Clinch Valley news. [volume] (Jeffersonville, Va.) 18??-2019, 1917-09-21

Uylul shiW ever = y aud In - =
ways It Was. For inS,nulc In q, ast
cntertaii,GG OF dramatic exh, ions
| did You ever see the lady artis,s go
around AID reward enthusiastic ap
plause with kisses2 Well, that's what
we got. And am proud to say that
1t was Miss Compton who conferred
this honor upon me.
AT about 3 O'Clock on that afternoon.
when we were all having Il good time
one OF the ordcrics threw open the
door of the ward and announced I'm a
loud voice that his majesty the king
was coming In. We could not hnve
been more surprised IL some one had
thrown In Il Mills bomb. Almost im.
mediatcly the king walked In. accom-.
paSted by number of aids. They
were al IN service uniforms the King
having little in the style of his uni.
form to distinguish him from tho 9th.
ere. He walked around, presenting
each pntient with copy OF Queen
Mary's Gift Book" an artistic little
volume, with pictures and short stories
by the most famous of English artists
and writer's. When he neared my bed
he turned to one OF the nurses and In.
Quircd:
:Is this the one?"
The nurse nodded. He came and sat
at the side OF the bed and shook hands
with me. He asked rs to what part of
the United States | had como from,
how | had got my wounds and whit
the nature or them werc, how was
getting along and whit particularly
wished done for me. answered his
questions and said that everything I
could possibly wish for had already
been doue for me-
Thanked by King and Decorated For
Bravery.
II thank you," he sud, "for myself
and my people for your services. Our
gratitude cannot no great enough to.
ward men who have served rs you
have"
Ilo spoke In very low voice and
with no assumption OF royal dignity.
There was nothing In tho lenst thrill.
Ing about the incident, but there was
much apparent sincerity in tho few
words.
After he had gone one Of the nurses
asked me what he hnd said.
"Oh." said, George asked mo what
thought about tho WY the war was
being conducted, and snld I'd drop In
and talk 1t over with him MS soon MS
WINS well enough to be up"
There happened one OF the great dis
appointments of my life. Sine didn't
sec the Joke. She wns English. She
gnsped ana glarod ut mo, and think
abe went out and reported that I was
dcllrious again.
Really, wasn't much impressed by
tho English king. He seemed pleas
ant, tired little mnn with grent bur-
den to bear anti not much OF an idea
about how to bear IL. lie strNck INC
rs an individual who would conscien-
tiously do his best IN any situation, but
would never do or say anything with
the slightest suspicion Of punch to It.
A few days after his visit to the hos
pital snw In the OHlclal London Ga
zctte that had been awarded the dis.
tingulshed conduct medal. Official let
ters from the Canadian headquarters
nmplifled this Information, md n no.
tice from the British war Office inform
ed me that the medal awaited me there.
l was told the king knew that tho
medal had been awarded TO me when
he spoke to mo In the hospital. De-
spite glowing reports in the kentucky
press lie didn't pin 1t OH me. Probably
he didn't hive 1t with him, or perhaps
he didn't consider 1t good form to hang
ID. @. M. on suit of striped prasenta-
ton paJamns with Il prevailing tone OF
baby blue.
While was In the King George hos
pltnl i witnessed one of the most Won
derful examples of courage and pluck
| hnvo ever seen. A young Scot only
nineteen years old, McAuley by name,
had had tho greater part OF his face
blown away. The surgeons had pntcll.
cd him up III some fashion, but lie was
horribly disngured. He was tho bright
est, merriest man IN tho ward, always
Joking and never depressed. His own
terrible misfortune was merely the top
&c for humorous comment with him.
He seemed to get positive amusement
out of tho fact that tho surgeons were
always sending for him to do some.
thing more with his face. One day he
wns going into the operating room and
fellow patient asked him what the
new operation was to be.
oh" he said, I'm going to have a
cabbage put on in place OF head
tn grow better than the one 1 have
now"
Once In fortnight ho would man.
age to get leave to absent himself from
tho hospital for an hour or two. He
never came back alone. 1t took q
couple of men to bring him I'm. On the
next morning he would say:
"Well, 1t was my birthday. A man
must have few drinks on his birth
day."
was discharged from the hospital
In the middle Of February and sent to
comfortable place Mt Hastings, Sus.
sex, where lived until my furlougll
papers came through. had a fine
time I'm London Mt the thentara md