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

She was a good sport at right, and
hustled to got clean clothes and sheets
% that no q would get Miss, bot ION
her own" she gave me a good tongue
flashing but did not report me One of
the Canadians in the ward described
her as being "a Jake Of q good fell
low"
Next visiting day I had an awful
time explaining to my visitor why I
had not met her at the appointed time
and place.
And for a week every time I passed
a patient he would call, "Well, well,
here's the Yank. Hope you. are feel
ing well, old top"
q. The surgeon in our ward was an
American, a Harvard unit man, named
Frost. We nicknamed him "Jack
Frost" He was loved by all. If q
Tommy was to be cut up he had no. OBJ
lection to undergoing the operation If
'"Jack Frost" was to WELD the knife.
Their confidence in him was pathetic.
He was the best sport I have ever met.
One Saturday morning the command.
ant and some "high up" officers were
inspecting the ward, when n Of the
patients who had been wounded in the
head by a bit Of shrapnel. fell on the
floor in a fit. They brought him round,
and then looked for the ward orderly
to carry the patient back to his bed
at the other end Of the ward. The or.
derby was nowhere to be found-Nke
u policemen, they never are when
needed. The officers were at q loss
how to get Palmer into his bed. Doc
tor Frost was fdgeting around in a
nervous manner, when suddenly with
q muf1ed "d-n" and q few other
qualifying %adjectives, he stopped down
and took the man in his arrpS like q
baby-he was no feather, either-and
staggered down the ward with him, put
him In bed and undressed him. A low
murmur Of approval came from the pa
tients. Doctor Frost got very red, and
as soon as he had finished undressing
Palmer, hurriedly left the ward.
The wound in my face had almost
healed and I was a Notwithstanding
sight-the left cheek twisted into a
knot, the eye pulled down, and my
mouth pointing in a north, by north
west direction. I was very downheart-
ed and: could imagine myself during
the rest Of my life being Stunned by
all on account. Of the repulsive scar.
Doctor Frost arranged for me to 60
to the Cambridge Military hospital at
Aldershot for a special, operation to
try and make the scar p~resentable.
I arrived at the hospital and got an
awful shock. The food was poor and
the discipline abnormally, strict. No
patient was allowed to sit on his bed,
and smoking was permitted only at
certain designated hours. The face
specialist did nothing for me except
to look at the wound. I made appli-
cation for a transfer back to Paignton,
Offering to pay my transportation.
This offer was accepted, and after two
weeks' absence, once again I arrived
in Munsey: ward, all hope gone.
The next: day after my return Doc
tor Frost stopped at my bed and said:
"WeIl, Empey, If you want me to try
and see what I can do with that scar
I'll do 1t, but you r taking an awful
chance" ...
I answered: swell, doctor, Steve
Brodie took a chance; he halls from
New York and so do L"
Two days after the undertaken
squad carried me to the operating
room or pictures" as we called them
because Of the funny films We see I'M
der ether, and the operation was per-