The War Romance of the Salvation ArmyHill, Grace Livingston
History
The War Romance of the Salvation Army
Hill, Grace Livingston
World War, 1914-1918 -- War work -- Salvation Army
He watched eagerly when he was finally lined up on the wharf waiting
for roll-call, for he was sure she would come; and she did, swinging
down the line with her arms full of chocolate, handing out telegraph
blanks and postal cards, real postal cards with a stamp on them that
could be mailed anywhere. He gripped one in his big, rough hand as if
it were a life preserver. A real, honest-to-goodness postal card! My it
was good to see the old red and white stamp again! And he spoke
impulsively:
“You’re the girl that saved my life out there in the field, don’t you
remember? With the lemonade!” Her face lit up. She had recognized him
and somehow cleared one hand of chocolate and telegrams to grasp his
with a hearty welcome: “I’m so glad you came through all right!” her
cheery voice said.
All right! _All right!_ Did she call it all right? He looked down at
his one foot with a dubious frown. She was quick to see. She
understood.
“Oh, but that’s nothing!” she said, and somehow her voice put new heart
into him. “Your folks will be so glad to have you home you’ll forget
all about it. Come, aren’t you going to send them a telegram?” And she
held out the yellow blank.
But still he hesitated.
“I don’t know,” he said, looking down at his foot again. “Mother’s
gone, and——”
Instantly her quick sympathy enveloped his sore soul, and he felt that
just the inflection of her voice was like balm when she said: “I’m so
sorry!” Then she added:
“But isn’t there somebody else? I’m sure there was. I’m sure you told
me about a girl I was to write to if you didn’t come through. Aren’t
you going to let her know? Of course you are.”
“I don’t know,” said the boy. “I don’t think I am. Maybe I’ll never go
back now. You see, I’m not what I was when I went away.”
“Nonsense!” said the lassie with that cheerful assurance that had
carried her through shell fire and made her merit the pet name of
“Sunshine” that the boys had given her in the trenches. “Why, that
wouldn’t be fair to her. Of course, you’re going to let her know right
away. Leave it to me. Here, give me her address!”
Quick as a flash she had the address and was off to a telephone booth.
This was no message that could wait to go back to headquarters. It must
go at once.
He saw her again before he left the wharf. She gave him a card with two
addresses written on it:
“This first is where you can drop in and rest when you are tired,” she
explained. “It’s just one of our huts; the other is where you can find
a good bed when you are in the city.”
Then she was off with a smile down the line, giving out more telegraph
blanks and scattering sunshine wherever she went. He glanced back as he
left the pier and saw her still floating eagerly here and there like a
little sister looking after more real brothers.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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