The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1904-06-19

can 90 JlStlce3 10 tne NeHl anu 5ueVotluii
| OF ,uur Girls" And the best proof Of
| bdtl, was III the hospitals. where soon be-
| gan to congregate the MANNED and torn
/ forms Of those Just gent forth to glory
| and victory. This was the trial Tint
| tested the grain and purity or our wo.,
manhood, ana left it7twlthont alloy o.
| fcar OF selnshneas. Aid some OF tho wo.
mel who wrought IN home and hospital
even In trench and on the firing line
for tho "boys" had never before handled
aug1it roiigher than embroidery; or seen
auglit moro featsoino than Its iiectlle-
prick. Yes, these untried women, young
and old, stood fire like veteran regulars!
indeed. even moro sbraVely in moral View,
for they missed tho stimulus OF tho
cliaige--the tonic In the thoughts OF
stirling back! ~ 81 S,
Again, taking Richmond as All exam
pie, bccatlse Richmond was cosinopol-
tan and representative OF every section
In Its phaso--we find the strnngest ia
Str,liarity Of women With danger IN
deed It literally bred contempt. lii tho
early occupation Of tic Capital, Paw
nee Sunday" scarce became a laughing
byword. rho Churches were crowded,
md nuttcrinE with expectnnt and we'll
dressed feinintnity. At8Stllat date war.
was IL mere shadow OF name: and rig
ors had paled no feminine cheek, nor
dcnuded her nuf1iest gown or fll or
Haunting ribbon. Richmond women were
eager to inspect the flolllces and ftrbe-
lows OF their incoming cousins. All tho
Churches wore packed; the one where
Mr.. Davis and his family sat Under the
then famous DIR. Hoge, literally over
flowing 10 the streets There a crowd
waited Dismissal bencdlcton: tho man
curious to see tho new President at close
quarters, and the men and women alike
eager to inspect--and possibly to dlssect
Mfrs. Davis and her brilliant sister, Miss
breezy Sunday. tho whole face Of nu-
ture and tho flutter Of society alike
breathing peace. Suddenly that changed
to nnmelcss, predominant and never
understood war panic. Whence coming,
mono paused to ask; possibly tho inven-
tion OF some fear-crnzed brain; moro
probably the CRUEL hoax Of sbnc thought
less wag--but tho grewsoms whisper ran
round every Church simultaneously:
THE Pawnee is coming!
THAT whisper was enough. It caused
ten times tho CONSERVATION that the
close cannonading for months did u brict
year later: and 1t hnttered dainty bodces
as the whine OF the Minnie. or the WHO'D
OF tho shell over the battleflelds did not
DO III still later trials Of tho Lacquer. The
."I'awnee'' was a not very terrible United
States cruiser. and her captain was re-
puted to ''Glt onto Uncle Jeff's hkr!" ms
q member from q border State express
cd It. First singly, then In pairs; quick
" IN battalions. the congregations melt.
eel into the outer ali. Making history
as they went crowds converged4t to Capt..
toll Hill, wharc the dlngy doors were
tightly closed for peace and where 5
1.-THE great First Rebel point the storled
past!'' MES
Thence 1t surged into tho throng
without Dr Hoge's church. That d.
vine had never parEed lii his readlngs;5
Mr.. Davis had never turned his eyes
from him; and the two steadfast women
III that pew had probably never looked
upon a preacher with such strained In
3terest So only--by look or gesture
whispers. Then when the--snrely not
llengthened-- services was ended, that con-
gregatlon poured into the tcrowd without
pressing close upon the narrow III tie lane
that let the White II ouse family through.
Then 1t was rumored that MI. Davis had
sdened any dispatch to him; bit pande-
3rnonlum reigned. Men rushed homo, few.
back to the Capitol sduarc. with shot
guns, target rifles, and ono stately old
gentleman with his tucllng plstolsl Com
panIes fell, In under any Yolunt eering the
command; same started OH tho terrible
march to Rockets. full three miles OF;
and each courier, or staff officer flashing
by, followed at a run. None paused to
recall tlnt the dreaded ship was a single
one; and that she would have to pass
tDrowrys Bluff, eight miles below.
still the hubbub ragged In spite Of for
NAL denial from tho War Department
that therp was any ship above Norfolk;
until wohlans wit Gained the storm,
Some ono repeated Miss Howell's quiet
speech to her, on the steps Of the White
House 1t flew from lip to lip. was
caught by popular fancy, and laughed
the bugaboo out OF court 'ln one
round" Tho Presidents sister-ln.law
had only said:
''IIow Is the Pawnec coming: on
wheels? These people forget that there
is no water above Drcwry's Bluff; and
her guns do not carry halt the distance
Shame brought revulson that reason
had not. and the panic allaScd ITSELF y
may add that no ono paused to annlyze
either the brilliant womans photography
or her gunnery, That was not. needed,
On many q Sunday, n few months
ter, these same women assembled IN
their churches and worshlpped calmly
and unnoting, While the dull boom OF
Rroat guns made dread discordance with.
tho hynlnal Thence bravoly as gently.
In6y tllluVEuEahlIitOsthu ,H VIM " iNHSNot'o'1
5C,himborazo Heights. or other hospital;
to receive the incoming loved -oncs--ot
their own kith, or with unknown faces,
salike---and then
TO do for those dear ones that womaS,
alone In her pity can dol"
During the entire Wlr--and through the
entire soutll-rit was tile hospital that
Illustrated the highest and best traits Of
the tried and stricken people.
Doubtless, there was good work done
by women Of tho North. and much OF
II. Happily for tho sanity Of the nation,
American womnnllood springs from one
common stock 1t is eyer true to its
own. as q whole--and, for aught | shall
deny--ndivldllally. But behind that Chi
nose wall OF wood and steel blockade.
then nursing was not an episode. IT was
grave duty. grim labor, heartbraaklng
endurance-all self-mposed, and lasting
for years. yet never shrked and relln-
qushed only for cause.
But the dainty little hands that tied
the rcd bandage. ar "held the artery
the nmblo feet that wearled
not by favor cot, or operating table the