Brownsville herald. [volume] (Brownsville, Tex.) 1910-current, 1914-12-14

4 VOLUNTEER.

ID had not been for many 4 year.
Young voices. hoar>c from giving vent
10 their enthusiasm and Indignation for
a whole week. were singing the Marscl
laisc everywhere. Crowds madly chcercd
the passing soldiers. the Officers hurry
ing to the railroad stations to Join their
corps and the numerous bodies NJ vulun
tcers marching towards the barracks ear
rying the colorS of the allies.
Standing on The balcony outside their
apartments on one Of the boulryards.
Nine. Brunei and her son looked at this
warlikc spectacle with silent umOti0n The
mother. still a young woman. had "A face
which bespoke a firm character and "A
strong will in spite of her fine chisclcd
features and fair hair. The son. who bare
A looked II resemble her strongly. hut
seemed more frail and delicate
They went inside and though neither 0f
them spoke. they knew each Others
thoughts perfectly we'll. for both were
thinking 81 the absent Major Bruno who
was with his regiment in Morocco and
who was thus prevented from realizing
the dream ~ his litc a. take part in the
great drama of revenge.
Mother said Charles very quietly
n am sure you know that | feel ! must
yoluntccr for The war
The mother gd>pcd and exclaimed:
You Charles. But YOU are too Young
lie shook his fair head proudly.
Il would not bc the only volunteer of
IL
MY poor hoy she said looking at hi>
frail figure IF Your father and | had
thought You were strong enough for z
military career We should long ago have
sent YOU To- Saint Cyr. Nou have other
gifts and talents which are not physical
and ~ u man If science. We hope vou will
IN time 10 come. do honor a. France.
Il canont agree with Nou mother. the
boy cried Ccrailnv il has heretofore
been my ambition 70 BE- Frances Young
est ductur If science but this il mo- lime
for books or study. 10 You hear them out
side. mother? 10 YOU hear the Marscil
laisc? surely you will not think ol per
suading me from following the example
of all the others"
Ills mother found no answer and hr
went on:
II am the son aud grandson Of soldiers.
Grandfather was an officer ia 1870 ANA
father has never found cut where he Is
buried. while grandmothc her waited for
him % return in vain until She died. Won
know. mother. that the dead speak within
~. II j. the call Of the blood in my veins
and | must obey. You Yourself. who are
going out n "A nurse with the Red Gross
have shown me thr way.
With tears i'll her ewes Mmc. Brunei
looked M her son. whose delicate health
during his childhood had cost her 80
many >lccple>S nights. Thank God. hc was
sound and well now. frail though he look
"a She realized that she had no right ~
hold him back IL this moment when he
showed that h. had the soul 81 Y man.
"Nuu are rightmv boy she said. and
am wrong. Do what Your conscience,
tells you and feel sure thai your mother
j. proud of YOU"
II was arranged that while waiting for
his enlistment papers Charles wa, to live
with friends of his parents. while Nine.
Brunei Joined the ambulance corps that
was - leave for the frontier the next lay.
Charles Brunei opened hi, ewes and
found himself in a strange. bare room.
The window was covered with "a white
curtain waving gently in the breeze.
Where was h.? How long had hc been
fighting against the invisible cnrm,
which seemed ~ crush his chest and tor
turc his brain? he tore away the band
age from his head and saw before him
thousands Of CHASTITY phmtoms. grinnine
~prctrr>. IN the midst uf whom stood
France ~ \ tail. beautiful woman.
Was NJ wounded? Yes. there was no
doubt. he must b. seriously wounded
though hi> brain Struggled IA vain 10 re-
member anything. For two weeks hc haa
been tossing rr>tlrS>ly un his hrh. call
ing necessarily for his mother in his
.hoyiSh voice. whenever hi> mind was not
wandering through endless bloody bat
tlcficldS.
suddenly the door opened and hchinl
the nurse who attended him stood \ wu
man IN the uniform NJ 4 Red Cro>~ nurse
Nix poor boy" she murmurci in a
voice az infinite tenderness. stopping over
the cmaciated figures aud looking into
The blue ewes which no longer recognized
her.
The excitement had htr-u too much tnI
Charles RrunctS frail AMI d%clicatr body
and the night before he wa "a join his
regiment h. had fallen in with a violent
atfarL az hrain fever. The ncopie with