The Democratic banner. (Mt. Vernon, Ohio) 1898-192?, 1914-11-27

They Go 10 War, and Their Return,
Although Disfisured, Is Occasion For
Great Joy---One Said, "I'm Not Dis.
figured; I'm Decorated"
Calais. -"You can't imagine the Joy
of mothers and fathers when their
boys come back to them from the war
minus an arm or leg or some other
portion of their bodies. Human nature
is queer thing. and war brings this
queerness into strong relief" says one
of the American correspondents now at
the front
II witnessed the arrival of a Red
Cross train here. The cars were loaded
with young men fresh from the Bel
gian border. A soldier talked to said.
We gave them hell. I tell you-but we
caught few pellets ourselves
"From the looks of them they had
indeed. Some hobbled out of the cars.
their arms in sings or their heads TIED
up or a foot of the ground; others
came on stretchers to be transferred to
the channel steamers waiting at the
dock One soldier limped out on the
platform. Ills head was bandaged all
around so vOluminously that he couldn't
wear his cap.
"One arm was in, a sling; the hand
was bandaged In u way betokening the
absence of one or more fingers.
"Near by stood woman. She was
looking for some one. Suddenly the
much bandaged soldier saw the woman
and started. With an inarticulate
sound. partly smothered by the ban.
dages. he touched the woman.
"She uttered cry and seached eager
ly the bandaged face. Apparently her
mother love, rather than her eyes. told
her 1t was her boy.
my son. my sonr she exclaimed.
enraptured. A Red Cross surgeon
stepped up.
"'Madam,' he said, your son un
doubtedly will recover. but must tell
you that most of his jaw is shot away
"'Oh, I'm so glad. SO gladr the
mother cried. tears streaming from her
eyes.
81 see that sort of thing many times
daily the surgeon said. When moth.
er sees her boy march away to war
she gives him up for dead, she scarce
hope ever to see her boy alive again
Always she lives In dread of the day
when the brief announcement of the
dead will contain the name of her boy
So at last. when her boy comes back
to her it doesn't matter how terribly
he is shot up or dishgured. 1t is the
same with mothers everywhere, any
time
"There Is another cause for moth
er's Joy when her son returns MANNED.
broken physically. but alive. She
knows the boy cannot return to the
battle line, mark for bullets and
shrapnel that kill.
''There is another strange thing to be
noted while talking to the wounded
They are quite happy to have bad
wounds about the face and head, much
preferring disfguring face wounds to
lesser wounds in body or legs.
"A train Of wounded was on Its way
to southern France. When 1t halted
at Boulogne those of the wounded who
were able got out to walk up and
down the platform. Among these was
one whose face could hardly be called
by that name. One eye was gone, the
other was badly swollen until he could
hardly see Bandages covered all but
discOlored parts of his face.
"'YOu poor dear sympathized an
EnglishwOman who approached him
tlmidly. You poor, poor boy
Madam replied the soldier with as
much pride and clearness as the band.
ages would permit. don't pity me
Pity my friends In the train there who
got 1t where It won't show
"The Englishwoman couldn't under
stand
| 'Why-why--why,' she stammered
4 thought you wouldn't like to be dis
figured
'Disfigured! the soldier replied, Tn
| not disflgured. I'm decOratedv"