Abbeville progress. (Abbeville, Vermilion Parish, La.) 1913-1944, 1920-07-10

| to her lips as though entOfning caution
Then with quick decision she went into
an inner room. from which she re-
turned In a moment with letter.
IF you knew him you may care to
read this" she said. Its very per.
! sonal, and yet, some way, everything
Is impersoDal now, In a sense. There
has been such q common cause, and
| such wave of common suffering, that
1t seems to food out over the individ.
! ual and embrace us all. So this
is really, in sense, your letter as well
as mine"
l took 1t and read:
/ have had many letters to write since
my service began as a nurse In the war.
but never have I approached the task
with such mixed emotions. The pain
must give you l would gladly bear myself
| II I could: but II Is not all pain; under
meath II, running through It in some way
! cannot explain, Is a note so much deeper
than pain that II must be Joy
You have already been advised that Da-
vid Eden was among those who fell at
Courcelette. 1t Is trite to say that you have
the sympathy OF a grateful nation. How
grateful the nation really Is We shall
know by its treatment of the heroes who
survive the war and of the dependents of
those who have crossed over. But moth
ing can rob you of the knowledge that he
played mans part Nothing can debar
you from that universal fellowship OF
sympathy which is springing up wherever
manhood Is valued at Its worth.
A new Order has been born into the
world; the Order Of Suffering. Not that 1t
is new. either; II has been with US since
the first mother went into the shadow for
her first child; but always suffering has
been Incidental. a matter of the individ-
ual, a thing to be escaped IL possible. But
now II is universal. a thing not to be
escaped. but to be accepted readily
bravefy. even gladly. And all who so ac-
cept II enter into the new Order and wear
It's insignia, which is unseifshness and
sympathy and service. And in that Order
you shall not be least. measured by either
your sacrifice or the spirit in which you
accept II.
But you are yearning for his last word
for some voice which will seem to you
now almost a voice out of the grave and
l am happy to be able to bring you that
word. II was something more than chance
that guided me that night-as II Is every
night
We were we'll behind the line OF actual
my party in moving to another station;
lost, II you like, yet not lost: never have
| gone so directly to so great a destinatio
While trying to get my location. / became
aware of presence; II will sound strange
to you but / became Intensely aware of
your presence. or course l knew II could
not be you. in the flesh. but you II seemed
to be. nevertheless. ! moved as though
led by an invisible hand. and presently I
found a bit of shattered wall In the
gloom l could just discern the form of a
man lying in the shelter of the WALTZ
you could call 1t shelter-it rose scarce a
foot above the ground.
/ knelt beside him and turned my torch
on HIS face. II was pale even through the
brown skin; the eyes were closed the hair
was wet and piastered on the forehead
there were smears OF blood on II and on
his cheeks. AS my light fell on his lips
they framed a smile.
"Reenie." he said. at was good Of you
to come. 1 knew you would come"
''I am here. Dave" ! answered, and
think you will forgive the impersonation.
Now let me ind out where you are hurt
and wen Ak you up. and get you moved
presently"