Abilene weekly reflector. [volume] (Abilene, Kan.) 1888-1935, 1918-07-11


Corporal Cook, an ardent might raid
err" He heard my "slss-s-s-s'' and
came to the edge of the hole. ex-
planned my predicament and amid lot
Of lmpertinent remarks, which at the
time did not resent. was soon ashed
ont.
Taking Off our boots, we sneaked into
the ward. / was sitting on my bed In
the dark. just starting to undress,
when the man next to me. "Glnger"
Phillips. whispered, "'Op It. Yank, ere
comes the matron-"
| Immediately got under the covers
and feigned sleep. The. matron stood
talking In low tones to the night nurse
and fell asleep.
When I awoke in the morning the
night sister. an American, was bending
over me. An awful sight met my eyes
The coverlet on the bed and the sheets
were a mass of mud and green slime.
She was good sport all right, and
hustled to get clean clothes and sheets
so that no one would get wise. but ION
her own" she gave me good tongue
flashing but did not report me. One Of
the Canadians In the ward described
her as being u Jake of a good fel-
low"
Next visiting day l had an awful
time explaining to my visitor why l
had not met her at the appointed time
and place.
And for week every time passed
patient he would call. "Well, well,
here's the Yank. Hope you are feel
ing well, old top"
The surgeon In our ward was an
American. Harvard unit man, named
Frost. We nicknamed him Jack
Frost" He was loved by all. If a
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 have ever met.
One Saturday morning the command
ant and some high up" officers were
inspecting the ward, when one Of the
patients who had been wounded In the
head by bit of shrapnel. fell on the
floor in 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-llke
our policemen, they never are when
needed. The officers were at a loss
how to get Palmer into his bed. Doc
tor Frost was fdgeting around In
nervous manner, when suddenly with
a muffied ID and a few other
qualifying adjectiyes, he stopped down
and took the man In his arms like a
baby-he was no feather, elther-and
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 l was a Notwithstanding
sight-the left cheek twisted into a
knot, the eye pulled down, and my
mouth pointing in north by north
west direction. 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 go
to the Cambridge Military hospital at
Aldershot for a special operation TO
Try and make the scar presentable.
/ arrived at the hospital and got an
awful shock. The food was poor and
he discipline abnormally strict. No
patient was allowed to sit on his bed,
md smoking was permitted only at
certain designated hours. The face |
specialist did nothing for me except |
% look at the wound | made appli-
,ation for transfer back to Paignton,
offering to pay my transportation.
This offer was accepted, and after two
weeks absence, once again l arrived
n Munsey ward, all hope gone.
The next day after my return Doc
or Frost stopped at my bed and said:
We'll, Empey, if you want me to try
II do it, but you are taking an awful
nance"
l answered: "Well, doctor, Steve
3rodle took n chance; he halls from
New York and so do /"
Two days after the undertaken
squad carried me to the operating
DOM or pictures" as we called them
because of the funny films we see I'M
Ter ether, and the operation was per-
'ormed. 1t was a wonderful piece of
surgery and marvellous success.
from now on that doctor can have my
ihirt.
More than once some poor soldier
las been brought into the ward in a
lying condition. resulting from loss of
flood and exhaustion caused by his
ong journey from the trenches. After
in examination the doctor announces
haf tho only thing that will save him /