Democratic messenger. [volume] (Snow Hill, Md.) 1869-1973, 1902-02-08
~o>o>o>c>css
iESAW'S}
La. BATTLE {
The Story
of Cy .ng Veteran.
BY CHAIR les II. YOUNGER.
"old Kenc>asw is dying"


door or window open that winter morn
Ing and allowed the bitterly cold wind
TO sweep ithroug. the corridors and
wards Of The great hospital. there
would fay 10 been no more shuddering
among M hundreds Of patients than
was caused 10y this whisper passed
rapidly Grom cot to cot. from nurse to
nurse. speeding across to he dissent
mated among the hundreds of students
in the adjoining buildings.
"Old Kcnesaw is DYING
The attending physician. summoned
hast lily by the alarming symptoms. had
stopped hut moment TO hand his
snow covered cap and ulster to the re-
ceiving nurse. A glance into the CON
torted. agoniZcd face OF the venerable
patient. a touch Of the pulse. the brief
est study of the paroxysms that were
but the surface Indications of the ter
riblc torture within. and the doctor
turned away with look OF utter de-
spair and hclpleSsnrys.
NO hope. Doctor The head nurse
had witnessed other death struggles.
and IL is said that nurses become inur-
ed In such scenes. But the girls inter
prPtaiiul of tie doctors manner left
her presenting a picture of abject mis-
cry. "Oh. dear. dear. TO think that
kind Old k"ncSaw must suffer sO.'
Through hrr wet eyes she looked ut
the poor. wasted old body writing and
twisting upon the cot. '.Oh. doctor, II
you are quite sure he cannot recover,
Is there II" way-can't you make the
end less ininful:"
Dr. Rlann had turned away from the
scene AMI was looking vacantly out Of
the window. IL lie made no immediate
response To the nurses appeal. it was
because he was revolving the same per-
plexin. problem in his own mind. Al
though he had grown gray in the hos
pital service. Or Blank was for the
first time .acc q face with most vio-
lent cas-" nf angina pectoris. but he
recognized ii as hopeless beyond all
human means
What could he done to ease Old
kencsaw in losing struggle with
death: The battle could end hut one
way. and il was tearing the very
heart from the victim and subjecting
him Ia tile worst torture man can ex-
pericnce.
Aside from the means OF the dying
man the little room was quiet. The few
seconds that the doctor stood there
pondcrng seemed an age tn the nurses
and the inierncs. who first glanced in
sadness AMI terror mt the patient. then
in appeal tn the silent man nj the win
dow. Presently the doctors dark.
hopeless countcnance changed. and
hope was d:scerned in his quick com
mand:
Send for Ainslcy. Take my horse
and buggy ana get him here quickly
AZ possible.
Then. :s an inferno FASTENED through
the hall tn carry out these instructions.
the sad news spread over the great
buildings. whispered 10y nurse to nurse.
by patient to his neighbor in the next
cot:
odd I\cncSaw is dying.
Never WAS u man more truly loved
Many years before he had come To the
hospital suffering from old age and the
ailments contracted In the southern
swaml,> during four years service in
tho civil war. Broken in health. with
out Il .ionc or relative. depending upon
his soIniY pension Ia hold strong soul
and Shaiicrh body together he drift
cd int" he free clinic and asked for
treatment. AS No. a." he had first be-
.ome known t0 the nurses and in
tcrncs. hut after he had related his
war experiences 10 them and had told
and rctold with glistening eyes OF his
greatest battle his title was changed
TO Old keneSaw Mountain and in time
to Old kcmpSaw.
When Old kcncsaw enlisted with
the army Of patients. il was thought
he would eventually br relieved and
discharged. After two months of good
care the old warrior was again fairly
comfortable. Int he cvinced liz desire
To depart from the hospital. and. in
fact. no one wanted him Ia yo. III.
had hecom" u SORT of general factotum.
and his Srrvi'1's were regarded aS
well worth his he'd and hoard.
Old patients and new inicrnes
nurses. medical students. the entire
hospital S;an and even the visitors ut
the institution came Ia know him IA
military. Ills slow. shuiliing step and
the CHEEKY click of his cane on the.
hardwood floors were aS familiar as
the scheduled visits of the nurses an,l
always a. welcome IL not more 50.
Old K"n">aw had access TO every
nook and corner of the hospital The
patients drew inspiration from his
kindly old face. and his stories of
camp and battle served as - tonic.
To the children in the hospital Ken
eSaw was the incarnation of all that
was good. kind and helpful He was
their chunI. their never failin. friend.
lie would creep to the cots of the lii.
tie sufferer chase away thoughts ~
pain and bring smiles Ia their wan
faces with his in"xhaustihle fund o:
stories.
Once when child. scaling the dizzy
heights between life and death. had
record that Old Kencsaw had trudG-
ed eight miles To find a large bunch OF
the flaming yellow flowers and placed
them where the child could see them.
n h.a - uta