Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1916-04-02
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the crowd. Everybody tries to look
over the shoulders of those in front. All
are looking in the same direction.
One can see much in a few seconds
There is face which is written the
bitterest of disappointment. with
weary hopelessness as though the per-
son, a woman, had been at similar gath
eringS before only to meet the anguish
she now expects.
The people flock ahead and begin to
walk along the tables. There is no
sound but the swish Of the feet. The
soldiers sit motionless in their chairs
in contained eagerneSs.
Suddenly woman screams. Her
screams rise to shrieks and as sud-
denly stop. Through the crowd they
carry her to chair near the platform
where the train pulled in. dark,
handsome soldier hobbies along. In Il
few seconds the woman regains con-
sciousness and with rending cry of
My boy-boy." throws herself about
the neck of the soldier.
He stands on one leg and a wire
substitute for the other. An arm
clasped about the waist of the woman
is handless. The soldier-he is very
tall-bends over the woman stiffiy and
gives her a long passionate kiss. 1
shall never forget the look on his
face. 1t is a smile. full of pain con-
cea1ed, but A smile, and therein Is
written a knowledge of the dream of
of little more than year ago
crushed forever. The woman is very
happy, for he was long dead and is
alive.
Much happens in the next few sec
onds. Loved ones are clasped with the
eagerness of the long months of eX-
pectancy. Women rush from one end
of the large room to the other with
little cries as they catch sight of the
faces they seek.
The woman with the baby finds her
husband. He sees the child for the
first time. A soldier holds his sweet
heart, but sees her not. for he is blind
forever. SO he feels her face and smiles.
A woman PUSHES into a soldiers arms
and suddenly recoils to make doubly
sure of his identity. Part of his face
has been shot away. But he can see,
and he stands up and throws his arms
about her. He can only humble in
distinctly from semblance of
mouth. But he does his best.
Two women. fashionably clothed,
try to cloak their eagerness with looks
of unconcern as they pass from table
to table showing little photograph.
But they meet only headshakes from
the soldiers. and sad smiles. Still they
pass on, going over the ground again
and try to smile brightly, but their
hearts are breaking. No one has seen
him. Sometimes they look long and
hard at some disfigured face before
they are convinced and again pass on.
A slip of a girl goes up to one of the
soldiers. He is crippled and as he
sits still in his chair she bends over
and kisses him on both cheeks. She
speaks In a natural voice with little
CHI of fnv~ mil
Suddenly, she bursts into hysterical
weeping and throwing herself full into
the arms of the wounded man, cries.
Father" The soldier. not expecting
as his crippled back will allow. The
appeal in that one word, the way the
girl has said 1t. will never leave me.
There is lieutenant there. He wears
dark-colored glasses to hide the fact
that his eyes have been shot away. AS
he sits in his chair, nervously picking
at a piece of cake, a pretty young wom-
an stands by with her hand on his
shoulder
They were engaged, these two when
he left home. full of hope and an off,
Ger. When he heard he was coming back
he asked the authorities that his name
be withheld from the list so his fiancee
would be unaware of his return. But
she had learned of his arrival, and is
telling him that it makes no difference.
In days now past, those of another life
he was a surgeon not long out of
school and his was a big ambition. He
thinks of this while the girl stands by
In Germany he found chance to
learn how to make little useful things
In his bag are some articles he has
made after much hard work and prac-
tice. But he can do these things bet
ter now. and easier, and he has a sud
den hope.
Meanwhile the air is filled with little
cries. much excited talking. There is
relief after the pent-up anxiety of
weary months and there are SobS
still others find those they look for.
Nurses tripping through the throngs.
ministering here and there, smiling
cheerfully, unexpectedly burst into
sobs and hurry away as they see things
not describable. while among the sew
eral hundred observers lined up along
the sides there is not dry eye.
The meal is now over. The majority
of the crowd are interspersed among
the places at the tables. exultant and
satisfied, having found those they were
looking for But there are still many
who continue to pass among tho long
rows. stopping here and there or sud-
denly retracing their steps with
growing feeling of. terrible dj5appoint-