The Madison journal. (Tallulah, Madison Parish, La.) 1888-current, 1915-10-16
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 1t
is an important military station-this
is my next hating place. Every house
is occupied by 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 fer the
enemy-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?
have 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 life 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 a brilliant young lieutenant.
His father was only concierge. but
he worked and saved to give his son
his chance. The son has gone through
with flying cclors-now he is blind
He was lying in the officers ward
when l 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 hi.
face-his eyes are bandaged. An ole
man leads him in. and the nurse pre-
pares him for the examination Ont
sees the answer on the doctors face
blind, blind-one after another. On,
dare not think-the horror of it al
seems to numb ones very soul.
We have started early. for we hav,
so far to go and we are stopped; 4
is another examination of our papers
But who is speaking? Voices seen
to be beside me in the car! Wha
Is this mystery? | listen carefully
when suddenly two officers pop u,
from underground and disappear. Tn,
horrid. uncanny idea trench war is
1t does not somehow seem fair an,
square.
We have to pass along the roa,
which the French soldiers have chris
tened the Jaws of Death" A youn,
man on the way tells us the German
pepper everyone who goes I'D tina
road-perhaps we shall be the excer
ton. Up the narrow. stony passag
we pillow our way-if by any chanc
the car stops we are finished-yet i
we go too quickly we shall make
cloud Of dust. AS it is we are par
and parcel Of the dusty landscape
keep my eyes on the enemy's lines
And on we go till we have turned tn
corner and are safe again for a while
On and on we go-more and NOR
distinctly is the firing heard. Wher
are we? We are on height. and sud
denly we discover an artillery duel 1
taking place in the trenches near by
the trenches are ablaze. shells ar
bursting on all sides. They are goin,
to lombard the hill. The tocsin ha
already sounded. and all the inhaui
tants are in the cellars. A group O
three women rush out from a neigh
boring house. One is biting her shaw
another is sobbing bitterly. and We
another cries In anguish. Year in
year out, how long must this suffer
ing last?"
i We are ordered into the cellars.