Audubon County journal. (Exira, Iowa) 1884-1993, 1915-04-15
Tom F'axon' S
Transformation
By ESTHER VANDEvEER

w dSu SOlOuel odukuGdU tile BTU
ish army went to fight with the allies
IN Belgium his daughter. Gladys, in
sisted on going also to the front as a
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, a 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 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 himAway.
| Tommy, as he was called, while he
occasionally rebelled against such
treatment could not help being lamen-
j tably affected by it. Indeed so maiden
/ ly did he appear that no one would
suspect there was 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 ives 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 soldier that
/ he wanted to enlist The man looked at
the Immediately dressed Tommy. with
difficulty REFRESHING 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.
u want to be a soldier" said Tom.
The colonel looked xhim in surprise.
asked him if be knew ANYTHING about
! soldering and when answered in the
negative told him he had better so to
! England and enlist there to be trained.
! This didn't please Tommy. and he de-
clined the advice. Then spoke up Miss
/ Bankhead:
II think the gentleman would be of
more use as II Red Cross nurse"
Now, Miss Banlhead was a very
comely 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
form ef the women nurses. 1t was
laughable TO see him perform his DIN
ties, but in time he grew accustomed tc
them, taking his instructions from
Miss GLADYS With whom he at cnce be-
came violently enamored She laughed
at him, but II the same time soothed
him.
With the first fsht that came on aft
err Tom joined the Red Cross he was
sent forward with others Of the CORPS
TO pick up the wounded While doing
SO hailstorm OF bullets swept tie
field and every man of the corps
sought cover Tom was at the time
ministering to Il youngster of eighteen
who was badly lit Since lie was look
Ing in the direction from which the
bullets came Tom did not see that he
was the only nurse left on the field
Then, turning and seeing what haa
happened. he took the wounded boy In
his arms and started with him for
cover
Now, the soldier weighed pretty
nearly as much as Tom, and Tom stag
gered under the load. The boy begged
his rescuer to drop him and save him
self, but Tom staggered on amid the
storm of bullets and finally entered the
British lines in no worse condition
than bullet in the tleshy part of his
leg, from which streamed the red
blood.
Tom put down his burden and, not
needing cheer that greeted his feat,
turned fereely toward the enemy.
Near by he saw regiment sallying
forth on bayonet charge.
Il want gun" cried Tom, the hot
blood boiling in his veins. Where can
get gum"
Take mine said wounded sol
dier
Tom seized the piece and ran like
deer to the advancing regiment and
fell into its ranks. When he came in
from bayonet charge he was carried
part way, being faint from loss of
blood flowing from wound of which
he was ignorant
Such deesis usunlly become QUICKLY