The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1915-03-11
The Euenir,g Story
Songs and the Soldiers.
(By Dorothy Douglas.)

Ijourneying across the ocean. She was
going over to do her mite in the
great war crisis by singing at numer
Gus benefits and concerts and in the
hospitals for wounded soldiers and
sailors.
The sorting process was difficult.
AS the Well-Worn songs turned up 1t
seemed in each case to be the one
song that Enid could not leave be-
hind. Already the ones selected
would I'll the tray of her steamer
only half empty.
Il want to be in position to sing
anything that may be called for, and
goodness knows what songs the poor
wounded boys will ask for!''
1t was not until she had reached
the lowest shelf of her music cabinet
that Enid found the old, old song
that Capt. Cyril Blaker had given
her. The irresponsible, fascinating
young scapegrace of the British army
had been in New York just long
feminine hearts, to borrow money
from everyone who was unwise
enough to give it to him, and to dis
appear into future no less vague
come.
Enid sighed a trifle wistfully and
reminiscently. The image of Capt.
Blaker came clearly before her. His
eyes were as blue as the sea, and I'M
fortunately as restless; his hair gold
as the sun itself.
why, oh why are all the scape-
graces so blessed with charm ~ Enid
tered music. She remembered so
we'll the gentle flattery with which
the young officer had presented this
old song together with two others of
less Importance.
My mother used to sing this to
me-" he had said softly. will you.
too, sing it to me? 1 want to hear
you-now.'' The affect of the dainty
homage n Enid yiyid1N ha r. n
her as she sat three years later look
ing over the song. A flush crept into
her cheeks even as it had on that
other day, and Enid wondered if she
ne'er-do-well again.
If, as he had said, he was in reality
a captain in the British army and
had gone through the Boer war, the
chances We're more than likely that
he would be seeing service a second
time There was chance, if he
chose to take it for him to redeem
himself on the field of battle.
Enid put the, beautiful little song
called Ruby into he overwhelmed
folio with a hope that it's donor
would find that salvation held out
to so many men in times of war.
She realized that when she reached
London, Paris or any of the cities in
which she would be singing, her eyes
would be constantly on the alert. Per-
haps among the thousands of khaki
clad figures she would see Captain !
Baker. She was curiously, and with !
out much reason, interested in the |
career of the handsome, irresponsible |
officer.
Enid had never contemplated the
frightfu1 ordeal it would be to sing |
for the entertainment of the wounded !
soldiers who had returned from the |
battlefield manned and suffering from
the horrors of war The fact that |
they smiled so bravely while trying to |
continue the light brought sickening
p 49,,
not reckoned on the vast control she |
would be compelled to exercise if she
were to sing happily before those |
pain acked men and fling sunbeam
IN their midst. 1t was her duty to |
cheer them and not to exhibit any
sense of her own suffering at sight of
them.
Enid swallowed hard to put down |
the lump in her throat and burst into
song. Perhaps she had never sung |
so well in her life. The emotion and |
warm timbre in her voice were as
trebled by the throbbing |
and she gave unto those wounded |
men all that her soul possessed to |
give. She had the joy of seeing a |
smile of contentment or forgetfulness
settle softly on the faces of her
listeners
The men had been brought into the
carried in on stretchers, others in
chairs and some of them could limp
in on the arms of their nurses. Enid
had never expected, in the whole of
her musical career; to sing before so
completely wrecked an assembly of
living men. War, in all it's CHASTITY
tragedy, was flung before her vision,
and she prayed that her strength
more of that human suffering
She was standing quietly for
storm of applause when one of the
nurses approached the platform.
,l,-
called Ruby?" the nurse asked Enid.
One of my patients is longing for it,
Enid smiled and glanced swiftly ;
over the mass of upturned faces.
1t is not very cheerful song" she
said. But 1 will be glad to sing it,
Her hurried glance had failed to find I
A familiar golden head that somehow
she had expected with the request for
he song. Her accompanist left the {
platform and Enid sat down at the
piano and played the dainty, ripping
I
In so far as she could watch her {
audience Enid watched for SOL {
1ier among them who was more than '
Interested in the song. She was Curl
ous to see who it was that was famil- '
ar with the oldtime favorite. E
When she had finished the melan- s
,holy but exquisitely lovely song there
vas silence in the room. In the far {
lagos as to be unrecognizable, was 6
Gaming forward. Enid felt instinct t
vely that he was the soldier who had 6
asked for the song and she determined {
o seek him out after she had sung a /
rOusing and slim ulating air !
hat brought an Immediate burst of a
applause. G
But when she had finished the Of t
icer who had been leaning forward /
lad been wheeled away. Enid search I
I'd for the NJ Sc who had spoken with
her, but she, too, had disa appeared. v
Out in the corridor Enid was stop /
bed by one of the surgeons. S
Il am going to hold you response +
lie for the sudden desire on the part