driving
mettlesome horse to the ordinary
round of work in the kitchen. When
she was 20 years old she married a
sailor named Summs. a good-for-
nothing fellow, who squandered her
small savings and deserted her within
six months. Hannah resolved to find
her worthless husband and punish him
IL possible, SO she donned suit of his
old clothes and set out and walked to
Portsmouth Here her search was un-
successful and her few shillings being
at an end. she enlisted in a regiment
of infantry and was sent to Carlisle,
near the Scottish border. Soldier life
proved very attractive from the first.
Hannah quickly learned the drill and
was much liked by her officers and
comrades, going from station to station
quite unsuspected. But soon a young
man whom she had known at home
Joined the same company; fearful of
being recognized by him, she deserted
walked across England and re-enliseed
under another name in the city of Lon
don. Her new regiment being imme-
diately ordered to India, Hannah soon
found herself aboard transport. Here
she was not long in becoming favo-
rite with every cne by reason of her
skill in sewing and cooking, and fer
real bravery during several severe
storms that nearly wrecked the ship.
England and France were fighting for
the possession of India at that time,
and Hannah's regiment had no sooner
arrived OFF the southeastern coast of
that country than it was sent on shore
to take part in the siege of Pondicher-
~, a town held by the French army.
Eleven weeks they lay before the place,
suffering hardships that broke down
many a strong soldier, but Hannah
stuck to her duties and was in the very
front at several assaults upon the city.
Rain finally forced the British to aban-
don their position, and in fording a
river under fire during the retreat she
received twelve wounds. several of
which were both painful and danger
the hospital, to whom Hannah revealed
her secret. she succeeded in remaining
undiscovered during the long months
needed for her recovery. Quite un-
daunted by her suffering, she set out
for England, working her passage as
an ordinary seaman in a home-bound
ship in all sorts of weather. Voyages
were long and tedious in those days,
and it was come months before she
arrived at Lisbon, Portugal Always
en- the watch for news of her husband,
she made inquiries ashore among sail
ors from all paris of the world, and
was ut last rewarded by finding a
reaman VINO had made a voyage VIII
| summs a year previous According II
his story they touched at Genoa, Italy,
where Summs, being scpnd guilty Of
murder while carousing ashore. had
been sewed in q sack and cast into rhc
sea- common enough eighteenth GEN.
| tury punishment A short time after
this Hannah landed in England. and
her search being ended. obtained an
honorable discharge from the service
with a pension of 500 year besides
| This enabled her to set up as land
| lady of an inn near London, where
many people came to see her and lis