Tulsa daily world. [volume] (Tulsa, Indian Territory [Okla.]) 1905-1919, 1917-08-03
Funds Donated for Aid of
Sightless Is Used to Provide
Livelihood.
SERGEANT TELLS OF SOMME
Shells of the Enemy Blow
Sand and Dirt Like Shot
Into Body of Foes.
by MRS. II. VALENTINE WEB

whistling cheerily. Now and then he
interrupted his tune and chuck
chuck -chuckcd" at the birds as he
plunged his bare arm into "A canvas
bag and scattered the feed about him.
Now and then also he stopped to
laugh as one more venturesome and
more impatient than the rest flew up
to his hand and fluttered back among
the greedy flock that were cackling,
scratching and pecking at one an
other with strident cries as frantlcal-
lV they dartcd ahout-many scores Of
them-and quarreled over the mamma
that fell so bountifully on every side.
INA poo he announced finally
and moved towards the gate on which
was leaning. watching the scene
with languid interest. lie flung his
empty bag over his arm and came
toward me. filling his pipe and "shoo-
ing" his feathered friends. Stopping
for a moment to apply "A match TO
the tobacco. he opened the gate,
closed 1t behind him carefully-and
walked right inside to me where ! had
drawn aside to let him pass.
Blind!
His action had been so sudden. so
unexpected, that | had uttered a little
cry. half of astonishment and haIf Of
Indignation, before realized from his
confusion and outstretched hands that
he was blind
He recovered from his embarrass-
ment on the instant, as one accus-
toned to such encounters. and smiled
pleasantly again as he said apollo
getically:
Excuse me. man, my mistake.
I'm awfully sorry. 1t was very care
less Of me"
His mistake!
He broke in upon the apology that
l. in turn, had begun to stammer.
Don't mention It, NAM" he said.
II ought TO have heard you coming.
take it you are a stranger Every
body round here knows me and side
steps"
"Oh, you are Sergeant Major Tom
linson," | said.
Eyes man. At your service" he
answered simply.
Everybody. even visitors, in the vi
cinity Of Buckinghamshre village
knew of Sergeant Major Tomlinson,
for he was the lion of the country
side for miles around. The particu-
lar exploit, one of many. which had
won for him the Victoria cross. was
common history-his wife, who was
prouder of him than anybody else
had seen to that. Tomlinson himself
could never be induced to talk of IT,
No Talking of Pain.
1t is an unwritten code among the
british soldiers rigidly observed,
never to discuss such things on pain
Of the ridicule and contempt of their
comrades. But II is n matter of record
that his battalion i'm the great push
on the Somme. having been reduced
to a scant company by machine gun
nest in Devils Wood, had finally
cleared it out with bayonet charge
Cnly to find that in the ebb and flow
Of the battle they had been cut off. Not
a commissioned officer had been left,
and Tomlinson, rallying the survivors,
many of whom were wounded, had
held out for seven days against ter
rible odds and exhaustion from lack
of food and water and taken fearful
toll Of the enemy until the tide had
turned again and "A sea of Khaki had
swept in upon and around them. Tom
linson, who three days before had
been wounded in the head by n
sniper's bullet. had then collapsed ano
when the stretcher-bearers appeared
upon the scene his fellow heroes
learned to their amazement that he
was blind. The bullet had cut the op-
tic nerve of the right eye and the
other eve had become affected in SYM
pathy. How with their first aid ban
dages swathed around his head could
they have known? He had never said
a word about It but suffering himself
the torments OF the inferno had con-
tinued to keep up the spirits of his
men and direct the defense.
Looking at him now I could hardly
believe he was blind. His eyes were
the calm gray eyes of the English and
they seemed to gaze full upon me At
first glance no one would have sus-
pected that they were sightless,
especially as the illusion was height
ened by his firmness of step and sure
ness OF movement.
Tell me about yourself" I request
ed. II mean how we Americans are
helping you"
Well / happen to know that I
was one of those who benefited from
the 10000 pounds your people sent to
help the work of the British section.
They told us about II at the home.
And IL you Americans who gaye so
generously could only see what they
have done for our blinded Tommies
they would feel happy to the end of
their days, as | hope they will in any
case. God bless them whoever they
are and wherever they may be.
Dreamed of Home.
There isn't much to tell. When 1t
dawned on me that my sight was gone
for good figured that there was only
one thing left for me to do-finish
what the Huns had begun. The mos,
cheerful Of my visions of the future
was a picture of myself standing
Imply at street corner with a little
dog and tin cup. and my gorge rose
at that. The kind souls who look after
us chaps soon proved to me, however,
that / was good for something better
I had been in the army ever since
was old enough to enlist, and being n
city NANNY folks live in London
! had always dreamed OF n little home
in the country when l retired from
the service. To cut 1t short, l mar
ried a girl of this place whom ] had
been courting before the war and here
/ am, poultry farmer and doing
fairly well. They taught me how TO
do II at the home and your American
money helped to set me up.
I'm not badly Off, all things con-
sldered. ! can still do a mans work
and make my way. and | am happy In
my home. For the rest-'Whats the
use OF worrying. IL never was worth
while as the song says"
a wistful smile betrayed that never
theless there were many things Tor
which his soul was hungry, for which
II would hunger in vain forever. But
IL died ont ms n thot occurred TO him