Polk County news. [volume] (Benton, Tenn.) 191?-1983, 1920-03-04
CHAPTER |.

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In the beginning of things, he was
merely a number; but even that was
creditable, because his number was
low enough to signify that he had re-
sponded pretty promptly to the rally
ing call. After that, and with the
cataclysmic suddenneSs which marked
all changes of military status on the
western front. he became, one frosty
morning, a Case, and got himself
roughly classified (and tenderly han
dled) as Stretcher Case, Granu
Blesse, and, in consequences, q proper
temporary inmate of field hospltai
on the Belgian.aplains.
There, he was unofiicially known as
Joyeaux, or Joyous One; not because
he displayed very buoyant DISPOSE
tion-far from it but because he De-
longed to the Foreign legion; ana IN
the course of another day or two he
was routine-ticketed as an Evacue,
and provided with a lukewarm hot
water bottle and couple of evil
smelling cigarettes to console him on
the road to the base hospital at Neu-
lily.
At Neuilly he became, for the hrst
time since his enlistment, an lndlvld-
ual and at the very outset he was dis
tingushed by certain qualities which
had passed unnoticed in the frying pan
and fire OF the trenches. For one
thing, he was obviously immune to
kindness; and for another, he was ap-
parently immune to hope. He was
man of inyeterate silence; not the
grim silence of fortitude In suffering
(Which is altogether too common VIZ
tue in base hospitals to earn any eS-
pecial merit), but rather the dogged
reticence of black moods and chrome
bitterness, To be sure, speech was
physically difficult to him, but other
men with similar mSfortunes spoke
blessings with their eyes, and gave
back gratitude in voiceless murmurs.
Not so the Joyous One. From the day
of his arrival he demanded nothing
desired nothing. but to brood sullenly
aloof; and so, when he became an In
the nursing staff. 1t was rumored that
he was an implacable woman hater,
and there seemed to be something in
it.
Regardless of the care of the Amer
lcan nurses (all hoveringly attentive
to one of their own nation who had
fo,.s;ht for Franco, his spirit remained
ahysmal and clouded in gloom. Only
twice, in the initial month of his con-
fine,nent did he betray the weakness
of an ordinary emotion; on each occa'
sion a god-laced general had come to
salute, in the name of the republic. one
of the individuals nelghbors, and to
deliver bit of bronze which dangled
from a ribbon striped red and green.
1t was said (and doubted by those who
hadn't seen it) that at these ceremo-
MES the Individual had grown fever
lsh, and let tears come to his eyes, but
subsequently he had relapsed into
still greater depths of stoicism than
before; his own bed-jacket was inno-
cent of cross or medal and his depreS-
sion was apparent, and acute. The
nurses, arguing that perhaps his pride
was wounded us seriously rs his flesh,
offered quick coincidence apd got them
selves rebuffed with shrugs of the In
dividual's shoulders, and inarticulate
sounds which had all the earmarks of
suppressed profanity. He didn't even
soften when Pierre Dutout, hnrd-hlt
territorial in the next bed, squandered
days supply of energy TO lean across
and whisper sympathetically to him:
"Old man =. VieuX cspcce de cEouX-
croute know how 1t Is
and ] haven't got any friends either