The Big Sandy news. [volume] (Louisa, Ky.) 1885-1929, 1918-07-05

| sUtrfus
"From the big town behind the
Statue Of Liberty" upon hearing this
she started jumping up and down.
clapplng her hands. and calling out to
three nurses across the ward:
Come here. gsrIs-at last we have
got a real live Yankee with u.s."
They came over and besleged me
with questions. until the doctor ar
rived. Upon learning that was an
American he almost crushed my hand
in his grip Of welcome. They also
were Americans. and were glad to see
| me-
The doctor very tenderly removed
my bandages and told me. after view
ing my wounds. that he would have TO
take me to the operating theater i'm
medIately. Personally / didn't care
what was done with me.
In few minutes. four orderiIes who
looked like undertakes dressed in
white. brought a stretcher TO my bed
and placing me on IL carried me out OF
the ward, across courtyard to the
operating room or pictures" as Tom
my calls IL
l don't remember having the anes-
thestic applied
When / cnme to was again lying In
q bed In Munsey ward. One OF the
nurses had draped large American
flag over the head. OF the bed, and
clasped in my hand was a smaller flag.
and il made me feel good all over TO
again see the "Stars and Stripes"
At that time j wondered when the
boys In the trenches would see the
emblem Of the '-land OF the free and
the home Of the brave beside them.
doing its bit In this great war Of civil
llzation.
Ny wounds were very painful. and
several times at night would dream
that myriads Of khaki-clothed figures
would pass my bed and each would
stop. bend over me. and whisper, The
best OF luck. mate"
Soaked with Precipitation / would
awake with cry, and the night nurse
would come over and hold my hand.
This awakening got to be habit with
me until that particular nurse was
transferred to another ward.
In three weeks time. owing to the
careful treatment received. was able
to sit up and get my bearinga Our
ward contained seventy,nye patients.
30 per cent Of which were surgical
cases. AT the head Of each bed hung
q temperature chart and diagnosis
sheet. Across this sheet would be
written &C. s. w" o. IS. W." the for
mer meaning gun shot wound and the
latter shell wound. The 81 W. pre-
dominated, especially among the Royal
Field artillery and Royal engineers.
About forty different regiments were
represented. and many arguments en-
sued as to the respective fighting abil-
ity Of each regiment The rivalry was
wonderful. A Jock arguing with an
Irfshman. then n strong Cockney &C
cent would butt In in favor Of Lon
don regiment. Before long a Welsh
man. followed BY member Of a York |
shire regiment. and. perhaps, a Cana
dian intrude themselves and the argu- |
ment wakes loud and furious. The |
patients In the beds start bowling for |
them TO settle their dispute outside |
and the wnrd is In an upr0ar. The |
head sister comes along and with a
wave Of the hand completely rOuts the
doughty warriors and again silence
reigns supreme.
Wednesday and Sunday Of each week
were visiting days and were looked
forward 70 by the men. because they
meant parcels containing fruit. sweets
or fags. When patient had n regulat
visitor. he was generally kept well
supplied with these delIcacies. Great
jealousy is shown among the men as
to their visitors and many word wars
ensue after visitors leave.
When mai Is sent TO a convnles-
cent home. he generally turns over his
steady visitor to the man In the next
bed.
Most visitors have autograph albums
and bore Tommy 10 death by asking
him to write the particulars Of his
wounding In same. Several iTommies
try to duck this unpleasant Job by tell
ing the visitors that they cannot write.
but this never phases the owner Of the
he or she. generally she. offers
to write II for them and Tommy Is
stung Into telling his experiences.
The questions asked Tommy by wish
tors would make a clever joke book
to a military man
Some kindly looking old lady will
stop at your bed and in a sympathetic
voice address you: -You poor boy.
by those terrible Germans.
You must be suffering frightful pain.
A bullet. did you say7 Well. tell me.
have always wanted to know. did 1t
hurt worse going In or coming outT
Tommy generally replies that he did
ret stop to figure It out when he was
hit.
One very nice-looking. overenthusi-
lstic young thing. stopped at my bed
md asked. ''what wounded you in the
'aceT'
In a polite but bored tone I an
'wered, "a rife bullet"
With look Of dlsdain she passed (
o the next bed. first calculating. sOhij
only a bullet7 I thought II was a ,