Courier Democrat., 1916-02-03
FLASHES Of HUNOR
0F EXPERIENCES
Man Means Loss of Wrist
Watch, Buried With Am
putated Arm, Calling
Remaining Stub
"ArChiba|d."
Observation-Disclosures

a n with the ridiculous almost my
n y day in the fighting on European
fronts. Humor races with MIS-
cry and is not always second at the
end of the course.
The soldier who atfectionately names
the tingling stump Of a severed arm
"Archibald" by his jollity no doubt
keeps his mind from the long vista Of
years he must go down life With Hap
ping sleeve, and his regret for the loss
of a wrist watch which was shot away
or buried with the mutilated member
probably is a pad to dim the regre, he
may have for the loss of Il portion of
his anatomy.
The simple soldier who asked for
permission to send one Of the prisoners
home to his mother that some of the
arduous field work might be taken
from her bent shoulders may not lave
Il sense of humor, but he surely kows
the loss his family feels with him
away with the troops
The toll of the terrific struggle for
an inch of ground here and a lire Of
trenches there has left little room in
the news cables from day to day for
I the yalOr of the individual and the
touches of light hcaredness to be found
about the campfire and at the edges of
the eternity called the front. But the
soldier. officer and private. finds time
to tell of the life that is his portion in
home. and these sometimes creep into
public notice. y few are here col
lccted
Calls Arm Stub "Archiba.d."
Some fellows are singularly insensi-
tive about their wounds (Writes a
wounded soldier. There was a chap
in the opposite bed to me in hospital
i'll Belgrave square. He had lost an
arm. One day 1 heard him growing
because his watch was missing. He
said he knew he would never sec it
again. and ! tried to console him by
telling him that lost things often turn
ed up. But he replied that this would
not, as it was a wrist watch and had
been on the arm they had amputated.
BE called the remaining portion of
his injured arm archibald" and had
a great affection for it. Archibald was
not very nice to look at. However, we
had got used to the object, which was
often protrudcd over the bedclothes
and examined with loving care by its
owner.
We had Il dainty little ward, with
titles Of flowers. Between 8 and in
the afternoon visitors We're allowed,
and the ward would be graced by the
presence of many lovely ladies. One
sunny afternoon soon after we were,
most of US. chatting gayly With our
friends, except the man who had lost
his arm.
He got bored by himself and thought
he would look at Archibald. Out Arch
ibald came over the top Of the quilt.
My visitor was the first to notice him
and With little gasp of horror re-
lilcllIDGLCu u am '>liC uutl W SLlCNI'
The other ladies soon looked in the
same direction, and in quarter of an
hour the ward was empty.
Difficulties Of MANNED.
Apart from the personnel of hospi-
tails, there are often little incidents
which occur during conyalcscence or
afterWard which have their funny side
(writes q convalescent British officer).
The other day I took two friends of
mine to dine at a hotel. They had
both Of them been wounded. One had
lost an arm, and the other had had his
right hand shattered, and it was our
first reunion since the war broke out
We ordered oysters and partridge for
the occasion. The oysters went down
easily, but when it came TO the bird
they sent their portions away, with an
| aside to the waiter, and | was left with
! mine.
l began on it, then looked up
That's what you said you'd like
wasn't it," l asked. They said par
fridge was just what they liked. "Well
why don't you eat it?' / asked.
well, you see," said one, II have a
| bad hand and find knife and fork
rather difficult"
| "lAnd l have lost an arm" said the
other.
$50 we have sent the bird away tc
be cut up for u.s. concluded the first
And wished had not spoken.
am not myself sensitive about my
injuries. The bullet that got me has
left me with limp-a very pronounced
limp. I might say, in fact that more
lame duck could seldom be seen hob
bling down the street. However,
can toddlc slowly round golf course
and enjoy stroll down Piccadilly as
much as ever. In fact, sometimes
quite forget that I am lame But the
other day friend of mine came up tt
me in the club.
Getting on all right?" he asked
cheerily. ...
Yes, thankS,'' l answered