The National tribune. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1877-1917, 1903-03-12

l can hardly decide which must be the
very first. l fear l shall have to trouble
you to help me rise. I'm absolutely so
| stiff that l can't command my legs just
yet. I'll be all right, though, when once
get up, and get cup of coffee"
"A mighty sorry outlook in this house,
Doctor. Beats all tile ideas l ever had of
pain and suffering
An incomparably better outlook than I
had hoped for-all owing to your fore
thought and practical sense, Deacon.
These poor fellows are all immensely more
comfortable and better off in every way
than l had the slightest reason to hope
for am sure you have saved some
lives"
Thank God, if have been able to rem
der some service to these men. But
fear that two of those lying in that other
room are dead"
Il shall be very happy if there are not
more. L decided yesterday that it would
be little less than q miracle if there
weren't 10 dead this morning. That ride
from the battlefield was enough to kill
well men. If you or / had been compelled to
lie down in those wagons and be pounded
for 20 miles over that road we'd be dead.
No help for it. Let's have a wash and
cup of coffee, and we'll take a walk
through the rooms and plan out the days
work"
Otterbein Kramer had the coffee ready
its fragrance was filling the whole
house, and helping wake the suffering men,
DlsdaInlng the warm water which the
Surgeon used to remove the blood Crime
from his hands, and soften his muscles for
delicate manipulations, the Deacon went
into the yard, drew a bucket of cold water,
and gave his hands, face and neck a
vigorous old-fashioned Indiana farm wash.
thoroughly wetting his mop of hair.
''Fore God, look at dat ole Massa
Yankee souse hisself in dat cole watch"
shiyered the darkies, who were watching
the extraordinary ablution. HE mus
be monty dirty man."
Here, you cOntrabandS, come up here
and wash" commanded the Deacon, after
he had rubbed himself to redness with a
coarse towel. and carefully smOothed his
hair with pocket-comb. He proposed to
Introduce the discipline of the farm in In
diana, and had decidedly objected to the
siouchy appearance of the negroes. He
would have none of it in men under his
charge. Come right up here You Teller
with the plug hat, draw up some water
for the rest"
Fore God, Massa, we'uns don't need
to wash. We'uns s not dirty, deed we'uns
aint," exclaimed the negroes, shrinking
away as if the cold water We're poison
Don't you call me master. Never call
Nhs man ihdStci. LOU IT Tree Iupn now.
You can do just as you please. You come
right up here and take good wash"
Fore God. sab, we'uns amt at all
dirty" pleaded the negroes "We'uns
haint."
Yes, you have, and you ought to wash
every morning, and you must do it,
Wash ebbery morning.? gasped the
Mortified negroes. shocked at this new re-
sponsibility of freedom. 'We'uns nebber
had to do dat
"Well. you've got to do it now. You're
absolutely free now, and must wash ND
every morning, before breakfast. Open
your collars and turn 'em down-every
one of you. Splay-foOt. you draw the wa
ter, and throw it on them. one after an
other, and then one of You drench him.
Then rub yourselves dry with these towels.
Hurry up, now. 1 want you to get to
work"
The negroes saw no help for it, and
obeyed, but their yells as the cold dash
struck them were more agonizing than
those from the sufferers inside.
The Surgeon frightened ND perceptibly.
and took on new vigor, after n cup of
strong coffee. and went with the Deacon
to see first of all 81 and the Others They
were all awake. but their eyes were heavy
and listless, and they hardly returned the |
Deacon's hearty good morning. Surgeon
DartholomeW face look on Il grayer look |
as he studied them. and calling his Stew
ard to his assistance. he walked over TO |
Tom and Gid, and busted himself chang
ing the bandages and splints OH their brok-
en- legs.
'What about my boys, Doctor?" asked |
the Deacon anxiously as the Surgeon fin |
ished and came out where he could be |
spoken to beyond earshot of the patients
'We must be patient and trust in God"
said the Surgeon, speaking slowly and
quietly. 'There has happened what l
dreaded as almost certain. You see the
fever rising in every one of those boys
faces. Well. it is none of the ordinary
fevers that drugs can control. and which
the books describe. 1t is fever of ex-
hausted vitality. Men nerve themselves.
up to extraordinary effort, and go through