Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1919-03-08

1t was a miracle. And offered thanks
to God with all the fervor that | could
command
! One day woman by the name of
! Daria MaXimoVna NasilieVa came TO
see me. ! searched my mind in vain
! for an acquaintance of that name as
/ ! had her shown to my bed. But as
was perhaps the only patient in the
ward that had no visitors and received
no parcels one can imagine how JOY.
Gus | was over the call. She intro
duCed herself as the mother of Ste.
pan, Of my company. OF course, |
knew Stepan. well. He was student
before the war and volunteered as an
under-ofiicer.
"Stepan has lust written me about
you" Madame Nasilieva said, urging
me to look YOU up. Go to the
/ Ekaterina Hospital and visit our
| Yashka he writes. she is lonely
! there, and want YOU TO do for her as
much as you would do for me, for she
saved my life once, and had been like
a godmother to the boys here. She is
a decent. patriotic young woman ana
my interest in her is but that of
comrade. for she is soldier, and a
brave and gallant soldier He praised
YOU so much. darling. that my heart
, just went out to YOU. May God bless
you"
She brought me some dainties, and
we became friends immediately. 7
told her all about her son ana our
life in the trenches. She wept and
wondered how | had borne 1t. Her
attachment to me grew so strong that
she made ii Il habit to visit me seV.
eral times week. although she lived
on the outskirts of the city. Her nus
band was assistant superintendent at
factory and they occupied smaH
but comfortable dwelling in Keeping
with their means. Daria MaNimoVna
I herself was a woman OF anlddle-aSe'
modestly dressed and of gentle ap'
pearance She had "A married daugh'
ter, Tonetchka. and another son, a
youth of about seventeen. who was a
high school student.
My friend buoyed up my spirits and
my recovery progressed. As ! grad
ually regained full control of my mus
cles and nerves ! teased the doctor
sometimes:
well. doctor" I would say TO him,
II am going to war again
NO. no." he would answer. "t%ere
will be no more war for you
golubushEa."
wondered whether | really would
be able to return TO the front. Ihere
was that fragment of shell yet in my
body. The doctor would not extract
it, He advised me to await complete
recovery and have ii removed at some
future date through an abdominal
opera ton, as the fragment is lodged
in the omentum ] have not yet founti
out the opportunity to undergo such
an operation, and still carry with me
that piece of shell. The slightest in
> digestion causes me to suffer from it
even now.
| had to learn to walk as if | had
never mastered that art before. l
was not successful at the hrst at
tempt. Having asked the doctor for
a pair of crutches, ! tried to stand
up. but fell back weakened and help
less into the bed. The attendants
however. placed me in a wheel-chair
and took me out into the garden. This
movement gave me deep satisfaction
Once, in the absence of my attendant
| tried to stand up alone and make a
step. 1t was very painful, but | main
tanned my balance. and tears of JOY
came streaming down ms cheeks.
was jubilant.
, 1t was only week later, however
that was permitted by the doctor to
walk little, supported by the at
tendants. But | made only ten steps
. beaming with triumph and making
every effort to overcome my pain
when | collapsed and tainted. The
nurses were alarmed and called the
doctor who instructed them to bt
more cautious in the future. My i'm
: provement was, nevertheless, steady
and a couple of weeks later ] was able
to walk. Naturally / did not feel sure
of my legs at first; they trembled and
seemed so weak. Gradually they re-
gained their former strength and al