Transylvania Boy
Writes From Camp
Mrs. A.N. Poole has received a letter from her son, W.W.
Hurst, who is with the headquarters general hospital number 43 at the National
Soldiers’ Home in Virginia. The young man’s letter contains the following paragraphs
which give an inside view on the lives of some of the men who conquered the
Hun.
“Took in Newport News and the Port of Embarkation night before
last and had quite a time. Hoboken, N.J., is the largest port of embarkation,
and I think Newport News is the next. Many thousands of soldiers left that port
for Europe during the war, so it is quite a historic point.
“Heard the first real outburst of craziness yesterday. A
fellow began hollowing (hollering?): “They kill me—they choke me—help—murder!”
He kept this up until they had to take him by force to his bunk and finally
managed to get him quieted down.
“It is regrettable that the average person hasn’t thought
much of what has become about as a result of the war. Many a man went crazy
while in the army. I have been writing up the medical histories of quite a
number of cases. I have reached the conclusion that these crazy fellows are
right now suffering the hell that the great majority of people in the world
will suffer when they die. In almost every case of insanity the man raves about
his past sins. What greater hell could one suffer. I believe that the Supreme
Being has ordained that part of the people of the world should give visible
signs of suffering hell in order that the others may profit by these signs and
take up the straight and narrow path. But, said to say, the people will not
heed. They all look for pleasure. Those that are well think nothing of the
sick. Those that are sane think nothing of the insane. They do not think that
they will likewise suffer the same hell as the insane.”
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