The Birmingham age-herald., 1902-10-02

INCIDENTS of nnHeifiHh courage and
 heroic performance of duty are by
 A he means rare, but now and then q notable instance finds It's way Into the newspapers and serves to call attention to the fact that right around us are men and women who are being put to supreme tests and who meet these testa unfhehlnglN
 An instance Of heroic devotion to duty has come to light In recent report of General Chaffee to the war department in which a young army nurse relin- quished her leave of absence that she might nurse two smallpox patients in a reserve hospital In Washington.
 Nurse Alice Kemmer," says the re- port army nurse corps. having been granted leave of absence. voluntarily re- linduished the same and took upon her self the care of two smallpox patients in an isolated hospital connected with the first reserve hospital in this city. One of the patients was the wife of an officer. the other an enlisted man. Miss Kemmer had never had the disease. Nevertheless. she feariessly entered upon her self-im- posed task. and through the months of April and May 1909. devoted herself to the care of the patients. living in the room with the officers wife, the enlisted man being in an adjoining room. With never more than two hours sleep at a time, in intensely hot weather, the nurse attended her patients day and night and saved their lives"
 Cl1rh fro ff 1,or passing comment, for while the lists of those who have heroicly sacrificed them selves to that which they considered duty will remain forever incomplete, it is such examples as the above that stand out conspicuously.
 The army nurse has taught US many sublime lessons. The stories of her hero ism and sacrifice have Illuminated the gloominess of warfare, and the eyes of the country have followed her with ten derness and with pride akin to that in- spired by the soldier.
 But we need not look alone to battle fields or the army-discipined hospitals of the country to find examples of sacri- fee. Parellel cases may be cited among the arnlg of young women nurses who are on duty in the charity and private hospitals of the country.
 There could not have been an example of more unfinching devotion to duty than in the case of the young sister of charity who sacrificed her life at the St. Vincent's hospital in this city.
 The cases are somewhat similar in that this young nurse was called upon to care for smallpox patient. an unknown man whom she nursed back to life She had never had the disease and had not been vaccinated- But when she was sent to the isolated ward she went unfiinchingly and there contracted the disease from which she died.
 But occurrences like these cannot fali to make us pause in our stress of living and make us more apprehensive, more comprehensive of the sublime qualities of the human heart.
 In referring to the incident given in General Chaffee's report, the Washing ton Star comments as follows upon the heroism of the army nurse:
 Here was spirit deserving to rank with that of the Tennessee regiment in the Philippines which attracted so much attention when displayed. The men, it will be recalled, after hard service in the archipelago, were all on a transport bound for home, and the day for sailing was at hand. Suddenly things took a turn on shore unfavorable for the Ameri- can troops remaining behind, and rein forcements seemed necessary. When the news was received on board the ship the Tennesseeans at once volunteered to ex- tend their stay, and did rebark and help save the day. It was fine exhibition of soldierly patriotism, and when President Mckinley, shortly afterwards, visited Tennessee he made public acknowldg- ment in one of his speeches to the people of the state for an act which everybody was praising.
 'In all that goes to make up unselfsh courage the act of this woman hitherto obscure, measures fully up to that of the men of Tennessee. The army nurse, it Is true, like the soldier, is trained to the discharge of duty. becomes familiar with sickness and pain and death, and is schooled in grim emergencies. Yet this woman met an unusual test After a long siege of work her day of rest had arrived. We may easily imagine her full of plans for vacation with friends, for her depleted energies and 'in- viting her soul" But she does not hesi- tate when duty calls the other way. Putting her programme of leisure and