The herald-advance. (Milbank, S.D.) 1890-1922, 1903-05-08
JENNJ
IOriginal.l

in charge of a hospital in which the
wounded were placed. There was n
Young fellow, Eugene Clifford, who.
though he had not been badly hit. was
90 reduced by the heat that l began to
fear he would succumb. He was Il
plucky little chap under fire; that l
learned from several Of the other pa
tients who had been in the fight with
him. but dropped under inaction. Be-
sides he had been very delicately
brought up. ] asked him If | hould
not send word for some Of his family
| to come out to him, but he said he q
run away from home to join the army
! against his fathers express wish,' also
| knowing that it would be a great blow
to his mother. Now he expressly de-
| sired that they should not know Of his
| condition till he was we'll out Of it.
But the weather grew hotter, and the
poor fellow kept losing strength. 1t
was plain that he was suffering from
nostalgia, or Inconsistencies, a trouble
far more common in war than cow
| ardice. Could l have brought some
member of his family to him | felt
reasonably certain that it wOuld save
his life, but | didn't know whom to adj
dress, and, well, to tell the truth, he
was not the only man in the hospital l
had on my mind, and l didn't have
time to take IN action.
One day we secured a lot Of m
nurses. When they began to fit about
among the patients with their neat
white caps and aprons and striped
dresses, many a poor fellows face that
had been gloomy enough before lighted
up with new life. The day Of their ar
rival | was ut work with a case so dis
tressing that l placed a screen about
the patient to shut him off from the
others. From behind this screen !
heard voices:
ut was very good Of you. Jenny, to
come down here to take care of me
The surgeon wanted to SEND for some
one from home, but | wouldn't let
him. You see. mother didn't want me
to 60 to the war, and it would not be
the right thing to have any n come
to this TOphet on my account or even to
let you know I've been winged, for
they'd do a lot Of worrying. especially
mother"
l recognized Clifford's voice and look
ed over the screen and saw u Of the
nurses sitting by him, holding his
hand.
You must keep up a good heart"
she replied, 80 that you may get well
and go home"
THAT I'll do very quickly now you're
here. I've nothing Int q scratch. you
k&ow. and ought not to be here at all.
But somehow it's taken the strength
out of me-"
I'll come to you often. but now that
I'm here | must help the others too.
So III go away for awhile-not long.
then Wen talk some more Of going
home"
AS the nurse went out l beckoned her
to come to me and asked an explana-
ton. She told me that Clifford was a
trifie Eighty and had mistaken her for
some n at home. Thinking that the
arrival Of the real Jenny-for as soon
as Clifford came to himself the illusion
would be gone-might save the boys
! life, we concluded to send a message to
that effect to his people. The nurse
found letters in his pockets giving the
desired address. and the message was
sent. Clifford when not delirious treat
ed the nurse as a stranger. but when
delirious as Jenny" Meanwhile he
was losing strength daily.
One morning soon after the arrival
of a ship from the north l was told
chat Miss Clifford was ON the veranda
and wished to see me. | went out
there and saw a young woman in train
ed Nurse costume.
II have come to take care Of my
brother" she said, though l am also
ready for other work.. l was sent here
as a nurse for ALL"
There was that about Miss Clifford
which attracted me at once, q resolute
bearing. an especially graceful figure,
4 large. dark. honest eye. Beyond these
there was something which appealed
to me individually, though it is not to
be described. | conducted her to her
brothers bedside. There had been Q
change In him for the worse during
the night. and he was muttering in.
coherently to the supposed Jenny. The
real sister took her place. but it seem
ed to make no difference to the patient.
! happened to be near when young
Clifford Quieted down and became him.
self. l heard an exclamation and, turn
Ing, saw the boy with his arms about
his sisters neck. There was nothing
spoken. Eugene kept his arms where
he would not have had the strength to
place them without the nerve the meet
Ing gave him, as long as he could, then
they dropped and tears rolled down
his cheeks. His sister passed her hand
over his brow and whispered a few
words. and in a little while the boy
fell into q doze.
The tonic Of this meeting was all
that was required. and in a few DAYS
Eugene had gained sufficient e+rorD+h