The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1916-01-01
FRIEND OF THE WOUNDED.
A Tale Of Succor on the Field Of
Battle.

George Casey asked me II ! had seen
the Friend Of the Wounded.
After many a hot engagement n man
In white had been seen bending over the
wounded. Snipers sniped at MIN. Shells
tell all around Nothing had power 10
touch him. n mysterious one. whom
the French called the Comrade in White.
seemed to be everywhere at, once. At
Nancy. in the Argonne. at scissors and
fpres, everywhere men were talking or
him with hushed voices.
II exclaimed that for me seeing was
believing. and that | didn't expect N
help but a German knife II ! were found
lying out there wounded.
ut was the next day. At noon we
got word to take the trenches in front
of US. They were two hundred yards
away, and we weren't well started til
we knew that the big guns had failed
Ia their work OF preparation. We had
advanced $50 yards when we found II
was no good. Our captain called to us
TO take cover. and Just then / was
shot through both legs.
II fell into a hole OF some sort. l
suppose I tainted. for when I opened my
eyes / was all alone. The pain was
horrible, but I didn't dare TO move lest
the m should see me, for they
were only fif'y yards away. and ! did
not expect mercy. | was glad when the
twilight came. There were men In my
own company who would run any risk
in the darkness If they thought a COM
rade was still alive.
The night fell, and soon | heard n
step, not stealthy. as l expected. but
quiet and firm. az If neither darkness
nor death could check those untroubled
feet. So little did | guess what was
coming that. even when | saw the CLEAN
oil white in the darkness ! thought It
was a peasant in a white smock. or per-
haps "A wonan deranged. Suddenly |
guessed that 1t was the Comrade in
White.
AT that very moment tho German
rifles began to shoot. The bullets could
scarcely mis-. such "A target, for he flung
out his arms as though in entreaty, and
then drew them back till he S,ood like
one OF those wayside crosses that We
saw so often as we marched through
France. And he spoke. The words
sounded familiar, but all | remember
was the beginning. II thou hadst
knovn.' and the ending. but now they
are hid from thine eyes And then he
stopped and gathered me into his arms
me, the biggest man IN the regiment
and carried me as IL ! had been a child.
II rus have tainted again. for |
awoke to consciousness In u lille ave
by II stream, and the ComrLde IN White
was washing my wounds and binding
them up | wanted TO know what | could
DO for my friend 10 help him or to serve
him. lie was looking toward the
stream and his hands were clssped in
prayer: and then | saw that he too
had been wounded, | could see. as IL
were, a shot wound in his hand, and AS
lie prayed a drop of blood gathered
and fell to the ground. | cried out. |
could not help II. for that wound OF his
seemed TO he "A more awful thing thar
any that bitter war had shown me.
You are wounded too | said, Perhaps
ne heard me. perhaps IL was the look on
my face. but he answered gently This
is an old wound. hut 1t has troubled me
Of late And then | noticed sorrowfully
that the same cruel mark VAS on his
, feet. You VIII wonder that ! did not
know sooner, I wonder myself. Bu,
il was only when ! saw his feet that
| knew Him"
The following letter on the subject ap-
! pears In our London contemporary,
LighE
SIR | was much struck by the ac-
count In Liant OF the Camarade Blanc,
NJ for some time past | have heard OF
him through the wounded oldiers !
came across in the hospitals at Nice,
MANY of them men from the Eighty
seventh and l2sth ~lnfanterie who have
been lighting IN the Arguuue have seer
him. and on several occasions he has
walked through their trenches,
"Hc has chiefs been observed after
severe lighting. bending over the d,ing
and helping them to pass away in peace
he has often been shot at by the Ger
mans, hut apparently pays no heed "a
them. had heard all this weeks ago
and had been much interested, so that
when the article IN LiOht caught my
eye ! translated il into French and
gave 1t 10 some of the mel TO read they
said ii must be the same apparitiou
which comes to the soldiers In the Ar
come they also added that tx seemed "a
fit from one place to the other, II had
been seen by many ~ scissors, Nancy
and Ypres Yours, So, u, Il NJ.
mice. France. June &, 1919"