Waterbury Democrat., 1901-04-17

aboard the sacramento and given an airy stateroom on the upper deck, vacated in his favor by one of the ships officers. consideration not made public, but Claus Spreckles & Co.,, bankers, had never before re- ceived such deposit from this very able seaman in all the years he had been sailing or steaming in and out of Honolulu harbor. a.
 And now retribution overlook the invalid The Red Cross had made a marvellous name for itself in San Francisco and was already organized and doing wonders at Honolulu. It's ministrations had been gladly accept ed by the scores of officers and men among the volunteers, to whom the somewhat bare and crude conditions of camp hospitals were doubtless very trying. Women of gentlest birth and most refined associations donned it's badge and dress and wrought in ward, kitchen or refectory. It was a noble and patriotic purpose that in- spired such sacrifice.
 It was a joy to the embryo soldiery to be fed and comforted day by day with the delicacies of the Red Cross tables; but there were military mag mates and martinets who dared to question the wisdom of such prepa- ration for the stern scenes of cam paigning ahead of the volunteers, and who pres umed to point out to the off, ficers of this great and far-reaching charity that, while they were most grateful for such dainties for the in- valids of their command, the daily spectacle of scores of lusty, hearty young heroes feasting at the tables of the Red Cross, to the neglect of their own simple but sufficient ra- tions, prompted the query as to what the boys would do without the Red Cross when they got into the field and couldn't have cake and pie and cream with their coffee..
 The Red Cross. very properly. took umbrage at such suggestions and branded the suggestorss as horrid. The Red Cross had done such wide- spread good and was ready to do so much more that criticism of it's meth- ods was well-nigh unbearable. And now that it had obtained the sanction of the government to send out to Manila not only supplies and dainties of every possible kind, but dozens of it's members to serve as nurses to the sick and wounded, it scored tri- umph over rival organizations, nota- ply the Patriotic Daughters of Amer lea, whose vice president, the austere Miss Perkins, first bombarded the papers in vain protest and denuncia- tion, the Red Cross being her main objective, and with abuse of the com manding officers in camp; then called in person on the same officers to de- mand transportation to Manila with the next expedition.
 The Red Cross held its head very high, and with reason. It ruff1ed it's feathers and resented any slight. It sometimes mistook courteous protest against it's lavish gifts to such sol diers as were in no wise needy as vi- cious and unhallowed criticism, and occasionally only occasionally U it grievously enlarged and exaggerated alleged sights received at the hands of luckless officials. And then even those soft and shapely hands could develop catlike claws and the sooth- ing voices take on an acid and scath- ing intonation, and the eyes, so ready to moisten with pity and sympathy at the sight of suffering, could shoot spiteful little fires at the objects of such divine edispleasure, and poor Stuy- vesant's petulant words, wrung from him in moment of exasperation and never intended to reach the fair band of sisters of the cross, were piled high with additions, impolitic, ,impolite, discourteous, impudent, in- 'tolerable-yes, even profane and blas- phemous.
 Eleven of the twelve Red Cross nurses, packed three in room aboard the Sacramento, swore they would not have anything to do with Mfr. Stuyvesant. The twelfth, the one soldiers daughter in the band, said nothing at all.
 I Well, now, Miss Ray, don't you think it was most discourteous, most sungentlemanly, in him to send such a message?" demanded a flushed and indignant young woman, one of the most energetic of the sisterhood, as they stood together on the prom enade deck in the shade of the canvas awnings, stunning the glare of the August sun.
 Are you sure such a message was sent?" was the serious reply.
 Sure? Why, certainly he didl and by his own servant, too," was the wrathful answer. Didn't he, Miss Porter?"
 And Miss Porter, the damsel ap- pealed to, and one of the two nurses who sent in their message from the office, promptly assented. Miss Ray looked unconvinced.
 Servants, you know, sometimes de. liver messages that were never sent,' she. answered, with quiet decision. We have seen quite little of that in the army, and it is my fathers rule to get all the facts before pass. ing judgment. My brother thought MT. Stuyvesant's attendant garrulous and meddlesome.'
 'sBut I asked him if he was sure that was what MT. Stuyvesant said, " persisted Miss Porter, bridling, "and he answered they were just the very words"
 And still I doubt his having sent them as message" said Miss Ray.