Willmar tribune. [volume] (Willmar, Minn.) 1895-1931, 1916-12-27

he could steady his tongue and lips
so as to articulate, and when he did,
his first words were:
"Are you the woman that's been
a-washin' my feet?"
"That is exactly what I have been
doing. and much need they had OF It.
Do you not think you are pretty fell
low to have me come all the way from
Minnesota to wash your feet?"
1t was with much effort he could fix
his dazed eyes on my face, and he
made several pitiful attempts before
he succeeded in saying:
II think yer the best woman that
ever l saw"
''Ah, that is because you never saw
much, away out there in Venango
county, Pennsylvania, where you live.
There are thousands of better women
than l, running around hunting work,
in this part of the country"
SIS there?"
eyes, indeed; and nothing for them
to do!"
Il never saw none Nv 'em!"
"That is because you have had your
head rolled up in that sheet. Just keep
your head uncovered, so you can
! breathe this nice, fresh air; open
your eyes every little while, and you
will see whole row Of those women,
all hunting work."
He seemed quite interested, and
| when l had done washing and given
directions to a nurse to cleanse the
balance of his person, asked If there
was anything more l could do for
him, when he stammered:
mot unless you could get me a cup
of tea-a cup of good green tea
'thout any milk or sugar in it. If you
do, I'll pay you for It."
PAY me for it, will you? and how
much will you give me-three cents?"
"Oh, I'll give you twenty-five cents. "
TWENTY-FIVE cents for a cup of
| good green tea, without any milk or
sugar in it,"
l called the ward to witness the
| bargain, said l should grow rich at
that rate, and hurried off for the tea.
had a little silver tray and tea-set,
with two china cups. Mrs. Gangewer,
of the Ohio Aid Society, had sent me
a tin tea-kettle and spirit-lamp; folks
at distance had sent plenty Of the
best tea; and that little tea-tray had
become a prominent feature of Camp
bell long before this poor fellow speci-
| fed his want l made the tray unus.
ually attractive that day, and fed him
his tea from spoon, while he admir-
ed the tiny pot, out of which, with the
aid of the kettle, could furnish TWEEN
ty cups of good tea. When had serV-
ed all in that ward who wanted tea,
the first one took second cup, and
while taking it his skin grew moist,
and l knew he was saved from that
death of misplaced matter vulgarly
called 'dirt" to which well-paid medi-
cal inspectors had consigned him,
while giving their invaluable scientific
attention to floor scrubbing and bed
making, to whitewashing and laundry
| work.
l doubt if there were Medical In
spector in the army who was not a
first rate judge of the art of folding
and ironing a sheet or Fellowship; of
the particular tuck which brought out
the outlines of the corners Of mat
| tress, as seen through counterpart;
| and of the art and mystery of clean
ing a floor. 1t did seem as If they had
all reached Office through their great
proficiency as cabin-boys.
Next day l went to that ward with
my tea-tray; and after learning that
that man had been washed once more
asked him If he wanted another cup
of tea.
I'D like to have one," he stammer-
ed: "but l didn't pay you for the last
one, and can't find my Wallet"
l saw the debt troubled him, and
took this as one more evidence that
somewhere there were people who
sold hospital stores to sick soldiers.
So took pains to explain that he ow'
ed me nothing; that the tea was his
ladies had sent it to me to give to him
and all the pay they wanted was for
him to get we'll, and go home to his