Grainger County news. (Rutledge, Tenn.) 1917-current, 1920-04-07
CHAPTER l..

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 suddonness 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 a Strctcher Case, a Grand
Blesse, and, in consequence, a proper
temporary inmate Of a field hospital
on the Belgian plains.
There, he was unoficiaIly known as
Joyeaux, or Joyous One; not because
he displayed a very buoyant DISPOSE
longed to the Foreign legion; and in
the course of another day or two he
was routine-ticketed as al Evacuc,
and provided with a lukewarm hot
water bottle and a couple Of evil
smelling cigarettes to console him on
the road to the base hospital at Neu'
fly.
At Neullly he became, for the first
time since his enlistment, IN Individ-
nal, and at the very outset he Was dis
tlnguished 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 a
man of inveterate silence; not the
grim silence of fortitude in suffering
(Which is altogether too common a vir-
tue in base hospitals to earn any es-
pecial merit), but rather the logged
reticcnce of black moods and chronic
bitterness. TO he sure, speech was
physically difficult to him, but other
men with similar misfOrtunes spoke
blessings with their eyes, and gave
hack gratitude in vOiceless murmurS,
Not so the Joyous One. From the day
Of his arrival he demanded nothing,
desired nothing, but to brood suilenly
alOof; and 50, when he became an In
dividIal, he also became a mystery to
the nursing staff. 1t vas rumored that
he was an implacahle womaa hater,
and there seemed to be something in
1t.
Regardless Of the care of the Amer
lean nurses (ali hOver!ngly attentive
to II Of their own nation who had
fought for Franco. his spirit remained
abyslnal and clOudCd In gloom. Only
twice, in the initial month OF his con-
fnement, did he betray the weakness
Of an ordinary emotion on each Occa'
sion a gold-laced general had come to
salute, in the name Of the republic, one
Gf The individuals ncighbSgs, and to
deliver a bit of bronze which dangled
from n 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
ISL. and let tears come TO his eyes, but
subsequently he had rclapscd into
still greater depths Of stoicism than
before; his own ~bed-jacket was limo
cent Of cross or medal, and his dcpyes-
sion was apparent, and acute. The
nurses, arguing that perhaps his pride
wos wounded os seriously ne his 'Dsh
sroro1 orick condolonce ond cot tham.
:aivne rah,,JfoJ with sh,mns - ,ha In.
I,.,5n.l,s lnon,Iana an1 I,o r,iou,o+o
an,n1e vhinh ho1 al ,I,o oor,nor ,ye ~
i .,t'h, Ia 1n1,,,t avon
r. n,ann.a n,tou+ . hor, hit
A''l:N w." ~ wy nn,ano
tctl''"''" u, Wv w. 'nnas
u"3 H'l''' au. - hin,
Ahu "''ol'' w., ~ ,hanv
''p '''' W.. ~ +,
efo'te - .",na, ot,ho.
ana '"N''' "'' ""! Cnoi, u.
""'l' w" ~ horo"
"ucfre' '''" . 49,
Even when speech rc'UFhS" 10 wv
Individual he was Il nan ~ curry IL
sponS'S ana St!nFiiG l'o'oH' ''"'ItN
Il problem ~ the SURGEONS " p'o'''!
20 the nurses ana I'll lhe cAPr'Ss'"h II
his eyes meant "'E'I!'i'S)' "' "''l
Whclming l'r"I'I'Ih 10 h'''iS'''. IT. az
peafeu ul"'' "''I' "', , ''"i
women 'l'''t lie ''"'''- was '"' ""'