Daily press. [volume] (Newport News, Va.) 1896-current, 1908-10-14

cteties under various titles and did
, faithful and valuable work. They
sewed through the long hours OF hot
summer weather; they wrote letters:
they offered themselves a. nurses,
some OF them first qualifying them
selves for the latter work by severe
] courses Of hospital training-severe
because hurried. the usual instruction
being crowded into a few weeks with
no allowance, such as Is usually made.
for rest and recreation.
One of the loveliest OF their many
gracious deeds was the visiting, COM
forting. providing for the families OF
ths men who were gone to the front.
Hot and cold. dust and rain they re-
gsrded as trifles-Or not at all.
| As was then living near one OF the
| hospital centers, at Fort Monroe. the
! letters that came to me were number
less. They came from all parts OF
the country. their writer's asking only
a place to work in.
! Some Of the women were trained
nurses, some had the training OF nome
| care of the sick. some were wholly
inexperienced. all would give them
selves freely to the work II only a
place might be found where they could
serve. Young women OF the highest
social. position. descendants OF royal
| ancestors, volunteered to me to 90
! kitchen work il diet kitchen were
! established here by volunteers, as at
one time seemed not unlikely to be-
come necessary. From the FAR north'
! from our farthest south. from Caii1or'
MIA from our eastern coast, the oners
: came to me. and so l am sure there
: must have been many others In other
, quarters.
/ A noble example OF womanly pat
riotism was shown by the wives oil
the officers and men OF the regular
| service. The women OF the navy lam
lilies live in constant expectation Of
| being left with all the care and re-
sDonsibility of those families when
the men are ordered to sea and
were in a measure prepared, theii
courage and patience seem unfaiiine
and their spirit was well expressed BY
| the words of the wife OF our grea'
! naval commander. who wrote to me al
| the outbreak Of the war: HOY shall
we live that We may be worthy to be
the wives of these brave men,! That
seemed their only thought. The
weak, the selfish. the craven were sc
few that We need not count them
| and in the face of such trials We may
surely forgive them.
But too much cannot be said IN
praise of the women Of the army lam
lilies. upon whom the terrible order t'
their men to go beyond the seas fell
like a thunderbolt from clear sky
The heats and droushts OF Arizons
and New Mexico, the desolation OF the
Bad Lands" the biting cold at the fa'
northern forts, the isolation OF "ont
company" posts. the separations iron
home and friends, they had borne un
complainingly, but this was the un
known. The tropical and pagan lands
we're to those poor women regions o.
myster< and dread which swallowed
up their protectors in forests anf
iunsIes. leaving women and children
bereft of the comfort and support o.
their strong and devoted companion
shin. Small wonder II they blenchet
and shrank back appalled, at the pros
pect!
Yet complaint was rare and courase
and patience almost unfailing. tsu
ally a semblance Of hope and conf
dence was maintained that sent the
men out to their hard duty. cheeret
with the thought Of the women
bravery and their ability to bear tn
burdens suddenly thrust upon theil
uaaccustomed shoulders
The davs went on and the sick ant
wounded begansto return to the wait
ing hearts which had sent them fortl
with such angu;shed prayers.
It is hard to tell without invading
sacred privacy how those ~omeI
bore themselves as they waited. Out
venture to speak Of enc who waited a
Fort Monroe for the incoming trans
mort which was bringing her husband
She only knew that he was wounded
possibly blinded. She had filed US al
with admiration of her courage ant
her gentle breeding as she waited
and when the ship came in and TIT
men we're being landed and she s;oo'
on the dock. still waiting, all heart
melted as her husband. much less in
iured than We had feared from al
reports. stepped up unseen behin'
her and spoke her name. Then tn
sorelv strained peryes at last CAV
xsy and she fei lat his feet in
sxcop The couIage and patience o
such women cauk from no lack o
feeling keen and peep.
may sjso sneak Of one who. dyin:
} on the day Of Sal Juan hill. when nc
child was born, uttered no murmu'
!. but from time to time only asked. u
there any news!- and was answered
II nd