New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1916-05-28


,,ters the souls Of thousands and thou
-. those names are never carried on the
-, lists. Fen escape its travail, 'ts
.sg..s dcmond for sacrifices and renpn-
woyr6s aud dooth are at the front. There
- ,br stimulus Of discipline, Of comrode-
10 Of glory. BIT those 'oho match aud 'coi'
t,,r, hare also their ordedl-the fathers
,.o.ters. the wires sisters and siCeethbdrts
v, .IoSe rho do the fighting. That ordeal
.t,yob spiritual, is none the less real one.
The story ,chich folIo'cs ~os written By
&c, Koltschmidt one Of the best knoun Of
- German ror correspondents. 1t deals Nth
COTTON IS old as icdr itself repeated thou
J, end thousands Of times IN this greatest
N ,r-rs-fhe anxious vigil Of t,co fathers
s<ll bospital base. to which their severely
nJ,J sons hare been brought for treat
-, Jo opr Grill War Oliver Wendell Holmes
,...r5 material for a somoiChOt similar sketch
.t,, h. rent in search Of son rounded at
bt battle Of Antietom.
Tb,ye arc IN .Nr. Kolkschmidfs little tole
.., ,,y7, admirable q1tolities-d poioer OF re-
..r,;r. ord a simplicity Which greatly
,.:ot.cy rs effect The depth Of fGtherly
..,..,,,1e Tho cruel test PIT upon parental
,.-.a,,5e tie fnal helpless Submission TO fate
III ,bese arc indicated tCith mosterly reserve
-. ,er,, raturalness Of the story 9iCes It an
.s5e6 poigaoucu II is page torn out Of fte
a ,ir,d portrayal Of a familiar but ot'0dbS
.-,tc,,,dly rroring humon experience
FTFR a journey Of thirty-six hours
Y Gebeimrath Won Bohlen had arrived
4 n at one Of the military bases IN the
west Even with his influential connections
10 had found it very difficult TO get permission
"a enter the zone of operations. But the teie-
.-.r, which told him Of the wounding Of his
.,aos. sor sounded so ominous In spite OF Its
-. +o-ralitv that the authorities had felt
obliged 70 yield to the urgent entreanes OF
the distressed old man.
Now he stood in the railroad station-the
o,lv civilian in sght-and looked about MN
corfusedly. Soldiers Of all arms OF the ser
,;.o crowded the platforms. big trans
mort Of reserves. all with brand ne"
eouinment. was being led of to the commis-
.sriat. train with sick and slightly wounded
won from, the front was being unloaded. Al
.boreb these had already rid themselves OF
.or,e If the deflements Of trench life they
.,iu looked shabby enough-coats and NANTES
faded and torn. faces ingrsined with oir''
to,1- tho color Of earth. dried slime sticking
n the trousers far above the knees. Only
Tho weapons which some Of them carried
glistened in the sunlight
That is war" thought the Geheimrath. $50
they 20 out and so they come back-if they
come back at all
And his mind turned again TO his boy;
wound in the pevs-n1ore than that he did
not know He sighed deeply. No, he would
mn, let such thoughts overcome him. He
would 20 to his son quickly. Would press his
hand hear his voice. It was so long since ne
had heard that voice!
An orderly saluted him and conducted nm
70 headquarters. His papers were examined
and found in order. They treated him with
avery politeness Half an hour later ne
climbed the steps which led to the severely
wounded section Of the military hospital
That evening the Gehemrath sat distracted
~ AT A little table in the restaurant OF the only
hotel which was open to travellers at this ad-
vanced base. The room was long and narro"
+, was filed with officers Of all grades. Nearly
al n them had come from the scene Of the
In, fighting Of the last few days, IN when
both sides had suffered terribly. The animated
conversations about him were all on the same
theme The iov of having repulsed danger
nus assault was on all faces. Champagne
snsrkled ON the tables of those who had TO 20
hack that night TO their commands. The mum
Of voices grew louder; the laughter gayer; 'ne
drinking of healths more lively and more un-
restrained.
The old gentleman took little notice OF the
life around him. Now and then he looked
wonderinrlv over at more distant table
where a pair Of very young lieutenants were
celebrating reunion, or a farewell-perhapS
both. They we're engrossed in each other and
seemed 10 have forgotten the war completely
Happy is youth" thought the Geheimrath'
He was still absorbed with his impressions
At the hospital. There lay his big, stalwart
bow helpIess as a child. lie could not even
move. and the fever fared up in his heavy
eyes Weakly and absent-mndedly he greeted
his father. The latter pressed and stroked the
hot hand and knew that he could give no help
The chief surgeon said that taking the wound
cd man home was absolutely out Of the queS-
ton.
"Wss there any hope?'
"Whv. certainly; one must always keep on
honir0r