The Barre daily times. (Barre, Vt.) 1897-1959, 1915-05-08
Tom Faxon' S
Transformation
By ESTHER VANDEVEER

! nurse. The colonel endeavored to per-
suade her, but she was girl of strong
will and strong character, and his OBJ
jections proved futile
| About the time the war broke out
Thomas Faxon, an American, came of
age. His mother, widow, had previ-
ously had the whiphand Of him, for
his fortune had been left to her In trust
for him until he should attain his ma
jority. Meanwhile Mrs. Faxon con-
tinued to regard her son as child, and
when he was twelve years OF age he
was in care of a nurse who the moment
he started in for some boyish sport that
would soil his clothes or by which he
might possibly get hurt would clap
her hands on him and drag him away
Tommy, as he was called, while he
occasionally rebelled against such
treatment, could not help being lamen-
tably affected by 1t. Indeed, so maiden
ly did he appear that no one would
suspect there was a spark of manliness
in him. However, Tommy became the
possessor of his estate just before the
war broke out abroad, shifting the air
Of liberty and Of battle at the same
time. He resolved to go abroad and
see what was going on. So accustomed
was he to obeying his mother that it
was with great difficulty that he broke
away from her, but once the breach
had been effected he struck out with
what manliness there was naturally In
him, mingled with the feminine effects
Of his training.
One day Tom turned up on the north
ern coast of France occupied by the
English army. He told a soldier that
he wanted to enlist The man looked at
the Immediately dressed Tommy, with
difficulty depressing smile at his spats
and kid gloves, and pointed to the quar-
tiers of Colonel Bankhead. Tommy pro.
ceeded there and found the colonel with
his daughter, who was in Red Cross
uniform.
81 want to be soldier" said Tom.
The colonel looked at him in surprise, |
asked him If he knew anything about |
soldering and when answered in the |
negative told him he had better go to
England and enlist there to be trained |
This didn't please Tommy. and he de-
clined the advice. Then spoke up Miss |
Bankhead:
Il think the gentleman would be of |
more use as Red Cross nurse
Now, Miss Bankhead was a very
comedy young woman, and Tommy,
who was like bird that had just left
the paternal nest, was ready to wing in
any direction that pleased his fancy.
Thank you very much,' he said.
with low bow. Can you tell me
where to go TO work."
Come with me-"
When Tommy was put to work nurs-
ing the sick and wounded it was re-
marked that he should don the uni
aughable to see him perform his du
lies, but In time he grew accustomed TO
them, taking his instructions from
Miss Gladys, with whom he at once be-
,ame violently enamored. She laughed
II him, but at the same time soothed
him.
With the first fight that came on aft
n Tom joined the Red Cross he was
tent forward with others OF the corps
o pick up the wounded. While doing
20 a hailstorm of bullets swept the
ield. and every man Of the corps
ought cover. Tom was at the time
TO a youngster of eighteen
Who was badly hit Since he was lock-
nc In the direction from which the
lullets came Tom did not see that ne
vas the only nurse left on the field.
then, turning and seeing what had
appened. he took the wounded boy in
lis arms and started with hsn for
over.
Now. the soldier weighed pretty
early as much as Tom. and Tom stag y
cred under the load The boy begged
is rescuer 20 drop him and save him
ELI. but Tom staggered on amid the Z
torn Of bullets and finally entered the
han a bullet In the fieshy part OF his
ag, from which streamed the red r
lood o
Tom put down bis burden and, not q
eeding cheer that greeted his feat,
irned fiercely toward the enemy.
ear by be saw a regiment sallying "
nth on a bayonet charge
Il want a gum" cried Tom. the hot a.
God boiling "a his veins Where can 4
get gum q
Take mine said a wounded sol b.
cr. "a
Tom seized the piece and ran Ike a ~
.er % the advancing regiment and \.
% into it, ranks When be came in
ON q buyonet charge DC was carried
m way. being faint from loss ~ Y
God hawfug from a wound ~ which Z.
, was icuoranf
such deeds usually become quickly ~
Ioun. Miss Bankhead beard q Toms b.
plot and reported il g. her father. "
. colonel Tom spum stood upon his "a
q again and was ordered % report e li'
eimeufai hendqunrters.
'Yoa have accomplished feat.
IA the coioneL worthy ~ the We I.
-ia cross Enlist 81 once n Von -
sslae ana ! viii recommend yVu ct ~
commission and the rross ~ wei "a
4 don't care f1r ne cross. coiuaei. = al
n Tom q want vsur drrrhtHr
We aFl see a3saut thst 80 ss4ae er
Der tine
sm Tom nna Ginars found tIms 20 -
a "a - - a