Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1915-05-04
GIRLS
EXPERIENCE AS A
RED CROSS NURSE
ASSOCIATED Press Correspondents. }

ASSOCIATED Press Correspondence
London, April 21-An American girl
who recently volunteered for service
with Red Cross ambulance in Bel
GUM sends the following account Of
her first case:
The commandant doctor with whom
was assigned to work had taken me
far up toward the front, where a.
Belgian battery was stationed. While
he attended to some trifling injuries.
there came the sound OF cannonading,
and news that the Germans Were at
lacking the very section where we
were working.
Sudcenly, at what seemed the last
minute Of safety, two Belgian stretch
er-bearers, without a stretcher, rush
ed UP to me. They said there was a
man badly wounded somewhere up the
roa i. I found stretcher and went off
with them to look for him.
We went on and on. 1t probably
wasn't more than 500 yards, but it
seemed like very long ways, it seem
ed impossible to find the house Then
some women came running and point
ed out the place. The stretcher- bearers
hurried off with their stretcher I fol-
lowed.
The man. horribly hurt. with a
wound like a red pit below his shout
der blades. was brought and laid on
the stretcher. He lay there quietly on
his side, in q posture Of utter resigna-
ton to anguish.
He was a Belgian peasant, clumsiIy
built; he had broad, rather ugly
face, narrowing suddenly as the
fringe Of his whiskers became a little
struggling beard. But to me he was the
most beautiful person 1 had ever seen.
/ loved him. He was my first wounded
man!
II tried-I still try-to persuade my
self that if I hadn't bullied my two
bearers and repulsed an attempt to
get my stretcher away for some other
patients, he would have been left be-
hind in that little house. We got him
out Of the yard all right and on to the
paved road. Then. to my horror, the
bearers dumped him down on the paw
ing stones. They said he was much too
heavy. They couldn't possibly carry
him unless they rested.
Il didn't think 1t was exactly the
moment for resting. and told them 50
Ia several languages. The Germans
were likely to come around the turn
in the road at any time. You never
know!
But the bearers stood stolidly in
the middle OF the road and moped their
faces and puffed. The situation began
to be as absurd and terrible as a night
made. So I grabbed one end Of the
strctcher and said / would carry it
myself. said wasn't very strong,
and perhaps couldn't do Il. but any
how, I would try.
They picked it up at once then, and
started off at a good swinging trot
over the rough paving stones, jolting
my poor patient horribly. suggested
that they walk on the smooth path at
the side They hailed this suggestion
as q most brilliant and original idea.
las my patient was brought into
the village where the battery was sta
toned, the ambulance had got its
wounded and was ready to go. But he
had to have his wound dressed He
Law there in the middle Of the street
and I had to watch while the surgeon
STUFFED his wound with antiseptic
gauze. l had always supposed that the
dressing OF a wound was q cautious
and delicate process. But 1t wasn't.
There was a careless audacity about it.
The surgeon worked rapidly. unmoved,
as il he were stuffing an old crate with
straw. And it was all over IN q mo-
yneut or two There seemed something
indecent in the haste with which my
Releian was disposed Of.
'Then the surgeon remarked casual
ly that my patients wound diont
amount to much. Tt looks much worse
than it really is he said. felt hurt,
as II this beloved psrson had been
.lirhted, also n II there had osen some
subtitle disparagement OF my IND. "