AN UNRECOGNISED MONUMENT

Hawke's Bay Herald, Volume XXIII, Issue 8033, 21 April 1888, Page 1

AN UNRECOGNISED MONUMENT

1 ' It was after tho battle of Inkerman," said my friend tho old soldier, " ma nnd a lot more was stretched out in that shod at Scutari, aome of us with ahell wounds, others with bayonet thrusts, aud me with ii bullet in my leg. The dootors were just finishing their first round — they was mostly y ouug fellows, them dootora, with n jocular tone, and a free and easy way of getting through our troubles —when Miss Nightingale came in. She just stood at the door, and looked round the walls. Best part of us had got a_ cross chalked up over our heads, signifying as our limbs was to be took off. She ' took stock of theoe crosses, and then coming over to mo as I lay there near the door, she says : — "Well, my man, what's the matter with you V she says. "'A ball in my thigh, miss,' saya I • and the young doctor has givon me tho cross for foar llor Mnjoety might forgot it, ho says.'" [ " ' That's a very good joke for him,' eho says ; ' come, lot mo look at it.' " " ' Well, miss,' I aayß, hesitating like, for you sco my wound was in tho thigh." " ' Come, como,' says slio, ' this is no time for blushing.' " " So I turned down the rug and untied the red handkerohor I'd bound round it iv the night." " ' Why I shouldn't wonder if your sweetheart givo you that handkeroher,' says sho, quite pleasant like — which was a fnot truo enough, for my Jane gave it mo tho vory day wo wero marching through the park at homo for tlio last time ; and thon ftlias rHglitiugalo says, ' Yon'vo got a sweotheart, havon't you, away there in England?' " " ' Yen, miss,' Bays I ; ' and a good gal sho is. Shall I tie tho bandkerchor on now, miss?'" " ' Not yet,' she answers, kneeling down aud touching the wound gently with her delicate fingers. 'So .she's a good girl, eh ?' Misa Nightingale went on to say ; ' then I'll bo bound aho's praying God to send you nafa homo.' " " ' Poor gal,' says I. ' She'll be sorry to hear that I've lost my log, andlonn't expect her to marry me with only one.' " •' ' No, that wouldn't bo fair,' cay s she, opening tho wound softly — 'Ah, what's that ?' sho cried, and then, suddenly dipping in her fingers, pulled out thebullet." " ' Tie your leg up, my poor follow,' aayH she. ' You'll be ablo to marry your sweetheart after all." Thon, calling to the young doctors, she hold up tho bullet, and pointing to tho crosß on tho wall, asked them if they thought thoy wore Herving thoir country and their God as Christian gentlemen should." '•' She saved many a poor inau'a limb and many a poor man's life, and in gratitude we all on us wanted to givo what wo had for a little present to her. I offered to givo her all the money I had, but our colonel said 6he wouldn't take nothing but a ponny from each soldier. Well, sir, we gave that roadily enough, and a lot it came to altogether, I expect." " What became of thfl subscription ?" " Why, sir," answered the old warrior, "they melted the coppers and made an ima&ie <>f it, and pet it up there in Pall Mall near the Duke o" York column. You should go and see it, sir ; it's beautiful. It ain't exactly like Miss NiKhtlngale as I see her, but there she stands in her bed gown, holding a couple o' bandages out over the heads of two guaida."