Orleans County monitor. [volume] (Barton, Vt.) 1872-1953, 1918-06-05

cent would butt in in favor Of Lon
don regiment. Before long Welsh
man, followed by member Of York
shire regiment, and, perhaps, a Cana
dian intrude themselves and the argu-
ment wakes loud and furious. Inc
patients in the beds start bowling for
them to settle their dispute outside
and the ward is in an uprOar. The
head sister comes along and with
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 to by the men, because they
meant parcels containing fruit, sweets
or Tags. When aDatient had a regular
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 the visitors leave.
When a man is sent to a GONZALES
cent home, he generally turns over his
steady visitor to the man in the next
bed.
and bore Tommy to death by asking
him to write the particulars Of his
wounding in same. Several TOmmies
try to duck this unpleasant job by tell
ing the visitors that they cannot write,
but this never phases the owner Of the
album he or she, generally she, offers
to write it for them and Tommy is
stung into telling his experiences.
The questions asked Tommy by visi-
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,
wounded by those terrible Germans.
You must be suffering frightful pain.
A bullet, did you say? Well, tell me,
have always wanted to know, did 1t
hurt worse going in or coming out?"
Tommy generally replies that he did
not stop to figure it out when he was
hit.
One very nice-looking, overenthusi-
astic young thing, stopped at my bed
and asked, "What wounded you in the
face?"
In a polite but bored tone I an
swered, "a rifle bullet"
With a look Of disdain she passed
to the next bed, first calculating, ooh !!
Only a bullet? I thought it was q
she'll" Why she should think a shell
wound was more of distinction beats
me. I don't see whole lot Of differ
ence myself.
The American WOmen's War hOspi-
tai was a heaven for wounded men.
They were allowed every privilege pos
sible conducive with the rules and mill
tary discipline. The only fault was
that the mems passes were restricted.
To get pass required an act of par
lament. Tommy tried many tricks to
get out, but the commandant, an old
Boer war officer, was wise to them all,
and it took a new and clever ruse to
| make him affix his signature to the
coveted slip Of paper.
AS soon as it would get dark many a
patient climbed over the wall and went
ION his own" regardless of many signs
staring him in the face, "Out Of bound,
for patients.'' Generally the nurse:
were looking the other way when one
of these night raids started. I hope
this information will get none Of them
into trouble, but I cannot resist the
temptation to let the cOmmandan1
know that occasionally we put it over
on him.
One afternoon I received a note
through our underground channel, from
my female visitor, asking me to attend
party at her house that night.
answered that she could expect me and
to meet me at a certain place on the
road well known by all patients, and
some visitors, as lover the WALL"
told her I would be on hand at seven
thirty.
About SEVENTEEN I sneaked my
overcoat and cap out of the ward and
hid it in the bushes. Then I told the
nurse, particular friend of mine, that
/ was going for walk in the rose gar
den. She winked and I knew that ev
erything was all right on her end.
Going out of the ward, slipped into
the bushes and made for the wall. i
was dark as pitch and I was cropping
through the underbrush, when sudden
|
! ~ stepped into space and felt myself
rushing downward, a horrible bump
| and blackness. When I came to my
wounded shoulder was hurting horri
| bly,. I was lying against a circular
wall of bricks, dripping with moisture
| and far away I could hear the trucking
| Of water. I had in the darkness falle1
into an old disused we'll. But VIII!
| wasn't I wet? According to all rule!
| l should have been drowned. Perhap:
I was and didn't know it.
AS the shock of my sudden stol
gradually wore off it came to me tina
was lying on ledge and that thu
4 least movement on my part would pre-
cipitate me to the bottom of the well
/ struck match. In it's faint glar
I saw that I was lying in a circula