Shoshone journal. [volume] (Shoshone, Idaho) 1884-1931, 1913-01-31
A RESPONSIVE CHOI
BY NORA NAIL.

4 The question fell from the lips of a
/ girl of twenty, fully conscious of the
budding beauty of young womanhood
and all it meant of power. She
hasn't apparently one redeeming fea-
ture; why, she is positively gawky"
The woman addressed, an attractive
matron of about So. turned a criti-
cal gaze after the figure OF the little
woman disappearing down the street.
and a knowing smile curled her lips.
Il VIII tell you" she said
About i've years ago Arthur Smith
was engaged to the most beautiful girl
in our set; you are too young TO re-
member just how beautiful she was
at any rate, she completely conquered
Arthur--he had eyes for no one else
when she was near. At every func-
ton ne was her devoted slave-every
wish was anticipated and gratified-
nothing was too good for her-no task
too difficult to perform that would add
to her comfort and happiness.
when the Spanish-American war
broke out, Ann Reynolds, now Mrs.
Smith. had been studying for two
years to be trained nurse. She had
one supreme gift-the gift of tender
ness, and Nellie. in a woman this is
not to be despised. All women do
not possess it. AIMS brother and Ar
thur happened to be injured about the
same time and were placed on beds
side by side in the same southern hos
pital On account of her training
and her brothers illness, Ann Rey-
holds volunteered to go as a nurse to
this hospital and endeavor to save
not only her brothers life, but to do
what she could to save the lives of
others who had become i'll in the gov
eminent service.
About this time Arthur had writ
ten an appealing letter home, or, rath-
ct, had asked that it be written, as
ne was too i'll to do more than ex-
press a wish, asking that his sweet
heart come to him (they had been
engaged just before he left for the
SOUTH. as he feared he had contract
ed a dangerous and contagious dis
ease, but usually the ones we love
do not consider such things as this
when a life is concerned; at least,
am generous enough to think that
most women would not. Well, to
make a long story short, Arthur's
sweetheart refused fatty to go to his
bedside. 1t afterward came out
somehow these things always do
that she feared contracting the fever
and thereby marring her beauty.
when Ann arrived at the hospital
and found that the patient in the bed |
next to her brother was from the |
same city as she, they said she work |
ed untiringly with him night after |
night with an intensity that probably
saved his life-at least, the doctors
gave her the credit-and won out
with glowing words of praise from
them all When it was all over, how
ever, and he was on the high road to
health, she succumbed under the
strain, and lay for weeks lowering be-
tween life and death.
During her illness Arthur wrote a
short note to his fiancee, releasing her
from her engagement, and when he re-
turned home, which did not happen
'or many weeks afterward, he an
bounced his engagement to the little
woman who had risked very pre-
,ious and useful life to save that Of
/ perfect stranger. One of his old
friends said afterward that in an
the news to him he had
made the remark that those few
weeks in the hospital had taught him
he most valuable lesson in his life
hat beauty of face and form, while
pleasing to the eye, were but feeting
and that as he watched
he devoted and self-sacrificing little
woman moving from one to the other
# the sufferers, giving her service
and with a grace and sweet d.
less that frightened the whole place,
ringing hope and sunshine to many
homesick and despairing man, he
ad realized that there was something
eeper. nobler and more transcendent-
Y beautiful in the world than mere
hysical beauty. and one which would
lst until death and he finished by
aging: And so I lost my heart, or,
ather, gave it into keeping of the no
les, woman had ever met, or ever
xpect to meet in this world
The speaker finished the story in
low, soft voice. and as she glanced
yer at the beautiful young girl ODpO-
tie, she noticed a tear trucking down
er cheek, and the serious look that
let hers from the brown eyes told
er that the recountal had touched a
ssponsive chord in her nature
Telling the Bees.
Tho custom of telling the bees' is