A SOLDIER'S SOBS.

Horowhenua Chronicle, 4 February 1915, Page 3

A SOLDIER'S SOBS.

* '1 HE INGLORIOUS SIDE OF WAR. A PITEOUS PICTURE. For two hundred miles to the left of us, for two hundred' miles to tho right of us, tiie same sort of battle is raging. William G. Shepherd, the United Press correspondent, who has been admitted to tho Austrian battle front, ends a brilliant description of rtlio siege of Przemysl with these worcls. His diary down to October 29 is concerned chiefly with tho spectacular features of the Russian-Austrian artillery duel, but it contains also a i>athetie account of the terriblo plight of soldiers stricken with cholera. "All about the yard ol an odd farmhouse, lying on, straw under tho trees, through which sunshine filters," writes Mr Shepherd. "a no inanimate men sick with oholera. "Here is a soldier-priest, wearing army shoes, a Rod Cross band on his Brin. and over a heavy overcoat a gold-cloth apron. ABSOLUTION. "A soldier rises weakly from the atraw to 'his iknoes. Ho folds bis hands. Tho army priest bends over him. This is absolution tho priest "s granting. "Tho muttering soldier, who is still strong enough to knoel upright crosses himself. lie will probably be dead by night; surely by morning. "After tho priest, goes tho soldier falls weakly baok on the straw .pulls a dirty blue handkerchief from his pocket, and sobs out his misery. "The priest goes to another man and arouses him. This man seems stronger than the first. He gets on his feet, falls to his lineos, and raises his face expectantly to tho Ohnrch. "The man takes absolution without a sign of weakness. But the Red Cross doctors have known when to call the priest. "Four hours usually sees the finish of an Asiatic cholera victam. and tho priest can bo called none too soon after the finsti unfailing symptom is discovered . : THE SOUND OF THE GUN.S. We have seen men lulled; we have toon men hanged; we have seen men executed against a wall, but this sight is the most piteous a human being could behold. "One figure under a blanket, an unshaven soldier whom the priest Is unable to rouse, writhed and tossed about. The priest- stood with outstretched hands and .uplifted face, with tho Rod Crow doctor helpless it his side, until tho writhing censed with a (sudden jerk. We saw atio after another, twelve men rise to their Knees and receive absolution. "And all the time tho artillery was booming all around : soldiers were working, cooking, cleaning horses, building fires, chopping wood, that tho living may livo and fight."