Evening star., 1919-04-13
DY VICTOR KAUFFMANN.


happy vein that Rudyard Kip
ling followed when he 80 Won
derfully described the doings
Of his good friends. Mulvansy.
ortheris and Leroy. 1t would
be one of the most interest
ing stories The Star has printed
in many a long year, for 1t is an
attempt to describe an evening
spent recently in one of the wards at
Walter Reed Hospital and the American
doughboy is Just as interesting and un-
derstood as his cousin. Tommy Atkins.
When one does not know exactly
whether to laugh or shed a tear OF kind
ly sympathy. 1t Is difficult, II not impos-
sible. to describe ones own feelings
and experiences. Whatever this
to be far more of a disappointment
to me than to any of its readers.
During the last few months 1 have
had the happy opportunity to make
frequent visits to various wards, ana
have come to know many of. the boys
be able to count a few Of them as
among my very good friends Many
of my generous friends have given
me the money wherewith to buy
oranges and cigarettes for patients
who cannot leave their wards. The
boys have an idea that most OF these
have come from me, and 1t is with
difficulty that can disabuse their
minds of that idea. To take out as
many cigarettes or oranges to boys
who cannot leave their beds would
tax the resources OF man whose
salary is larger than that of any
newspaper man know. Every time
/ have been there I have got moro
than I or anyone else could give.
There Is a story of an English cap
tain who visited the Red Cross House
last Christmas with tho idea that he
might disseminate a little Joy and
gladness. He was met at the door
BY a young soldier on crutches. who
saluted and said to him: Colonel. is
there anything we can do to make
you happier on a day like thisT TO
me this better exemplifies the snn't
of the place than anything else l
know.
It was on a Tuesday evening and
there was a big dance on in the big
assembly room Of the Comfort House
where the wonderful women of the
Red Cross do such wonderful work
for the amusement and entertainment
of their young friends. The military
band, said to be one of the best
bands in the Army. was playing the
latest dance music. The floor was
crowded with happy laughing girls
and boys. There were more than a
hundred pretty girls and two or three
times that many boys. For all the
world 1t might have been dance in
small college town, but for the fact
that all the boys were in uniform and
many of them were lacking an arm.
Among them We're several who were
dancing on artificial feet. and they
were dancing with the best.
But that was no place for gray
haired man in citizens clothes. so 1
made my way at once to a ward where
! am always sure of hearty well
come. Even man, IL he can talk
base ball or try to tell funny story,
walked along one Of the long corri-
dors or porches that connect the
many one-story buildings 1 ran into
wheel chair in the dark. There was
my old friend Johnny, whom to know
10 to- love. I asked him why he was
danced a couple Of times, but that his
feet got blistered and he had to stop.
Now 1t 30 happens that Johnny's
feet are somewhere In France" Both
his legs are of at the thigh. They say
ne lost his legs when he deliberately
.SSN ~.s 80 CAPAouAu6 8icuAVo uuQ
thus saved the lives Of his other bud
dies In the trench. I do not know
whether this is quite the case, but I
do know that no would have done II
had the occasion arisen, just as many
another brave boy did or would have
gone. Johnny spe nds all his waking
hours IN q wheel chair and when he
goes OUT Tor ride in a motor car he
mas 10 DO carried pick-a-back and be
carefully placed in a cumfy corner,
ana then there was Archie of the
pleasant smile. the smile that never
comes on. 1t always seems to me tina I
when he was baby he must have
rubbed some of Gods sunshine into
his dimpled face and the light has
never gone out. I only hope it never
Will. And what he can do with that
wheel chair! He runs about from ward
10 ward with q pleasant word for
every one and is a frequent and well
como visitor at Comfort House. Twice
when he was making q too short turn
In his chair have seen him fall out
and land fairly on his back or his
shoulders 1t 10 wonder he hasn't
broken his blessed neck q number Of
times. but hope he never will.
1t was after 10 o'clock when I en-
tered Z darkened ward. There were
perhaps forty cots arranged on either
side OF the long room. All the cots
were occupied. though there were not
half manu- la-u L. .A.A