the red cross girl-第1节

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The　Red　Cross　Girl

by　Richard　Harding　Davis





CONTENTS

Introduction　by　Gouverneur　Morris

1。　THE　RED　CROSS　GIRL

2。　THE　GRAND　CROSS　OF　THE　CRESCENT

3。　THE　INVASION　OF　ENGLAND

4。　BLOOD　WILL　TELL

5。　THE　SAILORMAN

6。　THE　MIND　READER

7。　THE　NAKED　MAN

8。　THE　BOY　WHO　CRIED　WOLF

9。　THE　CARD…SHARP




INTRODUCTION

R。　H。　D。

　〃And　they　rise　to　their　feet　as　he　passes；　gentlemen
unafraid。〃

He　was　almost　too　good　to　be　true。　In　addition；　the　gods
loved　him；　and　so　he　had　to　die　young。　Some　people　think　that
a　man　of　fifty…two　is　middle…aged。　But　if　R。　H。　D。　had　lived
to　be　a　hundred；　he　would　never　have　grown　old。　It　is　not
generally　known　that　the　name　of　his　other　brother　was　Peter
Pan。

Within　the　year　we　have　played　at　pirates　together；　at　the
taking　of　sperm　whales；　and　we　have　ransacked　the　Westchester
Hills　for　gunsites　against　the　Mexican　invasion。　And　we　have
made　lists　of　guns；　and　medicines；　and　tinned　things；　in　case
we　should　ever　happen　to　go　elephant　shooting　in　Africa。　But
we　weren't　going　to　hurt　the　elephants。　Once　R。　H。　D。　shot　a
hippopotamus　and　he　was　always　ashamed　and　sorry。　I　think　he
never　killed　anything　else。　He　wasn't　that　kind　of　a
sportsman。　Of　hunting；　as　of　many　other　things；　he　has　said
the　last　word。　Do　you　remember　the　Happy　Hunting　Ground　in
〃The　Bar　Sinister〃？〃Where　nobody　hunts　us；　and　there　is
nothing　to　hunt。〃

Experienced　persons　tell　us　that　a　man…hunt　is　the　most
exciting　of　all　sports。　R。　H。　D。　hunted　men　in　Cuba。　He
hunted　for　wounded　men　who　were　out　in　front　of　the　trenches
and　still　under　fire；　and　found　some　of　them　and　brought　them
in。　The　Rough　Riders　didn't　make　him　an　honorary　member　of
their　regiment　just　because　he　was　charming　and　a　faithful
friend；　but　largely　because　they　were　a　lot　of　daredevils　and
he　was　another。

To　hear　him　talk　you　wouldn't　have　thought　that　he　had　ever
done　a　brave　thing　in　his　life。　He　talked　a　great　deal；　and
he　talked　even　better　than　he　wrote　（at　his　best　he　wrote
like　an　angel）；　but　I　have　dusted　every　corner　of　my　memory
and　cannot　recall　any　story　of　his　in　which　he　played　a
heroic　or　successful　part。　Always　he　was　running　at　top
speed；　or　hiding　behind　a　tree；　or　lying　face　down　in　a　foot
of　water　（for　hours！）　so　as　not　to　be　seen。　Always　he　was
getting　the　worst　of　it。　But　about　the　other　fellows　he　told
the　whole　truth　with　lightning　flashes　of　wit　and　character
building　and　admiration　or　contempt。　Until　the　invention　of
moving　pictures　the　world　had　nothing　in　the　least　like　his
talk。　His　eye　had　photographed；　his　mind　had　developed　and
prepared　the　slides；　his　words　sent　the　light　through　them；
and　lo　and　behold；　they　were　reproduced　on　the　screen　of　your
own　mind；　exact　in　drawing　and　color。　With　the　written　word
or　the　spoken　word　he　was　the　greatest　recorder　and　reporter
of　things　that　he　had　seen　of　any　man；　perhaps；　that　ever
lived。　The　history　of　the　last　thirty　years；　its　manners　and
customs　and　its　leading　events　and　inventions；　cannot　be
written　truthfully　without　reference　to　the　records　which　he
has　left；　to　his　special　articles　and　to　his　letters。　Read
over　again　the　Queen's　Jubilee；　the　Czar's　Coronation；　the
March　of　the　Germans　through　Brussels；　and　see　for　yourself
if　I　speak　too　zealously；　even　for　a　friend；　to　whom；　now
that　R。　H。　D。　is　dead；　the　world　can　never　be　the　same　again。

But　I　did　not　set　out　to　estimate　his　genius。　That　matter
will　come　in　due　time　before　the　unerring　tribunal　of
posterity。

One　secret　of　Mr。　Roosevelt's　hold　upon　those　who　come　into
contact　with　him　is　his　energy。　Retaining　enough　for　his　own
use　（he　uses　a　good　deal；　because　every　day　he　does　the　work
of　five　or　six　men）；　he　distributes　the　inexhaustible
remainder　among　those　who　most　need　it。　Men　go　to　him　tired
and　discouraged；　he　sends　them　away　glad　to　be　alive；　still
gladder　that　he　is　alive；　and　ready　to　fight　the　devil
himself　in　a　good　cause。　Upon　his　friends　R。　H。　D。　had　the
same　effect。　And　it　was　not　only　in　proximity　that　he　could
distribute　energy；　but　from　afar；　by　letter　and　cable。　He　had
some　intuitive　way　of　knowing　just　when　you　were　slipping
into　a　slough　of　laziness　and　discouragement。　And　at　such
times　he　either　appeared　suddenly　upon　the　scene；　or　there
came　a　boy　on　a　bicycle；　with　a　yellow　envelope　and　a　book　to
sign；　or　the　postman　in　his　buggy；　or　the　telephone　rang　and
from　the　receiver　there　poured　into　you　affection　and
encouragement。

But　the　great　times；　of　course；　were　when　he　came　in　person；
and　the　temperature　of　the　house；　which　a　moment　before　had
been　too　hot　or　too　cold；　became　just　right；　and　a　sense　of
cheerfulness　and　well…being　invaded　the　hearts　of　the　master
and　the　mistress　and　of　the　servants　in　the　house　and　in　the
yard。　And　the　older　daughter　ran　to　him；　and　the　baby；　who
had　been　fretting　because　nobody　would　give　her　a　double…
barrelled　shotgun；　climbed　upon　his　knee　and　forgot　all　about
the　disappointments　of　this　uncompromising　world。

He　was　touchingly　sweet　with　children。　I　think　he　was　a
little　afraid　of　them。　He　was　afraid　perhaps　that　they
wouldn't　find　out　how　much　he　loved　them。　But　when　they
showed　him　that　they　trusted　him；　and；　unsolicited；　climbed
upon　him　and　laid　their　cheeks　against　his；　then　the
loveliest　expression　came　over　his　face；　and　you　knew　that
the　great　heart；　which　the　other　day　ceased　to　beat；　throbbed
with　an　exquisite　bliss；　akin　to　anguish。

One　of　the　happiest　days　I　remember　was　when　I　and　mine
received　a　telegram　saying　that　he　had　a　baby　of　his　own。　And
I　thank　God　that　little　Miss　Hope　is　too　young　to　know　what
an　appalling　loss　she　has　suffered。。。。

Perhaps　he　stayed　to　dine。　Then　perhaps　the　older　daughter
was　allowed　to　sit　up　an　extra　half…hour　so　that　she　could
wait　on　the　table　（and　though　I　say　it；　that　shouldn't；　she
could　do　this　beautifully；　with　dignity　and　without
giggling）；　and　perhaps　the　dinner　was　good；　or　R。　H。　D。
thought　it　was；　and　in　that　event　he　must　abandon　his　place
and　storm　the　kitchen　to　tell　the　cook　all　about　it。　Perhaps
the　gardener　was　taking　life　easy　on　the　kitchen　porch。　He；
too；　came　in　for　praise。　R。　H。　D。　had　never　seen　our　Japanese
iris　so　beautiful；　as　for　his；　they　wouldn't　grow　at　all。　It
wasn't　the　iris；　it　was　the　man　behind　the　iris。　And　then
back　he　would　come　to　us；　with　a　wonderful　story　of　his
adventures　in　the　pantry　on　his　way　to　the　kitchen；　and
leaving　behind　him　a　cook　to　whom　there　had　been　issued　a　new
lease　of　life；　and　a　gardener　who　blushed　and　smiled　in　the
darkness　under　the　Actinidia　vines。

It　was　in　our　little　house　at　Aiken；　in　South　Carolina；　that
he　was　with　us　most　and　we　learned　to　know　him　best；　and　that
he　and　I　became　dependent　upon　each　other　in　many　ways。

Events；　into　which　I　shall　not　go；　had　made　his　life　very
difficult　and　complicated。　And　he　who　had　given　so　much
friendship　to　so　many　people　needed　a　little　friendship　in
return；　and　perhaps；　too；　he　needed　for　a　time　to　live　in　a
house　whose　master　and　mistress　loved　each　other；　and　where
there　were　children。　Before　he　came　that　first　year　our　house
had　no　name。　Now　it　is　called　〃Let's　Pretend。〃

Now　the　chimney　in　the　living…room　draws；　but　in　those　first
days　of　the　built…over　house　it　didn't。　At　least；　it　didn't
draw　all　the　time；　but　we　pretended　that　it　did；　and　with
much　pretense　came　faith。　From　the　fireplace　that　smoked　to
the　serious　things　of　life　we　extended　our　pretendings；　until
real　troubles　went　down　before　themdown　and　out。

It　was　one　of　Aiken's　very　best　winters；　and　the　earliest
spring　I　ever　lived　anywhere。　R。　H。　D。　came　shortly　after
Christmas。　The　spireas　were　in　bloom；　and　the　monthly　roses；
you　could　always　find　a　sweet　violet　or　two　somewhere　in　the
yard；　here　and　there　splotches　of　deep　pink　against　gray
cabin　walls　proved　that　precocious　peach…trees　were　in　bloom。
It　never　rained。　At　night　it　was　cold　enough　for　fires。　In
the　middle　of　the　day　it　was　hot。　The　wind　never　blew；　and
every　morning　we　had　a　four　for　tennis　and　every　afternoon　we
rode　in　the　woods。　And　every　night　we　sat　in　front　of　the
fire　（that　didn't　smoke　because　of　pretending）　and　talked
until　the　next　morning。

He　was　one　of　those　rarely　gifted　men　who　find　their　chiefest
pleasure　not　in　looking　backward　or　forward；　but　in　what　is
going　on　at　the　moment。　Weeks　did　not　have　to　pass　before　it
was　forced　upon　his　knowledge　that　Tuesday；　the　fourteenth
（let　us　say）；　had　been　a　good　Tuesday。　He　knew　it　the　moment
he　waked　at　7　A。　M。　and　perceived　the　Tuesday　sunshine　making
patterns　of　bright　light　upon　the　floor。　The　sunshine
rejoiced　him　and　the　knowledge　that　even　before　breakfast
there　was　vouchsafed　to　him　a　whole　hour　of　life。　That　day
began　with　attentions　to　his　physical　well…being。　There　were
exercises　conducted　with　great　vigor　and　rejoicing；　followed
by　a　tub；　artesian　cold；　and　a　loud　and　joyous　singing　of
ballads。

At　fifty　R。　H。　D。　might　have　posed　to　some　Praxiteles　and；
copied　in　marble；　gone　down　the　ages　as　〃statue　of　a　young
athlete。〃　He　stood　six　feet　and　over；　straight　as　a　Sioux
chief；　a　noble　and　leonine　head　carr