Spirit of Jefferson. [volume] (Charles Town, Va. [W. Va.]) 1844-1948, 1919-01-21
My Brother
Tom
By ELlNOR MARSH
i(copyright. 1917. Western Newspaper Union.

l(Copyright, 1917. Western Newspaper Union.)
When my brother Tom was sixteen
lhe went to a distant city to seek his
fortune. was then little girl Of ten.
When the worlds war broke out Tom
enlisted in an ambulance corps and
went to France without my seeing him.
i had not seen him since he had left
home eight years before. Then news
came that he had been grievously
wounded, and was to be discharged
from military service, and sent home.
Meanwhile, father had died, mother
was very feeble, and there was no one
ito meet Tom when he should arrive at
the port of New York but myself. The
news that he had of Tom was that he
pinned to get home and the surgeons had
decided to send him without waiting
for him to fully recover.
/ could not get definite news as to
when Tom would arrive, so I went to
New York and waited. One morning
l learned that ship was at quaran-
tin and would be at the dock In a few
hours. 1 Immediately went to the
landing place, and in due time the ship
was locked. I went aboard, and on
deck, on a stretcher, lay a soldier.
waiting to be carried ashore.
"Are you Tom" / asked, kneeling
beside the stretcher.
"Yes," he said, looking at me inquir-
ingly.
I gave him kiss and piled him with
questions as to his condition, but did
not give him time to answer any of
them. AS soon as came to a pause
he said:
when do you suppose I'm to be TAX
en- ashore?"
Don't trouble yourself about any
thing; I'm here to look after you,"
said, and, seeing an officer of the ship
not far from me, I ran to him and
begged him to send some men to carry
my brother ashore. The officer at
once ordered four men to take up the
stretcher and carry 1t to the dock. l
walked beside Tom, and on reaching
the shore, asked him if should get
an ambulance for him.
"Not on your life," he replied. "rve
seen all of the ambulances I care to
see. got knocked out driving one
of them. I'm strong enough to sit up
in an auto"
There were taxicabs about, and I
called one Of them, and the men who
had carried Tom ashore helped him
into it. I told the chauffeur where to
drive us, and he moved away.
Where are you going to take meT
asked Tom.
I'm stopping with Aunt Mary; we'll
go there"
"She won't take me in, will sheT
said Tom doubtfully.
Certainly; she'll be only too glad
to do so. You can lean on me-" And
I drew him toward me and his head
sank on my shoulder.
I could not get much information
from him about himself, he was so
weak. He left everything to me, ask
ing no questions and manifesting no
interest in anything till l said: "We'll
be at Aunt Mary's in a few minutes,
and you will soon be comfortable in
bed" Then he said that he must 60
to hospital. His wound was healed,
but 1t would be safer for him to go
where he could have doctors atten-
ton at a moments notice.
1 was disappointed at this, for I
had hoped to take him home with me
the same day.
l drove him to a hospital and en-
gagged a room for him. After seeing
him comfortably in bed 1 gave him a
kiss and, promising to come back in
a few hours, took my departure for
my aunt's. At parting he looked up
at me with an expression of deep APP
probation and gratitude, saying:
81 don't know what I should have
done If you hadn't met me and taken
all this trouble in my behalf" 1
kissed him again and told him that
my service had only just begun.
Having telegraphed mother that
Tom had arrived and was doing well,
that the doctor said it would be safe
for him to go home In about a week,
l returned to him. l nursed him af-
fectionately, spending every day with
him. At the end of three days the
doctor said that it would be perfectly
safe for him to travel, but Tom said
he was too weak to stand the journey.
Three more days passed. One after
noon when l was sitting by his bed,
holding his hand in mine, the door
opened and young man entered. He
looked at us with an amused express
sion and said:
well, I'll be jlnged!"
Tom withdrew his hand from mine
instantly.
The stranger took me in his arms
and kissed me. then said to Tom:
"What the dickens does this mean,
you old humbug. You have evidently
been passing yourself off for me-"