The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1918-05-24

%er.bearers hurrying to and fro. Then
T was carried into a hospital train.
The inside Of this train looked like
heaven to me, just pure white, and we
met our first Red Cross nurses; we
thought they were angels. And they
were.
Nice little soft hunks and clean,
white sheets.
A Red Cross nurse sat beside me
during the whole ride which lasted
three hours. She was holdiAg my
wrist; I thought I had made a hit, and
tried to tell her how I got wounded,
but she would put her finger to her lips
and say. eyes, I know, but you mustn't
talk now, try to 60 to sleep, it'll do you
good, doctors orders" Later on I
learned that she was taking my pulse
every few minutes, as I was very weak
from the loss Of blood and they e1-
pected. me to snuff it, but I didn't. ,
From the train we went into ambu-
lances for a short ride to the hospital
ship Panama. Another palace and more
angels. I don't remember the trip
across the channel.
I opened my eyes; I was being car
rled on a stretcher through lanes Of
people, some cheering, some waving
flags, and others crying. The flags were
Union Jacks, I was in Southampton.
Blighty at last. My stretcher was
strewn with flowers, cigarettes, and
chocolates. Tears started to u down
my cheek from my good eye. I like a
BOBBY was crying. Can you beat it,
Then into another hospital train, a
fve-hour ride to Paignton, another am
pulunce ride, and then I was carried
into Munsey ward Of the American
Women's War hospital and put into a
real bed.
This real bed was too much for my
unstrung nerves and I tainted.
When I came to, a pretty Red Cross
nurse was bending ove me, bathing
my forehead with cold water, then she
left and the ward orderly placed a
screen around my bed, and gave me a
much-needed bath and clean pajamas.
Then the screen was removed and a
bowl Of steaming soup was given me.
It tasted delicious.
Before finishing my soup the nurse
came back to ask me my name and
number. She put this information down
In q little book and then asked:
"Where do you come from7" I an
swered:
"From the big town behind the
Statue of Liberty" upon hearing this
she started jumping up and down,
clapping her hands, and calling out to
three nurses across the ward:
"Come here, girls-at last we have
got a real live Yankee with u.s."
They came over and besieged me
with questions, until the doctor ar
rived. Upon learning that I 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 I didn't care
what was done with me.
In q few minutes, four orderlies who
looked like u~ndertakers dressed In
white, brought a stretcher to my bed
and placing me ON it carried me out OF
the ward, across a courtyard to the
operating room or pictures" as Tom
my calls it. j
I don't remember having the anes-
thestic applied.
When I came to I was again lying In
a bed in Munsey ward. One Of the
nurses had draped a large American
flag over the head Of the bed, and
clasped in my hand was a smaller flag,
and It made me feel good all over to
again see the "Stars and Stripes"
At that time I wondered when the
boys in the trenches would e the
emblem Of the "land Of the free and
the home Of the brave" beside them,
doing it's bit In this great war Of civil
lization.
My wounds were very painful, and
several times at. night 1 would dream
that myriads Of kh%aki-clothed figures
would pass my bed and each would
stop, bend over me, and whisper, 1.-THE
best Of luck, mate"
Soaked with perspiration I would
awake with q cry, and the night nurse
would come. over and hold my hand.
This awakening got to be a habit with
me until that particular nurse was
transferred to another ward.
In three weeks time, owing to the
careful treatment received, I was able
to sit up and get my bearings. Our
ward contained seventy-ive patients,
80 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." or rs. w." the for