Richmond daily palladium. [volume] (Richmond, Ind.) 1905-1906, 1906-01-02
Tie jap Veterans Story
1SfwTYyrrTSss. EJzgsEsyt.'
lor!ginal. /

man for a soldier | ever knew. The |
army is I'D place for gentlemen, az least
without bravery, and many OF Us felt
contempt for kurata. Nevertheless
there was something about him that At.
tracted Us. W had not seen him in &c.
ton and did not know how lie would
behave: therefore | for oae was CHS
posed to suspend Judgment.
But circumstances prevented my re
naming IN this dispassi0nate mood to.
ward Nurata. lie was taken i'll and
renewed 10 the hospital, soon after
also was obliged IT, 60 under the care
of tie surgeons and was taken to thcI
same hospital and put In the same
ward rs he There were several voiun
teer nurses in attendance, young ladies
of good families in Hakodate. who Tit
ted kere and there among US like an
gels. Among them was one who to me
was especially charming. Her name
translated into your language would
be Cherry. There is little Of the cherry
in our japanese compilations, but there
was a slight tinge Of red in Cherry's
checks, and her eyes were very bright.
She was especially kind to me, and l
learned to look eagerly for her coming
TO my bedside. Indeed when she was
absent l was miserable.
That loved Cherry was revealed TO
me in this wise: Kurata occupied cot
opposite mine, and one morning l saw
| Cherry go to him ana ask how he was
| getting on. l saw tears i'll his eyes as
| he replied. Tears in the eyes of Il sol
| der. | gave way to the contempt |
| had thus far represSed. Then / saw
| Cherry take his hand, press it warmly
| and look tenderly in eyes that respond
! ed with equal tenderness. Instinctfvely
| felt for my sword, which, OF course,
was not nj my side. That is how l
! learned that | loved Cherry
We were getting ready for a fight
and | insisted on being discharged
| from the hospital that | might take
my place at the front Before setting
forth | could not refrain from saying
| some IT, natured words to Cherry about
| the sympathy that was passing be-
tween her and kurata. | was SO dis
agreeable abO'.C it that Cherry told me
to mind my own business. That bust
ness being to fight, went forth to kill
as many Russians as possible.
This was just before the battle of
! Liaoyang Kurata. rejoined us before
the fight onaei, and. though his health
was Gnr3y we'll restored, his spirits
| were 8.uch depressed. He seemed to
ne 10 ho uafring himself to meet the
| trying ordeal i'll store for all of Us.
When that ordeal came l saw him ex-
posing himself rec<leszly during the
heat Of the fight, but when or part in
it was over he collapsed. We who had
watched his bravery with surprise and
admiration were suddenly turned back
to contempt at seeing him tumble over
in Il faint Some said that he had left
the hospital too soon. This satisfied
| others. but | was not in a position tC
do him justice. ....
On the third day of the fight l felt a
numbness in my leg and sudden col
lapse of nerve power. Looking down
l saw a red stream running down my
trousers into my boot. l tramped on
for a few minutes, then sank down and
in tine was carried to the rear on &
stretcher. A temporary hospital hao
been set up in a field, which wa;
crowded with wounded. Some of tho
nurses l had seen during my illness
were there. but it was no place fol-
well persons save surgeons who were
cutting and saving in the manner usu
al at Il battle.
One sight | saw maddened me. Ku
rata had been severely wounded. ans
knecling beside him. holding his hant
and encouraging him while he waited
for Il surgeon to attend him, was Cher
ry Presently she went to one of thu
surgeons, and l saw that. she was
| pleading with him to go to her lover
for | could not doubt that such was til,
relation between her and Kurata TIL
surgeon went with her and, unbutton
ing the wounded mans coat, ripped
open his shirt. Cherry was betweei
me and the wounded man. 50 that
could not see what was going on, bu
there were some words between tn
surgeon and Cherry, who got blanke
and held it between Kurata and tn
rest of us.
l supposed that Kurata was liable t
die under the extraction Of the buIIe
or whatever the surgeon should do t
him, but in a field hospital filled witt
men, someone of whom was dyin.
every few minutes, | could see no ne
cessity for so much delicaey. But wha
could be expected in the case of mar
who would faint after Il ightE Wei
doubtless the boy had got his Guietu>
and | should no longer be puzzle
about him.
When kurata had been attended t
Cherry bent over him and kissed hin
Though l had long given her mp to hin
the sight Called me. and | was mea
enough to wish that Kurata might eli
OF his wounds. Cherry, turning, notice
me. and | saw anxiety in her eyes q
once. Coming TO me, she begged me t
tell her how seriously / was hurt an