Grant County herald. [volume] (Lancaster, Wis.) 1850-1968, 1905-11-15
A Feminine Instinct
IOTiginal.1


the youngest of the enlisted men. Pc
ter had not yet beard; he was light
complexioned and fair haired, with pink
cheeks He had all the delicacy and
constituencies of a girl His comrades
called him Polly. There was another
thing about Peter that was different
from his aSsociates-he was much bet
ter bred than they. He seemed to me
to be the son Of some country gentle
man.
l felt sorry for little Peter from the
first and shielded him as far as posi-
BILE, eXcusing him from the most ardu-
GUS and dangerous duties. I hoped
that my leniency would not be noticed,
but it W ). Some Of the men who
would have liked to be coddled them
selves called him Captains Baby and
said that, though he was too fine for
picket duty, he would soon be lording
it over them as an officer" But the
best men in the company did not feel
in this way. They recognized in Pc
ter something that had been created on
different lines from themselves and
would often insist on relieving him
from certain severe duties from which
could not well protect him.
The first time Peter was under fire
watched him anxiously to see how he
would behave. I greatly feared that
after the fight was over his position in
the company would be far worse than
before. We were supporting the artil-
lery, standing at rest while our guns
sent their compliments to the Japs.
Peter appeared to be interested in try
Ing to see the shots that left the muz-
Zles Of our guns as they sped toward
the enemy. There was in him all the
intensity Of child watching the work
Ing Of a new toy. Presently there came
reply 1t went far above us and
pleased Peter as much as our own
gradually drew nearer our range until
their shots all struck within a Jew
yards Of us. Having nothing to do,
kept my eyes on Peter. l judged it
had not occurred to him we were in
danger. l failed to see how he could
be unconscious Of what was so ap-
parent, but fancied his obtuseness
came from the gradual approach Of
the projectiles. At any rate, Peter
seemed to be delighted at the sport
and was shouting and laughing like a
boy playing ball.
Another battery Of ours was doing
greater damage to the Jap works,
who turned their guns from us to it,
without having done us any damage.
l was cOngratulating myself that the
fighting, SO far as we were concerned,
was for the time being over and our
boy had not disgraced himself, but
at that moment wounded man was
carried by, the blood streaming from
a cut in his scalp, and what should
Peter do but shudder and turn pale.
He cast frightened glance above, as
though it had just dawned upon him
that this wound had come from the
shells which had so delighted him,
then turned to run.
Stand fast, you little fool! Don't
you see the danger is over?' Numbered
the lieutenant
Peter gathered his nerves and return
ed to his place. wished l could send
him home to his mother, for he the
more impressed me as boy not suf-
ticiently developed to warrant his be-
ing yet loosed from her apron strings.
At the first battle we were engaged
in the lieutenant was obliged to strike
Peter with the flat of his sword to keep
him in the ranks, but when the fight
was on little "Polly" was wild with
the excitement Of battle. When it was
over he fell in a dead faint.
l determined to make an effort to
procure Peters discharge, and sent UP
an app LEGATION to headquarters to that
effect, based, first, on the fact that he
was physically incapable of perform
ing the duties Of a soldier, and, second,
that he, was mentally deficient in this
he could not discriminate between the
presence and absence Of danger. He
was invariably undisturbed when his
n life was at risk and in terror when tic
risk had passed.
| did not hear from the application
for a long while, then / received an
order to report in person at the colo
nePs tent. l found there a young man
whose resemblance to Polly" startled
me. The colonel taking up a paper,
said to me: "This is your application
for the discharge of Private AleXia-
witch. Owing to the mental deficiency
stated, | referred the case to the med
zeal director. This is his Endorsement:
'"The idiosyncrasy of being unconscious
of real danger and terrified when there is
no danger is peculiar to women. l would
recommend that Private AleXiavitch be
examined to determine his her sex.
Having been constantly engaged of
late," the colonel went on, with the
enemy, this application has been unat-
tended to. Now this young man comes
with the story that Private Alexia-
witch is his sister, who took his place
when he was conscripted. l desire
that you, If convinced of the truth of
the story, take him into your company
md Hic0horOa OF