Evening capital and Maryland gazette. (Annapolis, Md.) 1910-1922, 1916-06-09
THE WAR NURSE
MERCY HERCU|D|NGSTAR
Woman, Since the First Faint Dawn
OF lime Has Been Mercy's
Chief Dispenser.
FROM wOMANHOOD OF A NATION
Springs Strength Of Empires---Suffer-
ing Makes the Whole World Kim
And Hearts of the People Blend
in Tribute to "The War
Nurse .

no matter what phase of the service
OF mercy it may be, they do not fail
Serbia reeked with typhus. her people
were dying by hundreds. to enter her
borders was practically to court death
Yet those who fought this disease ask
| ed for nurses, end the nurses came
not reluctantly, not with urging. but
they simply rushed in answer to the
call. call not only to nurse, but
| practically call to die; they came in
such numbers that the need was more
than filed. Now Serbia is clean. but
| buried beneath her soil she has the
remains of many of those who paid the
last price which the human being can
| IN pursuit of a calling or ordeal. Ger
| their graves a monument should be
| erected with the words engraved anu
>set with gold Greater love hath no
man than this to lay down his life
| for a friend
But this particular phase Of the
| War Nurses" self-sacrifice and hero
ism does not completely close the
chapter of her deeds. She has borne
herself with courage rivaling that OF
! the ssoldier on some of tue bloodiest
| and most closely contested battlefield
OF Europe Following closely behind
the advancing legions of armed EN-
pres she has reached the fields OF
death in the midst of actions; all un-
heedful of the iron sprays of death
cast by the bursting shrapnel, un-
| mindful of the flying fragment of high
explosive shells, of the combina sweep
OF steel acketed machine gun bullets
and the hidden danger of the trench
grenard and mine she has piled her
calling and carried the quality of meT-
cy of those who must die that nations
may live on Where the strength OF
the Allies and Teuton is locked in a
fierce death grapple, we find the
Nurse and many a German whose life
has slowly ebbed away amidst wha,
were once the beautiful vine clad hills
of France has, in his last hour, poured
forth a pean of thanks for the care of
devoted daughter of that very France
who stayed with him till the end.
Amidst the eternal SHOWS of Russia.
where the embattled myriads of the
Cars are swung out on the fighting
line, face to face with the cream of the
IIaiser's strength the Nurse is found
She knows neither Russian or German
but only seeks to spread the softening
touch of mercy. In the heart of the
lofty peaks of the Alps, where Austria
and Italy are fighting for the suprem-
acy of the roof of the world. the Nurse
atre of the war you may turn your
glance, you viii find her represented.
And always you will find the same inn
partial and indiscriminating care given
in the great common bond of human
fellowship and Mercy"
Can any of us see far enough into the
future to forecast what harvest this
ings of life will bring forth. In the
great crucible of war, where the SUI
perficial conventions of existance are
wiped aside and the elemental in
stincts asserts themselves, where the
artificial environment erected by So
cial life is crushed by necessity and
where basic foundations of character
fires of trial, will not a new race
emerge possessed of a different view
which will cause them to look upon life
from a different perspective? Will
not these women who have braved
death on countless battlehelds to do
the work of mercy, who have watched
the passing of the soul beside the mar
row cots in numberless hospitals, who
have seen the naked life bare itself in
the moment of its last great trial and
who have done and given all to ease
such times; will not they come
through the trials of stress filled with
the Joy and love of service and carry
ing that idea into the field of everyday
life, produce a race of new women?
When they are again dispersed among
their sisters. with their great deeds
blazoned before the eyes of an adj
miring world they will not exert ire
mendous influence that will, perhaps,
change what are now accepted stand
ards and bring TO the world in gem
eraI a closer understanding of the
great brotherhood of humanity than
ever before?
Before the outbreak of the present
war the social life of the different
countries had reached the point of alb
solute stagnation. Wealth and birth
was the criterion of position the indi-
viduars status in the world was meas
ured. not so much by his talents, his
knowledge and his characteras by the
ability possessed by him TO accumulate
riches. The artificialities of life were
encouraged by all and the cynosure
of all eyes was life of small respon-
sibilities and ease. Men forgot the
claims Of their fellow meI upon them
and thought for nothing but to advance
self at the cost of no matter whom.
Women. in many cases. led aside by
the incentive of a life of ease and plen-
~. amid the baubelic surroundings OF
society. were turning from the duties
which fall within their sphere. Birth
rates declined and crime rates mount
ed The men of the warning countries
welded together by the common love of
fatherland and the recognition of the
fact that in union there is strength.
became as one. social standings and
birth were relegated to she past and in
the ranks of the soldiery and the