At a Girl's Mercy, or, The Fortunes of War — page 175: what you’re looking at

Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.

164 , AT A GIRL’S MERCY. NS out the permission of the nurse or surgeon, until there dawned a smile around the girl’s mouth and a merry light in the hazel eyes regarding the angry face upon the pillow. Looking up into the girl’s face, the patient involuntarily smiled in return, though there was bitterness as well as sweetness 1n- the smile. ‘‘Tt’s all very well for you to be smiling there, my brave little nurse,’’ he. said, ‘‘but you do not know the need there is for all the men the country can command at this very time. What do you know about war anyway, Helen? You are doing your best and your bravest, but you know really abso- lutely nothing of the lack of men, and the terrible struggle there is against heavier forces and the sagacity of men ruling the war on the other side. What do you know of the inner workings of the war and the deadly need there is for every man the country can give to help her out of the sore trial? You’re a dear little brave nurse. and do your work as I knew my gentle friend must do, but you are not aman, and have not been in the midst of the fight as I have, and cannot know what I do. You may smile all you will at my lounging to go, and tell me it is absolutelyimpossible for me to go with this crip- pled leg of mine, but I feel sometimes as though I would go, that I must get away, that I could not bear lying here, not knowing what may be the out- come of each day’s bitterness. Iam desperate, and even you cannot soothe me, though you have the tenderness of an angel for soothing a fellow.” — She laughed softly, though there were traces of mist in the depths of her eyes as she laid her gentle hand’ upon the restless hands pulling impatiently at the covering of the bed. She knew his heart was sore at this enforced idleness, that a brave soul as his was must feel the galling of the chains that kept him down when he longed to be up and doing with all his ardor for the victory of his country. “Of course [J am a woman, Charlie,”’ she said _ gently, “and, of course, you men, dashing away in the midst of the battle, with the excitement and-the danger keeping your spirits up, can never know _~ iy < « Vg oe oF . , J — — _~ "eae -