The Celina Democrat. (Celina, O. [Ohio]) 1895-1921, 1915-10-22
WORST Of HORRORS
Visit to War Hospitals Described
BY Writer.
Procession of the Blind Soldiers
Leaves an Impression of the Aw-
full Hideousness of War That
Can Never Be Effaced.
BY GRACE ELLISON.


Northern France.-A little town
Nesting in wealth of trees-in peace
time it is almost unheard of, now il
lS an important military station-ths
is my next hating place Every house
is occupied b. soldiers, every building
Of Importance is turned into a hos.
pital.
So near the front there are cases
which need all the science of the
| trained nurse to pull them through.
! Men unnerved almost to madness, men
who mistake all the male staff for the
anemy-one has only to listen to the
rawlings of these poor men to know
something of the strain of war on
them
was taken to the eye ward to see
the operations there. OF all the hor-
rors Of war, is not this the worst? |
nave seen jaws smashed beyond rec
ognition-human beings who had for
gotten their very names-men who
can live to a ripe old age and never
have anything in common with the
great l'fe going on around them; but
the procession of blind men, or men
who might be blind, has left an i'm
preston of the hideousness of war
that can never be effaced
Here is brilliant young lieutenant.
His father was only a concierge, but
he worked and saved to give his son
his chance. The son has gone through
with flying COlors-nOw he is blind.
He was lying in the officers ward
when | saw him-the ward was dark.
ened, for there were others suffering
too. He had in his hand a portrait Of
the little girl he had never seen.
Only take off the bandage an instant,
that | may look at my little girl" he
pleaded. Il dare not" answered the
doctor. Who will have the courage
to tell him the ruth?
A poor man has come that day from
the trenches-the blood is still On his
face-his eyes are bandaged. An old
man leads him in and the nurse pre-
pares him for the examination One
sees the answer on the doctors face
blind, blind-one after another. One
dare not think-the horror of it all
seems to numb ones very soul.
We have started early, for we have
so far to go and we are stopped; it
is another examination Of our papers. |
But who is speaking? Voices seem |
to be beside me in the car! What |
is this mystery? | listen carefully.
when suddenly two officers pop up
from underground and disappear. The
horrid, uncanny idea trench war is!
It does not somehow seem fair and
square.
We have to pass along the road
which the French soldiers have chris.
ened the Jaws of Death" A young
nan on the way tells us the Germans
pepper everyone who goes up that
'oad-perhaps we shall be the excep-
ion Up the narrow, stony passage
We plow our way--if by any chance
he car stops we are Hnished-yet if
We go too quickly we shall make a
loud of dust. AS 1t is we are part
md parcci 0f the dusty landscape
leep my eyes on the enemy's lines.
AnI on we go till We have turned the
.Grner and are safe again for while.
On and oil We go-m0re and more
istinctly is the firing heard. Where
re we" We are on a height and sud
rny we discover an artillery duel is
aking place in the trenches near by
he trenches are ablaze, shells are
urstng on all sides They are going
o lombard the hill. The tocsin has
lready sounded and all the lnhabi
ants are in the cellars. A group of
hree women rush out from a neigh. E
orng house One is biting her shawl,
mother is sobbing bitterly, and yet
mother cries in anguish, Year IN, I
ear out, how long must this suffer. /
lg last?" 6
We are ordered into the cellars. A