The Washington herald., 1918-03-13
"OWR THE TOP"
By ARTHUR GUY EMPEY
Copyrighted by Arthur Guy Empey
Copyrighted by Arthur Guy Empey.

ed, I've only been kicked by a canary
bird"
The ambulance Immediately stopped.
and the corporal came to the rear
and fixed him up, and also washed out
my eye. I was too weak to thank him.
but It was a great relief. Then l
must have become unconscious, be-
cause when I regained my senses, the
ambulance was at a standstill. and
my stretcher was being removed from
it.
It was night, lanterns were flashing
here and there, and / could see
stretcher-bearers hurrying to and fro.
Then I 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 holding my
wrist; l thought ! had made a hit.
and tried to tell her how / got wound
ed, but she would put her finger to
her lips and say. yes, I know, but
you mustn't talk now, try to 20 to
sleep, it'll do you good, doctors or
ders." Later on learned that she
was taking my pulse every few min
utes, as 1 was very weak from the
loss Of blood and they expected me to
snuff 1t, but I didn't.
From the train we went into am
balances for a short ride to the hospi-
tai ship Panama. Another palace and
more angels. I don't remember the
trip across the channel.
1 opened my eyes; l 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 South
ampton. Blighty at last. My stretcher
was strewn with flowers, cigarettes,
and chocolates. Tears started to run
down my cheek from my good eye.
1 like a BOBBY. was crying, can you
beat 1t?
Then into another hospital train, a
five-hour ride to Paignton, another am
bulance 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 tainted.
When I came to, a pretty Red Cross
nurse was bending over 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 pa
jamas. Then the screen was removed
and a bowl Of steaming soup was
given me. 1t tasted delicious.
Before finishing my soup the nurse
came back to ask me my name and
number. She. put this information
down in a little book and then asked: ::
Where do you come from?" I an
swered:
From the big town behind the Sta
tue 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 arrived.
Upon learning that was an American
he almost crushed my hand In his grip
of welcome. They also were Aneri-
cans, and were glad to see me.
The doctor very tenderly removed my
bandages and told me, after viewing
my wounds, that he would have to
take me to the operating theater i'm
mediately. Personally 1 didn't care
what was done with me.
In few minutes, four orderlies who
looked like undertakers dressed I'm
white, brought a stretcher to my bed
and placing me on 1t carried me out
Of the ward, across a courtyard to the
operating room or pictures" as Tom
my calls it. ..
I don't remember having the anaes-
thetic applied.
When came to 1 was again living
in q bed in Munsey ward. One of
the nurses had draped a large Ameri-
can flag over the head of the bed. and
clasped in my hand was a smaller
nag, and 1t made me feel good all over,
to again see the STARS and Stripes,"
At that time 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 CIV
ilization.
My wounds were very painful. and
several times at night I would dream
that myriads Of khaki-clothed figures