The Brattleboro daily reformer. (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1913-1955, 1916-07-27
HEROIC WORK AT vERDUN.
Impressions of Nurse in French
Military Hospital.

The big bell of the hospital changed
three times. In happier days it had
summoned children to school, but now
heralded the approach of the ambu-
lances and warned US to be ready.
A few moments more and the order
lies are placing the stretchers in a
long line down the middle of the ward.
A white-coated doctor enters, exam
ines the label tied in each mans but
tonhole, asks a few brief questions
and goes to the next ward. We work
away busily, remove soilstained
clothing and bIood-stained bandages,
and soon what transformation 1t
is difficult to believe that these clean,
cheerful patients are the same blue
coated, mud-caked men who were
brought to us less than one short hour
ago.
Some of them are enjoying second
basin of steaming soup, others puff
away contentedly ar the ubiquitous
cigarette. Here is one watching while
the contents of his pockets are turned
out by an orderly, before the clothes
are taken away to be cleaned and dis
infected; another is asking how soon
shall have time to write to his wife.
" AS soon as the doctor has seen you
all, and We get you comfortably ban
daged, and he settles down in bed
with Il sigh of satisfaction. There
are some who lie with closed eyes and
paindrawn brows; but i'll most eases
the pathetic look of endurance on each
face has given way to one of content.
The weeks of untiring watching in the
trenches, the sharp engagement, the
long, painful journey to hospital. even
the pain of the wound, ali are for the
time forgotten in the enjoyment of
long -denied comforts and pleasant and
peaceful surroundings.
How patient they are. even those
who are most manned. They never
complain, and are so grateful for any
thing one does for them.
1t Is visiting day, and n French lady
comes into the ward, leading by the
hand a little boy His father belongs
to the famous Ningtieme corps, now
known as ''the regiment that saved
Nerdun.' The child has heard some
one say that one patient in this ward
is German, and asking in a whisper
which it is, he trots up to the bed.
Standing on tiptoe, he gently strokes
the rough face. "You won't try to
hurt my daddy any more now, will
you?' he says in coaxing voice
Say you II not be wicked any more. =
The man who is evidently in pain,
opens his eyes aud smiles. He does
not understand the language, but the
action is eloquent, and, taking the
child S hand, he presses it to his lips,
while far away look comes into his
eyes. "My own little boy-iust the
same age he says; and his eyes
close again.
There is silence for a moment, then,
'They are not all bad, even Ger
mans, says a sergeant in the next
bed. 81 remember before this last at
tack, we d been in the same trenches
for weeks, and at last we got to feel
quite friendly to the chaps in the
trenches opposite. In the evenings,
| when the firing had ceased, we would
throw cigarettes over to each other,
and sometimes we'd even have a
| friendly chat. There was one fellow
J in our company whose home was in
| the invaded territorF, so he was very
| anxious about his wife, and knew that
| she. too would he worrying for news
Of him. SO one day he wrote a letter
to her, and addressed it, and that
| evening, when we heard the Saxon Z
| friendly whistle, he called out and
asked them if thev knew the village
he named. One Of them did and prom
| ised to deliver the note when they re
turned from the trench to camp. A.
1t happened, on the way he 90
wounded, and one of the first thing,
he thought of when he was picked III
was to ask one of his comrades to re
deem his promise for him. So the wifi,
| got the letter all right, and in tim,
was able to send an answer TO he
, husband-that was how we heard tn
| story.
Il When | entered the ward toda,
there was an unwonted air of excite
ment, and | was greeted with TIL
news that our "enfant de troupe
: lad of 20, was Edown for the Mill
/. tary Cross. Presently | persuaded hin
to tell me the story, and with boyis
pride he described how he had led
T bombing party into the front trelc
of the enemy. Then. single handed, h
2 had captured mitraileuse, an
! turned it with deadly effect upon tn
! foe as they fled panicstricken befor
the French onslaught.
1t was almost impossible to realiz
. that this seemingly hardened soldie
whose eyes blazed with courage as h
re-liycd the scene, was the same la
whom | had seen only day or tw
!. before, unnerved with pain, sobbin
/, for his dead mother. IF only sh
were here to nurse me, | think
= could bear it better he had WIFI
! pered, and instinctively felt that
j was the spirit of that mother while
: had inspired her son to dare and
! so nobly.-London Chronicle.
t WESTMINSTER.
T Rev. A. +. Ward left this week Tue
e day for his new parish in .Jonespor