Intimate letters from France during America's first year of war

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INTIMATE
LLTTLR5

FROM

FRANCL

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INTIMATE LETTERS FROM FRANCE

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INTIMATE LETTERS FROM FRANCE

DURING AMERICA'S FIRST YEAR OP WAR

EUZABETH H. ^SHE

CHIEP NURSE OP CHILDREN'S BUREAU

DEPARTMENT OP CIVIL APPAIRS

AMERICAN RED CROSS

/^. ; " i* • T •»' •^•^

PHILOPOLIS PRESS

SAN PRANCISCO. CALIFORNIA

1918

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COPYRIGHT 1918

BY
PmLOPOUS PRESS

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E

INTRODUCTION

These letters, written without thought of publication, are
now printed in the belief that the reader may find in them a
source of inspiration and comfort.

The writer has served for years in ways which have peculi-
arly fitted her for her present duties. As the founder of the
Telegraph Hill Neighborhood Association in San Francisco and
the Bothin Convalescent Home for women and children in
Marin County, California, she has successfully met many of the
same problems of organization for the relief of suffering which
now confront the Children's Bureau of the American Red Cross
in France. Thus from her knowledge of the sick and neglected
at her own door she has been enabled to deal wisely and gener-
ously with those whom she now serves.

From the beginning of the war her desire for active service
in France has been great, and as early as October, 1914, she
offered her services to the New York representatives of the
American Red Cross but was not then needed for overseas duty.

When America entered the war she again volunteered for
active service with the National Red Cross Nursing Service, but
being past the prescribed age limit was not accepted. Finally,
however, having passed all tests, she signed for duty with Base
Hospital 30 formed at the University of Califonda Hospital,
San Francisco and was awaiting her orders in June, 1917, when
Dr. William Palmer Lucas returned from Washington where he
had been called to form the first pediatric unit to be sent to
France. The great need of the work is described in the extract
from the American Red Cross Bulletin printed on the following
page.

Dr. Lucas realized the vital importance of the nursing ser-
vice to the success of the imdertaking, and knowing her ability
and experience, urged upon Miss Ashe her acceptance of the
tafik of organization. Her prompt response to hi^ demand an4

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4 INTRODUCTION

their combined efforts, made poMible her necessary transfer
from the Base Hospital Service.

The terse, vivid sentences of the letters picture as more
studied phrases might fail to do, the scenes of suffering and the
opportunities for service as they present themselves to the
writer. Written under the stress of work and to those closest
in her confidence, they bear the imprint of her character.

No editing of the extracts has been possible. To have at-
tempted this would have been to mar the essence of their
strength; that strength which comes from the simplicity of a
great purpose deepened and ennobled by the vision of the un-
conquerable soul of France.

A. G.

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EXTRACT FROM AMERICAN RED CROSS
BULLETIN

A group of speciafists in infant welfare has been sent to
France by the American Red Cross. At its head is Dr. William
P. Lucas, professor of pediatrics in the University of California,
and the originator of the ''Save a Belgian Baby*' movement.

Before the war the birth rate and death rate in France were
eo nearly equal that publicists voiced their concern over the
future of the national life. Last year, however, with the death
rate probably over 20 per 1,000, not counting deaths of men in
military service, the birth rate was officially estimated at only
8 per 1,000. In New York State the birth rate is 23 or 24 per
1,000, the death rate about 14 per 1,000.

The total deaths in France in 1916 were about 1,100,000.
Births numbered only 312,000. The net loss in population was
788,000, or nearly 2% of the whole. In Paris, where 48,917
babies were bom in the year ending August 1, 1914, only 26,179
were bom in the second year of the war, ending August 1, 1916.

'There is a crying need for effective work among children,"
cables Major Grayson M. P. Murphy, head of the American Red
Cross Commission now in France. He reports that there is a
great need for doctors and nurses for work with mothers and
children, and the Infant Welfare Unit will be prepared to give
such immediate relief as it can.

With Dr. Lucas in the Unit, which was financed by Mrs.
William Lowell Putnam of Boston, are Dr. J. Morris Slemons,
of the Yale Medical School, one of the best known of obstetri-
cians; Dr. Julius Parker Sedgwick, phjrsiological chemist, pro-
fessor at the University of Minnesota; Dr. John C. Baldwin,
specialist in diseases of children; Dr. Clain F. Gelston, Dr.
Lucas's assistant at the University of California; Dr. N. O.
Pearce, another specialist, and the following experts in sociology
and child welfare work; Mrs. J. Morris Slemons, Mrs. William

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6 EXTRACT FROM AMERICAN RED CROSS BULLETIN

P. Lucaa, Miss Elisabeth Ashe, and Miss Rosamtind Gilder,
daughter of the poet

These specialists will sarvey the situation and study the
work already being done by the French, and will practice with-
out receiving compensation from patients. The task before the
Red Cross, which will be carried out by this and succeeding
units, is not only to co-operate with French specialists, but
also to carry on a general educational campaign among French
mothers in the interest of better prenatal hygiene and scientific
feeding and care of the babies. Special efforts will be made to
protect children from tubercular infection which is particularly
threatening France today as a result of trench warfare.

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INTIMATE LETTERS FROM FRANCE

Washington, July 12, 1917.
To L. McL.

I have had such an exciting day. As I entered the hotel this
morning, Dr. Lucas was at the telephone asking for me. The
telegram I sent him en route settled eversrthing. He took it to
the Red Cross headquarters and Miss Delano immediately
agreed to let him send for me. The ''Commission/' as it is
called, consists of twelve doctors with big reputations, Mrs.
Lucas, Mrs. Slemons (one of the doctor's wives), and myself
I am to organize the nursing end of it. I went at once
to the Red Cross building and had long conferences with
the heads— Miss Delano soon got an idea that I knew every one
on earth, because our talk was first interrupted by Miss H.
Draper, an old friend of Cousin Loyall's and head of the New
York Red Cross, and about ten minutes later by Sadie Murray
who, of course, fell into my arms, then a note was brought in
from Mrs. Newlands asking me to dinner, where I am going in
about ten minutes. I did not go to the Grafton but am at a
little place near by where the Lucases are, just like the Haven I
We are beautifully taken care of by a negro couple — ^breakfast
in eur roomsl

It is lovely here now. I have never seen Washington in her
summer clothes before, but it is very hot. I am so disgusted
that I had all those white dresses made. The Red Cross has
supplied me with a whole outfit, dresses, aprons, coat, cape and
caps.

I think we will have a very interesting time making the sur-
vey for about two months before the real work begins. Mrs.
Lucas is to have moving pictures of it all for publicity. I have
had very little conversation with Dr. Lucas so far. I have
found out that there is little chance of the University of Cali-
fornia Base Hospital Unit going to France, so I am glad I am
out of it

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8 *: **.iNnMAin£:lSTTERS PROM PRANCE

*'^kikKlwt*wlivLdtoiki$r*^imt has been spent at die Red Cross
building with Miss Delano and Miss No yes t he fonner is fine
—72 years old but very well presenred. Miss No3res is my real
chief. However, when all is said and done, tfiey frankly say
our mission is a new one to them all; they have no instructions
to give me-— we have to work it all out.

After lunch yesterday I went to the House and heard an
interesting speech on Aviation and then called on Jeanette Ran-
kin who greeted me with open arms and asked almost immedi-
ately for Peter who was a great friend of hers. She is very
disapproving of these militant suCFragettes, thinks it is harming
the cause and says Mrs. Park thinks likewise.

I called on Cousin Sam— he is an old dear, the very image of
our old portrait of Grandpa Ashe. I picked him out among a
crowd of men from the likeness. His features are smalL He
says he considers the President a great man, although he has
not alwajrs approved of his policies. Por instance he said
"When the Lusitania went down, I would have written the
Kaiser and said: 'Sir, you are unfit for me in the future to com-
municate with,"' or something to that effect. He said that
greatness consisted in having the vision to see the right thing
to do, although it might appear to the world to be unwise at the
time. He has a son in the navy who is now on one of our
destroyers, he touches on the coast of Ireland. I overstayed my
time talking to the dear old man and rushed madly to hmch
with George Scott, who is perfectly splendid. He is in the
supply department of the Red Cross representing Chicago. He
gave us two beautiful lunches at the Shoreham where we saw
all the celebrities. Yesterday Mr. and Mrs. Cook, the presi-
dent of the Erie R. R., lunched with us. I mention this just
to give you an idea of the men who are giving their whole
time to the Government now.

Dr. Lucas is working hard on lists and I am helping him—
dispensary outfits— he may even organise children's hospitals.
His orders are very general at present, a survey must be made,
but as nearly as he knows at present the work is to be done
in the large centers, Paris, Bordeaux, Lyons, etc., not in the
devasted districts. I am to organise the nurses.

We expect at present to sail on the St. Louis the 21st, for
Liverpool, to leave there just as soon as possible. I hope to get

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INTIMATE LETTERS FROM FRANCE 9

off to New York this evening on a midnight train, spend a day
there, tomorrow take the midnight train to Bath, have one day
with Millie and return that same night to New York.

' New York, July 19, 1917.
To L. McL.

I moved to the Presbyterian Hospital this morning, found a
lovely greeting from Miss MaxwelL It is very hot in New York,
much more lifeless than Washington. It wiU be good to get to
sea. I spent this entire morning getting my uniforms. I am
taking two serge suits, as most of my work wUl be out of doors.
It is very good looking, the hat becoming, dark blue velour;
the bright red brassards on the sleeves of the coat and suit give
it a very gay appearance. Miss Maxwell will be a great help
to me, she is so full of enthusiasm and interest in the work.
Two of our finest women in the nursing profession are on the
National Council of Defense and are working day and night in
Washington over it. I think it is splendid — Miss Beard and
Miss Crandall — ^Alice will know them.

I am delighted with Rosamund Gilder, she is so thoughtful,
helpful and intelligent, full of fun, too. She is about twenty-
five years old, speaks French fluently, is to be Dr. Lucas' secre-
tary.

S. S. "St Louis," Sunday, July 22, 1917.
To L. McL.

We are out in the harbor waiting for om: convoy. It was
quite thrilling when steam was actually up and we were off. I
have to pinch myself to know it is really I.

I must tell you the amusing thing that happened this morn-
ing. I was sitting quietly writing in a comer of the waiting
room, keeping an eye on the desk where passengers showed
passports, etc. Suddenly an agitated woman appeared urging
for admission to the pier, holding in her hand a very attractive
package which she was trying frantically to have delivered to
a passenger, the man refused to have anything to do with it.
Finally as she turned away in despair, I followed her and said

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10 INTIMATE LETTERS PROM PRANCE

I would be glad to deliver it, if it is not too vahiable. She
jumped at the chance and I found it marked **Wmb Betty Ashe
from Dorothy Coffin,'* who had come too late to see me. Miss
Maxwell sent a probationer flsring with it, who turned out to be
a friend of Mrs. Casserl/s, it pays to be obliging.

This steamer is well protected with guns; the men are now
dragging huge shells before us and fhe Red Cross has provided
us with wonderful life preservers.

Did I tell you that Miss Maxwell, in introducing me to a
group of nurses, told them that I had humanised her training
school, had showed them that all nurses did not have to be
made after the same pattern. I felt that I had not lived in vain.
I asked her subsequently what she thought the effect had been
in the quality of the nurses turned out. Her answer was: 'Hay-
be not as finished nurses but women better able to fill executive
positions."

Miss Maxwell has given me splendid letters — seems to know
all the important people from New York who are doing work
in France. I wish that you had been with me in New York, it
was a wonderful sight, especially down town. Old Trinity is
draped with flags and looking from there down Wall Street is a
thrilling sight to my mind. Dorothy Coffin and I visited the
Nurses' Club, built for them by the Y. W. C. A., it is a twelve-
story building wonderfully arranged with single rooms, beauti-
ful library, reception rooms, restaurant, etc., roof garden and
out of doors dining room. They certainly do things on a Ug
scale in New York. Mr. Smith had a check for $200,000 drop
into his lap for a school in which he is interested, and he didn't
think much of it.

It was not possible for me to send the first part of my letter
back and now we are in the middle of the 4th day of our
journey. So far the sea has been like a lake, no one 111 and all
glad to relax after the past strenuous weeks. We are all full
of para typhoid germs, which make one feel inactive. It is
rumored that we are to go directly to France, which would be
a disappointment as we would all like a few dajrs in London.
The only excitements we have had are gun practices which
make such terrific noise and brings realization of the state of
war, and walking the decks at night in the pitch blackness, not
a light showing, it is really very spooky.

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INTIMATE LETTERS FROM PRANCE 11

Monday.

Just how much I can tell you of yesterday's attack I don't
know, but we tumbled out at 7 a. m., clad hastily— my carefully
thought out costume being the green sweater, black knickers
covered by a skirt fastened by one hook which I intended to
drop if we took to life boats. This was all surmounted by Miss
Glider's tam o'shanten It seemed so strange to be discussing
clothes at the most exciting crisis of one's life. All of this was
surrounded by a life preserver. The firing lasted about thirty
minutes*

The shots went all over and around us, but except for a few
broken windows, no damage was done— and we met a White
Star liner making straight for the U boat; much signalling was

done from our boat We certainly are living in . Have seen

any number of mine sweepers.

The coast is very lovely. V^th glasses we can see quaint
houses and we smell the new mown hay. We will all be glad
to be on terra firma again, although I wouldn't have missed the
experience for ansrthing.

We are making fast for Liverpool after a delay of more
than twenty-four hours. Two convoys are still with us.

London, August 2, 1917.
To A. G.

It is certainly very di£Ficult to write in the midst of many
distracting things, at the same time I am eager to do so, as I
know that everything I see and hear would be of great interest
to you, as they are to me.

We visited yesterday a most interesting woman, who is the
General Secretary of Infant Welfare Work. This work has in-
creased enormously during the war. The interesting part of it
is that these classes are only held for well mothers and babies,
no sick ones admited, they are referred to the dispensaries.
They say that the combination never works even in the same
building, with classes held at different times. I am enclosing
the card used which I think would be economical for us instead
of books, where it is a feeding case.

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12 INTIMATE LETTERS PROM PRANCE

Although many places are closed here there is more to be
seen than we can possibly arrange for in our short suy, as we
are investigating all the welfare work possible. We really
have not made a beginning educationally speaking. Every
birth is reported to the center, a nurse immediately visits and
tries to interest the mothers, etc. The doctors are paid for
their services; this is also the case in Baltimore where this
same work is done, even more extensively than here. Of
course in both places they are not dealing with a strictly
foreign population, as we are.

I spent the morning at the Royal Academy, the only public
place open. Between the suffragettes and the war, all the art
treasures have been concealed; has the world gone mad? The
Turners are still exhibited so I spent a delightful morning with
them.

We have just come from the Abbey where we attended a
wonderful service commemorating the entry of England into
the war. The King and Queen and little Prince George were
present, which, of course, drew a big crowd. The old verger
gave me a tip several days ago as to which door to go in at,
in order not to have to wait too long. The Archbishop of
Canterbury preached an excellent sermon in which he spoke
most feelingly of America going in. When we first went into
the Abbey, the sight of files of maimed and lame men coming
in overcame me so I thought I should have to leave, but they
finally were seated, and were forgotten in the beauty of the
service. One poor fellow who twas legless, was brought in on
the back of a man— it is all too dreadfuL These British soldiers
are a magnificent set of men. I can not always distin-
guish between the English and Colonials, but they all look
fine, even when disabled, and so bright and courageous, it
thrills one.

The Canon read most beautifully and impressively the 35th
chapter of Isaiah. I was very much impressed by the beauty
of the place, the simplicity of the service and the lovely music
— the boys' voices were Uke an angel choir.

Last night we went to Hyde Park and listened to the band.
It was fun watching the people. Nearly every man is in uni-
form and they all differ a little, enough to make an effect of
color. Saturday night we went to the Haymarket Theatre to

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INTIMATE LETTERS FROM FRANCE 13

see "General Post/' an excellent war comedy showing the effect
of the war on snobbery.

From all I hear I fear we are up against a very hard proposi-
tion« Unless we receive much co-operation from the French
Government, we can't do much, but Dr. Lucas thinks that has
already been arranged. Everyone thinks the need is very great.

From what I hear it is thought that the end of the war is
far off, all kinds of preparations are being made by Americans
for the care of their wounded and nurses. A beaut^ul big club-
hotise is ready for nurses returning from the front to rest —
they can live there. Mrs. Reid is foremost in its management,
she is working very hard.

I am very much impressed by the fine big men one sees in
uniform, splendid looking fellows, not all English, many terri-
torials, as they call them, and all looking so happy and bright
although few walk without either crutches or a limp.

London is certainly a fascinating place and I hope some day
I can be here when war is a far distant memory, but it will not
be in my life time that these terrible scars can be effaced. It is
truly heart breaking.

It is already four days since ,1 began my letter, and it has
been quite impossible for me to go on with it before now,
between sight seeing and investigating the welfare work, I have
been kept on the go, and am too tired to write at night I shall
try to confine my letters to you to the welfare end of it, and tell
Linie of the sight seeing, she will be sure to pass on the letters
to you. Dr. Lucas finds out everything, so we will have good
opportunities to see things. On the whole the hospital and
nursing is not done as well as ours, but it is quite amazing how
well they have adapted these old houses to their new needs, and
it is all so attractively done. For instance, in a nursery I was
in, one room was done in French blue and white, curtains,
covers, and babies, and in another all pink, curtains, babies, etc.,
the effect was really charming. The mothers work in munitions,
in fact so many women seem to work in munitions that I think
they must be manufacturing enough combustibles to blow up
the world. The place that interested me the most was a tiny
babies' hospital in a poor neighborhood, to save the babies
whose mothers would not send them to big hospitals, it is some-
thing that I have always longed for.

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14 INTIMATE LETTERS PROM PRANCE

When I tee what is being done here for the people in the
midst of all the calls made on everyone for war relief, it makes
me feel so discouraged about the poverty stricken condition of
our home charities, not one decently supported. It is really
inexcusable. We have three district nurses to the entire dty,
and I am wondering who is helping Miss Johnson.

There has been endless fuss about our passports. Iftine is
in order as a Red Cross nurse, but Mrs. Lucas and Bfliss Gilder
have a doubtful position, and are rather suspicious characters
from the Prench point of view. I do hope we will get off by
Sunday, as I feel we are wasting time and money as our party
of twelve are here at the Red Cross expense. This morning I
made a round with the District Nurse; what would please you
would be to see the poorest children looking so well nourished.
Everyone says this is the result of better wages. I hear that
there is more drinking among the women, who fill the public
houses. The District Nurse's hours are from 10 a. m. to 10 p. m.,
with about two hours off for meals. No time off during the
week, not even Sundays, I do not see how they stand it.

Lady Ward (Jean Reid) has built a splendid place for Ameri-
can soldiers, it is under the Y. M. C. A. It is a sort of portable
house or cluster of houses or huts. This American house or
group has sleeping and eating capacity for 800 men. It is very
simple but beautifully done, such pretty curtains, furniture
coverings, etc. I was especially taken with the tables which I
would like to imitate for the Farm. The tops are tiled, so much
prettier than oil cloth. I do not know how they will look after
hard use, but it would be pretty to have a green table under
the trees.

This afternoon I visited Peter Pan in Kensington Gardens.
It b perfectly dear and the children flock about him. It did my
heart good to see all these poor children in these beautiful
gardens, and so accessible to them. These London parks in
the midst of this crowded city are truly wonderful, and we can
not afford it in San Francisco. What a lost opportunity!

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INTIMATE LETTERS PROM PRANCE 15

London, August 9, 1917.
To L. McL.

This idea that 60 per cent of the letters are lost is very dis-
couraging to the pen of a ready writer. You told me that in
order to impress on me the importance of writing often.

I have had a most interesting week, we struck the first bank
holiday which has been given since the war began, but London
instead of leaving town in hordes stayed at home, as the train
service is so poor at present that traveling is no pleasure. Well,
in the early morning I sneaked off from the crowd. I took
my guide book and sallied forth to see the town. It was most
interesting to see London in holiday attire, literally turned out
into the streets-^,000,000 people wandering about. The first
thing I struck was the change of guard at Buckingham Palace.
I made friends there with an old soldier pensioner from the
Chelsea Soldiers' Home. He was dressed in a bright red cloth
coat and covered with medals. He attached himself to me and
acted as my guide, between us we attracted much attention, as
our R. C. uniforms always do anjrway. They are an open
sesame to everything, no fees at the public amusements, army
and navy stores open to us, etc, and the police are endless in
their patience in answering questions. After seeing the Horse
Guards prance and listening to the band play, I made my way
to London Bridge guided by the old man. I wandered about
in a poor district there, talked to the people and had a most
interesting morning. It is very touching the way people come
up to me and say, ''God bless tiie Americans for coming to our
help." The mass of people here certainly do appreciate what
we are doing. Sometimes they say, "Write to the people at-
home and thank them for us.''

Food is net any higher here than at home, except sugar,
which is more difficult to get. Prices in the restaurants are not
as high as ours, for instance, I had a golden buck, cup of coffee
with milk, oat-cake, very large, and apple tart for lunch, cost
30 cents. Except in the really swell places things are not nearly
so well served or so clean, the mussiest looking girls wait,
never clean, in fact we find ^e standard of cleanliness nowhere
up to ours— hospitals or anjrwhere— no evidence of the vacuum
cleaner.

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Id INTIMATE L£TT£RS PROM PRANCE

I have the greatest admiration for the Englishwoman in
this war work. We visited a Tommies' Club at midnight after
the theatre, and there we found a shift, women volunteers who
had just come on, their hours were 11 p. m. till 6 a. nL^^erving
food all night long. The troop trains arrive at all hours of the
night. Alice would love the boy scouts, who are very much in
evidence, so much more attractively dressed than ours. They
wear dififerent colored sweaters of the home-spun type, short
stockings to match and trousers of the same color in serge;
each troop has its own color, a big colored handkerchief is
knotted around the neck and they are covered with insignit;
what is more, one rarely sees a boy under 14 with a hat on, and
then only a school cap. I have written these details for Alice's
benefit. One sees women frequently running elevators in cos-
tumes just like Bobbjr's riding breeches and coat.

(On back page:)

I overlooked this page— will write on it an ad.
''10,000 women wanted for farm work. Free
outfit— high boots, overall breeches and
hat. 18 shillings a week and maintenance.''

Paris, August 12, 1917.
To A. G.

Here we are at last, just three weeks from the day we
sailed. We had quite a comfortable trip from London by way
of Southampton and Havre. We were fortunate enough to get
through the Custom House very rapidly, so were able to catch
an early train from Havre reaching Paris at 12 mid-day instead
of 10 p. m. which we feared.

August 14
StiU no letters from home, although I have received some
from Bath and New York. I have had two most interesting
days. We spent the afternoon with Mrs. Bliss, such an inter-
esting woman who seems to thoroughly understand the people

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INTIMATE LETTERS FROM FRANCE 17

She is most enthusiastic over the French. They say Paris is
filled with people eager to work with nothing to do, very much
as it is with us. We will probably go to the front on Thursday,
and then I believe it will be very difficult to get letters through.
My French is going pretty well, I seem to have a perfectly
good working knowledge of it. I can see much to be done for
children here; two of our staff will go to work immediately in
Paris working with the Rockefeller people who are going to
establish tubercular dispensaries wherever possible.

While we are waiting for the police to put us through the
third degree in questions before going to the front, I will try
to get off this letter as I do not know when you will receive
another, when once we get into the fighting district. This
place we are going to is about 10 miles from the firing line.
Most fortunately Miss Schofield and Miss Fell returned last
night. Miss Schofield knew the one woman who understands
social service work. She is eager for Dr. Lucas to establish
a training school for district nurses in Paris with a hospital
attached. She already has two hundred trained nurses in the
field scattered over France, the wives of officers and people of
intelligence. All these people think we can thus fill the biggest
need here at present and it would be constructive work. It
distresses me that Dr. Lucas is to be with us such a short time.

To answer one of your questions. Dr. Lucas has complete
charge of the medical end of the civilian work. Dr. Miller from
New York, who was in the Presbyterian Hospital when I was
there, is doing tubercular work for the Rockefeller Institute
and we hope to work together. They are the only men over
here doing any civilian work.

I attended a wonderful High Mass at Norte Dame for the
Feast of the Asstmiption, heavenly music. But Paris has not
the same fascination for me that London has. It seems more
like a big exposition rather poorly attended at present, of course
this is a four days' impression, although the individual things
here are quite beautiful. I know this is heresy.

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Paris, Monday, August 13, 1917.
To L. McL.

While waiting developments at the American Red Cross
I think I can get off a letter. The difficulty of seeing anyone
here reminds me of the relief dajrs in San Francisco.

We arrived in Paris yesterday at noon after an uneventful
trip across the channel We left Southampton at 9 p. m. and
arrived at Havre at 6 p. m. Travelling is full of interest as
everyone is on some special work with a uniform to indicate
it. We hear all kinds of expressions. My letters which I
hoped to find at the Red Cross have been forwarded to the
American Post Office No. 10 rue St. Anne, which I think you
had better use in the future as it is more sure. Just before
leaving London I was lucky enough through Mrs. Reid to get
a ticket for the House of Commons. It is very difficult for
women to get in since the suffrage raids. The subject of debate
was compulsary school law for children under fourteen. It was
quite amusing to hear all the old arguments against it rehashed
as if it was all original. I was very much interested to see the
Speaker of the House sitting on a raised dais in a long white
wig, and below him to see the men sitting in the front benches
with their heels higher than their heads on the center table
before them. I thought that a purely American custom. Of
course I have not been here long enough to see anjrthing, but
we walked yesterday up the Champs Eljrsee to the Arc de
Triomphe and found it almost deserted. Every other woman
you meet is in deep mourning, veils, etc. In London very few
wear mourning and then the simplest black, no crepe veils seen,
of course to my way of thinking the only sensible thing.

Considering the agitation at home we have been particularly
interested in the food question. We considered it very extrava-
gantly used in London, and see no scarcity here. Sugar yras
difficult to get in England and bread also, but even in the poor
sections I saw push carts covered with meat, fish and vege-
tables at moderate prices, not screened in any way from the
dirt of the street and flies. The poorest London ddldren look
well nourished, in fact the poor there have never been so well
off as they are now. Food prices have gone up in proportion

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INTIMATE LETTERS FROM FRANCE 19

to die wage scale which is very high, but the drinking among
the women has greatly increased.

> Latere— We have had a conference with the Red Cross heads
and it has been decided that our party divide now, some to
remain in Paris and others to go to tlie front. I am in the
latter group. We are to go into the same district that Daisy
Polk is working in, the district is large so we may not even
touch her work, but it will give you an idea of our whereabouts
I don't know how much I am permitted to write of it as yet.

Somewhere in Prance, August 17, 1917.
To L. McL.

We are traveling through the valley of the Mame. Yon
can not conceive of anything more peaceful and beautiful, in
spite of the occasional encampment we see and the guns peep-
ing from every bush. The fields are being beautifully cultivated,
the harvest going on and the crops look good to me— it only
impresses us more and more with the frightfulness of it alL
We see the women toiling in the fields, the soldiers washing
their clothes at the river bank and such a lovely peaceful river.
We hear a good deal of our troops. Mr. Miel is working
with our army, they are so short of tobacco, although the
New York Sun has raised an enormous sum to supply it —
I thing $300,000— but it is difficult to get it over. When
the agent arrives he is mobbed. He gave us a graphic
account of his arrival in one camp where the men were in
swimming, they simply mobbed him in their tnrthday clothes.
Of course he wanted a movie of it, but was interfered with,
can you imagine the scandal of that? I hate to write to you in
pencil but I have to squeeze in letters.

What the Y. M. C. A. say is needed more than anjrthing else
with our boys is women's good influence, carefully selected,
women to run canteens and really mother them. It must be
done and soon I should think. We delayed half a day in
Paris and as I vras all packed and ready to leave I took the
afternoon off and went to Versailles. It was one of those per-
fect evenings, wonderful cloud effects. We dined close to the
lagoon in which was reflected the clouds and the colors of the

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20 INTIMATE LETTERS PROM FRANCE

setting sun. The only evidence of war there was the gardens
planted with beans— die effect was very good— more pleasing
to my eye than formal flower beds.

We are traveling very comfortably into this war xone, a
carriage to ourselves and diner, which will serve us a kmch at
12:a0.

Please forgive me if I am terribly disconnected, but I jot
down little things as they occur to me. You must realize that
we are in uniform all the time which paves the way for us, it
is really an open sesame. Last night such a touchhig incident
occurred. When we returned from Versailles on the street car
we found that it only went to the fortifications. It was pitch
black. night, 9:30. The woman conductor assured us that we
could go the rest of the way Metro. When we descended from
the car into pitchy blackness I was scared. The woman real-
ized our uncertainty and sent a little boy to show the way.. We
walked at least a mile through narrow black streets. I con-
versed with the little boy, aged 12, who told me that he worked
12 hours every day in a machine shop. Although his poor little
legs must have been awfully tired, when I offered him a tip he
refused, looking at my Red Cross, and said "No, Madame, c'est
pour les blesses.''

We now see the White Road to Verdun. It all seems like
a dream to be here at times, am I dreaming or is it real?

I fear I won't be allowed to settle in one place and work
as the scheme is such a big one that all that I am supposed to
do is to get different groups started. It will be a very difficult
matter as we may meet with much local opposition from the
village doctor, etc., but our field of operation may extend from
one end of France to the other. I have a passport which takes
me ansrwhere in the war zone. Our headquarters will be in
Paris where we have to establish a school of district nurses in
the near future with a small hospital attached for demonstra-
tion purposes. I didn't see Dick in Paris or hear of him.

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Somewhere in France, August 17, 1917.
To A. G.

If you could behold us now! Mrs. Lucas and I are in the
bar-room of the hotel, sitting at one of the little tables.

We can not tear ourselves away from the exciting events
around us. Every little while the sjrrens blow which means
shells are Byvag and we are warned to get under cover; when
the tocsin sounds to seek the cellar. The hotel woman says it
is very inconvenient in the middle of the night. We rushed
into the street to see the German taubes which look like white
puff balls. The town is filled with men, scarcely a woman in
sight. It is surrounded by a wall and moat, one can not pass
in or out without a military passport

We inspected the refuge camp today which contains about
three hundred children aged from two months to twelve years,
and forty women. It has only been open two weeks and is
really a herculean task. The place was an old barracks before
and thoroughly infected, just as the old farmhouse was at
Bothin. The floors deep in mud and dirt, and the children
covered with impetigo and pediculosis. Several of the children
have been badly wounded, one poor little chap with his eye
blown out and Ins face badly disfigured. We saw a woman who
was here for a few days' rest, she works in the fields at night
with a helmet and gas mask, because the shells drop on her
so in the day time she can not work. She has a baby two
months old whom she leaves in this refuge. One of the women
said she was so glad her boy was here because he was so
naughty he would not wear his gas mask. I am djring to get
into the place and help clean up. They are badly in need of a
nurse there. All the helpers are first aiders, who are doing
wonderfully, but who do not understand impetigo, feeding, etc.,
you know well what I mean. Dr; Lucas really needs my help
too much to leave me here, but I think someone will have to be
sent immediately. The expenses of the place are met by the
State, but of course they can not supply everything. The Red
Cross must help out. We have not met the wonderful prefect
yet, his name is Mirman. His work is described in Arthur
Gleason's book— ''One part in the Great War.**

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22 INTIMATE LETTERS FROM PRANCE

Somewhere in Prance, August 19» 1917.
To A. G.

After writing last Thursday the Tocsin sounded and the
fearsome took to the cellar, the rest of the town turned out to
see the show. I figured it is as dangerous as crossing Market
Street. I watched the clouds of white smoke from the Boche
and French planes. The night before Dr. Lucas had a wonder-
ful view of the surrounding country lighted by huge search
lights, some from the Exposition. All kinds of colored light
signals were thrown. We are close here to Fort St. Michel and
hear the big guns. We sit in front of the hotel and watch the
endless stream of interesting passers-by, troops in all kinds of
uniforms and peasants with their burdens. I am personally
awfully discouraged today.

We were to have passes to go to Nancy and environs, where
the wonderful Mirman lives, and through the district where
Daisy Polk works. Of course we were delighted and went off
to the children's refuge to dinner. We watched from the hill
there a most wonderful sun set followed by flashes from the big
guns in the distance at St. Michel, Verdun— all so thrilling.

After sealing my letter this afternoon I found we were going
after all. Dr. Lucas decided to make the trip which is most
important for him, as we visit the towns where the children are
living underground, and his report to the Red Cross will be
most valuable. There is a noble cathedral here and we are five
miles from Joan of Arc's birth place.

Paris, August 25, 1917.
To A. G.

Through some mistake in my passport I was kept in
Toul two days. This has delayed my work. In the meantime
I have got a very good picture of the general situation and if I
were permitted would go straight ahead with rural district
work. It is what is most needed. I would like to see a nurse
settled among these poor people just as Daisy Polk is, she is
doing real social work, living in a little cabin and was having
a party for some of the older girls when we saw her. Dr.

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Lucas wants me to carry through another plan. MUe.
Montimort, who is a perfectly charming French woman, has
started a sort of district nurses' school, and she wants us to
take it over and run it on American lines. It is a big con-
structive work, but I do not think it could be done by me
now. First, because a school is not built in a day, it must
be a long, slow process, on good secure foundations, unless
I had at least five free years ahead of me, I think it would
be useless; secondly, I feel too old to launch a big undertak-
ing of that kind, to revolutionize the nursing in France;
thirdly, I think it should be done by a French woman trained
in America for the purpose. It would really take months of
study to organize to begin and in the meantime the children
are crjdng for help.

To give you some idea of what it means we would first have
to organize and run a dvil hospital of at least 150 beds where
the nurses could be taught, and in order to do this all kinds of
political problems must be met, also professional jealousies,
and all by a total stranger. Mile. Montimort is the only per-
son here, as far as I can see, who has any social ideas, in Paris
I mean, she has a settlement and all these nurses working and
is really a wonder, but no longer young either. The plan is
for me to live with her at a woman's dub and work the thing
up. I am to begin tomorrow morning by making a survey of
four districts in Paris to dedde where we had best work. I
am glad to do so, as I think one must understand Paris to
understand France. To sum up our work so far it is just two
weeks today since we arrived. We have inspected one district
and left three men to work there, and one nurse— -Mrs. Slem-
mons. Dr. Baldwin has visited another, bringing back a cry for
immediate relief. Dr. Gelston and Dr. Slemmons have stayed
in Paris and found out some important things for us. We have
made many valuable connections.

When you write to ask me to tell you what to do to help
I do not Imow what to say. From what I hear there seems to
be plenty of undistributed clothing on hand, and every society
at home clamoring to make more. MUe. Montimort, who has
a big grasp of things, feels that the work of the "Fatherless
Children'* is wasted. She feels thkt adequate help should be
given a few rather than so many poorly hdped. She sees the

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24 INTIMATE LETTERS PROM PRANCE

problem just as we would do at home. The mlninnim for each
child must be $10 per month at the present prices.

I have a desk in the Red Cross main office and will be able
to size up the situation better in a little while.

Paris, September 1, 1917.
To L. McL.

This is a queer place to work in, it is quite impossible to
transact any business between the hours of 12 and 2 p. m., so
unless you meet people and talk business with them at the lunch
hour, you simply must rest, as even the stenographers are off.
I have one of the latter at my disposal which is very useful to
me especially for spelling. I have just lunched with such an
interesting woman, a Mrs. Post, I have a feeling I should
know something about her. She has developed a wonderful
piece of work in France for tuberculosis, has district nurses
all over Brittany. I am to visit her in order to study her
work.

Dr. and Mrs. Lucas returned last night from Evian, on the
border of Switzerland, where 1,000 refugees come through every
day from Northern France. They say it was heart breaking to
see them arrive, many tiny children coming, too young to tell
their names, having been roughly separated from their parents.
Long lines of refugees wait for every train, hoping that their
loved ones will arrive, the most touching reunions take place.
Many never find those they seek as the able bodied women are
kept and the young children sent away, isn't it too horrible?
The brutality of the German was again impressed on them by
some Engli^ officers, forty of them who were passing through
Lyons on their way home, exchanged prisoners, all physical
wrecks. They told unbelievable tales of their treatment the
first year. They would stand in line hours for food and just as
they reached out a hand for a bowl of soup a German would
spit into it, this was a common practice. Two of the men who
were not wounded had operations in the muscles of their legs
so that they would be stiff for all time, diabolical. Some of
the men were such nervous wrecks from brutal treatment that
they burst into tears if they were spoken to suddenly.

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INTIMATE LETTERS PROM FRANCE 25

Paris, September 3, 1917.
To L. McL.

I am just adding a few lines in pencil, as I have not a pen,
to tell you that dear old Dick appeared on the scene this after-
noon, to rejoice my heart with his happy smile, which is as
cheerful and broad as ever. I have never seen him in better
form, his uniform is most becoming to him. If he has to wait
for several weeks before he is assigned to a regiment to get
his uniform, etc., he is going to try to get over to England; it
would be impossible for most people, but Dick seems to be able
to put this through. I wish that you could hear him tell his
adventures. We dined together last night, of course he is eager
for home news.

There are 800 American boys in the Camion Service, Dick
sa3rs many of them are going in for aviation. I am thankful he
is too heavy for it, you will be amazed that he says that his
former vacation adventures did more to get him his commission
than an3rthing else. He was minutely questioned as to his past
life, and the officer was delighted with his account of his vaca-
tions. Can we ever tell in this life what counts?

Somewhere in France, August 21, 1917.
To A. G.

I am going to write what I can of the wonderful day we
had yesterday, not knowing what will go through, but I must
try it. We were taken to the second line of defense, just think,
only five miles from the Boches, by the way, if you say Alle-
mand here, you are corrected. No other women have ever
been so near the lines, even Miss Burke did not get beyond the
forts, but we were between the forts and the Boche trenches.
We visited several demolished villages en route, the object of
our visit was to see the places where the children come from,
count the number left behind, who all must wear gas masks
which they often rebel at doing. No children under eight are
left with their mothers, who work in the fields, sometimes at
night, when the firing is too severe. The serenity and cheerful-
ness which they display is marvelous. Their mined homes did

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2i INTIMATE LETTERS FROM FRANCE

not make the dreadful impreasioii on me I anticipated, it is not
a circumstance to our fire. Except where the churches are
demolished, a social service worker can not help but feel that
more sanitary buildings might be an improvement, the animals
and people all live together. As far as food and clothes are
concerned, they look well fed and clothed, but thei filth is in-
herent, not just the result of the war. But can yon imagine
anjTthing more dreadful than a condition in the supposedly
Christian world? Christ on his crucifix in many villages is the
only thing erect, where women and little children by thousands
must work in the fields under shell fire wearing gas masks to
protect them from the fiendish brutality of their fellow men.
The Americans are said to be responsible for the invention of
submarines and areoplanes, but thank God, we are not respon-
sible for the gas devU, but to return to my tale.

On Monday morning we started on our trip in two cars sent
to us by the field staff. We were very soon on the ''White
Road to Verdun" which name is well applied. I never saw a
more beautiful boulevard road, and winding through such a
lovely country. The cars simply went like lightning. I have
never driven so fast, our first stop was made to say ''How do
you do" at stations where our ambulance bo3rs are living in
what I call a mess. Fourteen of them were off duty with some
skin trouble, probably scabies. Fortunately the work was light
just then. We soon proceeded to the demolished villages and
met the various mayors, who generally met us pitchfork in
hand, they seem to elect by vote the most decrepit man
in the village, not that we saw any others, every abled bodied
human being is at war, one never sees a youth, I don't know
what has become of them unless they are all dead. The men
in the army all look mature, which is quite different from the
English. In London I saw so many boys in uniform who
looked barely seventeen. The spirit of the French soldier
seems fine, they are all smiles, even those we saw in the
trenches. There is plenty of fight left in them yet. It seems to
me as if they were aU settled down to the business of war as
if it were a regular business, and have no idea of its ever
ceasing, the men really enjoy it. I can understand it a little
bit because when we were in our battle at sea, I felt quite
thrilled and excited at all the noise and commotion, tmt I fear

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there is something inherent in human nature that likes a fight.
The women seemed to be in a perfectly normal state of mind
and it is very difficult to persuade them to leave for places of
safety. The head of a shell factory right at the front told me
that the first day 400 of the cowards left and that since that
none had gone. He has about 15,000 left in his village. His
factory is shelled every night, everyone regularly goes to sleep
in the cellar and they all look remarkably well, the age of
maturity here seems to be 7. All children under 8 are sent
away to those huge asylums, but I will describe them another
time.

Between each village our cars went like mad, as the
road was exposed to the enemy fire, we did not realize till
afterward that the staff cars attracted attention to us. When
we finally, after a mad dash, arrived at the second line, great
was the surprise of the Colonel and the men who had never
seen a woman there before. We were shown just how the
wounded were given the first aid treatment. First, anti-tetanus
toxin, then a simple dressing, followed by a dose of morhpine
to help them on the journey. The surgeon was very grateful
to the American Fund for French Wounded, for all they
had done for them. We went into the trenches which
are filthy holes which animals would refuse to live in
and then were taken up a side hill into a dug-out where
the colonel had a banquet spread for us, the table deco-
rated with flowers and an orchestra playing. The banquet
consisted of Saratoga potatoes, bread and tea, beer and
champagne. Most touching compliments were paid to our
country, and when the orchestra played "Home, Sweet Home"
from Martha, not knowing its meaning to us, it was almost too
much. A man with a beautiful voice who sings in one of the
Paris churches sang pathetic songs of his beloved country, and
altogether it was an occasion I shall never forget, although it
was almost more than I could bear, the body of a headless man
had been carried into their little morgue a few minutes before.
All the time the frightful guns were thundering away and every
time I jumped the men all laughed, thought it was a big joke.
But the pleasure those lonely men got out of our visit was pa-
thetic in itself. Soldiers kept arriving with huge bunches of
golden-rod in honor of our country. The French certainly

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know how to be agreeable. On our retnm we stopped at several
hospitals where the most serious cases are taken care of, not a
woman nurse and that tells the tale, flies thick everywhere, but
the men all smiles. I bought a quantity of cigarettes which
they eagerly seized. So far I have spent all my money for
cigarettes and t03rs. The appeal to my heart has come from
the poor uncomfortable, badly cared for, helpless men and the
hundreds of dull eyed listless looking children, sitting around
in these huge asylums with nothing to do, nothing to play with,
they really don't know how to play. I have bought jumping
ropes, balls, etc., all things which demand activity. They must
learn to play hard. I actually taught some bo3rs to play leap
frog, which they had never heard of. Our men are badly in
need of base-balls, I believe the Y. M. C. A. have taken that up.

As we sped home later that evening a shell just missed us
on the road, and the mayor of one of the viUeges told us the
next day that four had fallen in the square just left. But T
wouldn't have missed the trip for anything as all the reading to
the world does not give you the true picture.

I am sending this to Bath first as I know I will never repeat
all this.

P. S. I forgot to tell you that the cur6's mother in one vil-
lege was astonished to find we were not black, although Ameri-
cans.

Paris, Sept. 9, 1917
To A. G.

I have been through some poor districts and have a pretty
fair idea of the Paris situation. I saw a place yesterday where
three thousand refugees are housed in model tenements built by
the City of Paris for poor people, and not quite completed be-
fore the war. They were fiinished in a hurry and used for
refugees. They are very light and well planned in a way, but
no running water except kitchen sink and toilet; no light
at night and no way to wash clothes as far as I could see. Of
course these refugees are terribly crowded in them. Paris was
in the act of building a number of these when the war broke
out, homes for one couple and for families with from one to

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INTIMATE LETTERS FROM FRANCE 29

four children only. Two big tenements are for tubercular
families.

There is no doubt of the need of the work here; there is so
much to be done that it is bewildering.

The work is going much more smoothly, many tangles have
been straightened out.

Paris, Sept. 12, 1917.
To A. G.

I received your letter today saying you were sending me
some money. Of course it is for me to spend for other people,
the need for a special fund is so great. I suppose Red Cross
red tape cannot be avoided when things come up. For instance,
I gave $30.00 the other day to a Presbyterian Hospital nurse
who has given her services since the beginning of the war to
a place for children at Evian. She has never had any proper
dispensary equipment. Dr. Lucas is going to take over the
pl^ce but it may take two months to get it through. The poor
woman seemed so tired and discouraged.

Paris, Sept. 16, 1917.
To A. G.

I was glad to get yoiu: news of Miss Johnson.

In all my travels I havn*t seen a place which compared in
charm to our Neighborhood House, or a nurse who could hold
a candle to Miss Johnson. But tell her she is not needed over
here, she might be dumped in one little comer and made to
kick her heels for months or she might be overworked doing
things other people could do better.

I doubt if much fighting will take place between now and
Spring, when our men are expected to come and take the brunt
of it. Do refer enough to my letters when you write to let me
know that you receive them, it is discouraging to write these
long letters and never know whether they arrive or not.

Yes, to answer one of your questions, that account in The
''Times" was of our adventure. It was most exciting, in fact,
the whole voyage was really thrilling. After the first two days

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30 INTIMATE LETTERS FROM FRANCE

out we came into a heavy fog and I can aisare you that it waa
not comfortable going slowly through it with all lights out. I
feh much more nervous about that than I did over the actual
attack of the submarine which took place when we were seven
dasrs out, two days before we reached Belfast. We were
awakened by firing at 7 a. m. I jumped up and began to put
on the costume which I had decided on, black tights and a
sweater with my skirt just hung on to me by one hook, so that
I could drop it quickly. It was a bright, beautiful morning.
The noise of the big guns which we were carrying was terriffic.
Well, we very quickly arrived at the saloon where all the pas-
sengers were shut up. I popped little Miss Gilder into one of
those awful rubber suits and locked her in, they have huge
metal clasps; then I put on one of the ship's preservers which
I had decided to take my chances in, having been told that the
rubber suits took up the place of three people in a boat. I have
written all this before but you write that the pages were torn
out

The exchange of shots lasted thirty minutes. We fired forty
and the enemy fifty-five, many of which broke over us and close
beside. We literally ran away and when we were out of gun
shot, went down and ate our breakfast as if nothing had hap-
pened.

I was really more nervous in the Irish Channel when we
were carefully making our way over mines with possible sub-
marines at any minute, but this seems like ancient hisotry.

Morlaix, Sept. 19, 1917.
To A. G.

I wrote you such a blue, discouraged letter Sunday that I
am quite ashamed of myself today and hope that both letters
reach you the same day. I have been here with Mrs. Post for
four days and feel like a different person. She has organized
a wonderful piece of work here in Brittany which shows that
women of our age are still young enough to be of some use in
the world. I won't tell you about her work because I will write
a report of it for Dr. Lucas and I will send you a copy.

You have been in my thoughts more than ever if possible

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since I have been here because I know that you love Brittany.
Through the district nurses I have gotten into the heart of the
country in the short time I have been here, in a way that I
might not have done for months as a tourist, I have gone right
into their homes, into houses built in the 14th century, too in-
teresting and quaint for words, and filled with old carved
furniture and wonderful clocks and china even in the homes
of the poorest peasants.

We have found them squatting on the ground before an
open fire> the whole family eating from a big iron pot in the
center. The nurses have taught them the danger of the in-
fected ones eating from the same bowl and actually taught them
to boil their own bowls and spoons. I was surprised to find
how successful they have been in instructing. Mrs. Post has
seven nurses scattered among the small towns near here. It
has been very encouraging to me to feel that my coming has
been a real help to Mrs. Post, who, before she undertook this
work, a little less than a year ago, knew absolutely nothing
about district nursing and was not even interested in it. She
was working with Dr. Carrell, she had brought over a unit of
six nurses to help him. Dr. Carrell became interested in the
tuberculosis problem of France. Eminent French doctors met
at his hospital to discuss the subject. They managed to get
through some good tuberculosis laws and then the French Com-
missioners begged Mrs. Post to start the ball rolling. She first
positively declined, but when they returned several months
later for her help again, she very reluctantly consented and
came here because it was the most infected spot in France.
Miss Maxwell provided her with a nurse who really instructed
her in the a-b-c's of district work. The nurse was obliged to
leave her about six months ago and she has been groping ahead
ever since, reading books and getting practical experience. You
can imagine how glad she is to have such a S3rmpathetic visitor
as I am.

Coming as I have from an office where any knowledge
or experience I hay have counts for nothing, it is a double
pleasure to me to study Mrs. Post's methods which are admir-
able, and to give her suggestions which are helpful. For in-
stance, she is converting an old place into a combination day
camp for 150 people and hospital for research work. I was able

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32 INTIMATE LETTERS FROM FRANCE

to plan for her the best places for her awnings, etc. Her idea
had been that the more wind they were exposed to the better.
She was just about to build a pavilion, just a roof and floor for
a dining room in a most exposed place. I persuaded her not to
build anything at present but arrange for the patients to have
their meals indoors in a building on the place where they can
be warm and comfortable while eating. Then we have had a
great time in talking over the possibilities of her farm, 25 acres,
of course I am urging Flemu^ hares, etc. Mrs. Post is very
receptive and falls upon every idea with avidity. I am also
urging pottery for the day camp people. It seems that the
making of pottery has been given up in this neighborhood
although the clay comes from here. She is enthusiastic at the
idea of reviving the art. She can easily get a good potter to
run it.

I have seen such wonderful sun cures that I want to take off
all the clothes of the children at the Farm and expose them to
the sun. It has to be done with a good deal of care at first,
gradually increasing the length of exposure.

Sunday, Sept. 22

I couldn't finish my letter at Morlaix, and here I am on the
Paris train leaving Quimpere where we have been for two days.
Mrs. Post returned to Morlaix last night. She has really done
wonders here and of a permanent nature. It is the best single
piece of public health work I ever seen done. I am charmed
with Brittany, find the people much more attractive than the
other French peasants I have seen, much cleaner, and of course,
their costumes are fascinating. Yesterday was market day.
I couldn't tear myself away from the spot The women and
little girls all wear black, except their caps. The day war was
declared all colors were put away, but men wore bright colored
jackets and mixed with the Zouaves in bright red and the sailors
with their blue collars and red pompons, the market place was
a gay sight.

My entire trip interested me, it was such an opportunity to
go into the homes of the peasants. Millie would have gone

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crazy over the famitare, and as for Mrs. GrifFith (Adelaide),
she would have forcibly removed much of it. The simplest
peasants' homes filled with carved furniture trimmed with shin-
ing brass, wonderful old clocks and china, or rather pottery,
not much of the last. ,

We paid nursing visits in houses dating from the 14th cen-
tury, an spotlessly clean. The people speak very little French,
so it makes the work more difficult. Mrs. Post has several
nurses who speak Breton. The patients really follow out in-
structions. They have 420 cases in the little town of Morlaiz.
They do no nursing except dressings; the idea being that
they had to choose between real nursing and educational
work— as it was impossible to do both. They teach one thing
at a time, don't take the second step until the first is learned.
For instance they don't at one and the same visit tell patients
to guard sputum, open the windows, not drink coffee, to sleep
alone, to boil their dishes, etc.

We motored from village to village where the dispensaries
are established, five in all, each village quainter than the last,
all the surrounding country highly cultivated and all by women
who work so hard they can no longer nurse the babies, and
although it is a dairy country, such poor care is taken of the
cows' milk that no one thinks of using milk that has not been
boiled. I told Mrs. Post that until they tackled the milk and
water question I thought their fight against tuberculosis was a
hopeless one. There is more tuberculosis in Brittany than in
any other part of France.

Another fascinating sight was a pilgrimage to a 'Tardon,"
as they call it. The mass was held in the open air, the altar
being over a spot where some miracle was performed. It was
touching to see the crowd of women and men in their quaint
costumes kneeling there under the trees praying for France,
and their boys at the front. The last call has been made for
bo3rs from 17 to 19.

I met the man who is the Grenfell of this coast. He has
established hospitals, reading rooms, etc. I am returning to
Paris renewed for the fray.

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34 INTIMATE LETTERS FROM PRANCE

Paris, September 26, 1917.
To A. G.

Since my return to Paris things have been very quiet as Dr.
Lucas is away— the office is like a lull after a storm— not that
he is at all stormy. On the contrary he is very quiet, but it
means such a rush of business. You see our bureau is quite
different from what Dr. Lucsa or any one expected. All the
children's work in France has been thrust upon him, sick and
welL He has to investigate and decide on all the aid given to
already organized societies. It is really a herculean task. While
our supplies, nurses, etc., are en route I am helping in this. I
am happier now having something definite to do.

The Finistere report will give you a^ idea of it. Of course
it is not constructive work but I am glad to do something really
useful.

I am to inspect orphan asylums next week. I spend much
time interviewing women. I think every misfit in France is
steered to me and there are many. There is a whole group of
people over here I really feel sorry for« they came a year or
two ago as volunteers paying all their own expenses, now
money has given out and they are stranded. The majority
don't know enough French to be useful in our work, the army
doesn't want them, the canteen people won't support them, as
they can get shoals of non-pay people and here they are, some
very clever, capable girls. Just at present France is over-
stocked with army nurses. There has been so little fighting,
some are being released to us, so far we have only landed one
through the red tape but hope for more.

Paris, October 9, 1917.
To A. G.

I am going to send you at least a short letter before leaving
for Evian, where we are opening a big "oeuvre," as it is called
here; it is really a tremendous undertaking to get going all at
once. We have a big villa there with smaller houses attached
for the nurses homes, etc. The hospital and dispensary are to be
there, the dispensary to be open both day and night, as one

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train comes in at night. The idea is that we are to examine
the children phsrsically when they arrive; poor little things,
more for them to go through at the end of their long, tragic
journey, but it seems necessary. They arrive in such filthy
condition that they have to be fumigated before they can be
touched. We are to have a beautiful convalescent home at
Lyon, a gift to the city before the war, but which has never
been opened. I am full of enthusiasm because I see hopes of
organizing the work. If there are any available French nurses
in San Francisco who speak French, do make them telegraph
to Miss Noyes. I would prefer the French than all the public
health experience in the world. Public health work is really
out of the question here pro tem. I am picking up some nurses
from the army, who have been over here three years.

Evian les Bains, October 12, 1917.
To L. McL.

Bach time here in France you imagine that you have wit-
nessed the depths of misery until you take the next step. It
would be impossible for me with my poor descriptive powers
to give you any picture of the arrival of the trains here twice
a day bringing in "rapatri6s" from Belgium. These poor creat-
ures arrive 500 at a time night and morning. You can imagine
how dirty and tired they are after three days and nights on the
crowded trains, no sleeping accommodations, the trains filled
with paralyzed and decrepit old people and babies and children,
up to twelve years. This morning an Old People's Home
arrived, 150 old men, mostly blind and paralyzed. I carried
two paralytic children from the train. As the train approaches
the station the women lean out, wave and shout, ''Vive la
France I"

We have eight American ambulances here to meet the trains
so the march to the Casino is not so painfull as it was. The
poor people have taken these long painful journeys three times,
first from their village to another French town, then to Belgium,
from Belgium here, and now they say ''What next?"

So many children get lost in iht crowd and are so terribly
frightened. A beautiful little girl arrived last night quite alone.

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36 INTIMATE LETTERS FROM FRANCE

a child of ten years, she was so pitifully frightened. It is little
girls of that age that the horrors of war seem to have the worst
effect on. It often stops their development. They have a
strained* frightened look that is most pitifuL It is all wonder-
fully arranged for them here by the Lyons, a Madame Gilet
Motte organized the whole thing. She came when they first
began this business to meet her niece, and was so horrified at
the tragedy of it all that she has worked day and night ever
since for these poor creatures. After leaving die train they are
taken to the Casino. Last night it was a heart rending sight
to see this long black procession of refugees marching along
the winding road laden with bundles and balnes, just hobbling
along.

The Casino is a huge place where they are all comfortably
seated and fed. After dinner or breakfast as it may be the
French official appears dressed in evening clothes, high silk
hat and tricolor silk scarf with gold fringe around his waist,
stands on a platform and makes a stirring speech of welcome,
which is received with many tears and shouts of joy, and "Vive
la France I" Then the national air is played by a band and the
people march out to be ticketed. Each one wears a tag after
that until he is finally placed, green tag for "no friends," pink
for "relations expecting him somewhere in France," and white
for "detained because of illness in his or her family.". It is for
the latter when it is a child that our hospital and convalescent
home is being established. We have the most ideal vUla, it
was a hotel with modem plimibing. There are three buildings
on the place which is on the edge of Lake Geneva. The first is
a sort of outdoor pavilion, which will be an ideal place for the
sun cure, a little higher up a nurses' home, a small house for
servants and on the hill the hospital, which is ideal. We will
commence with 100 beds. Mr. Cornelius Bliss is with us on this
trip. He returns to Washington to report. He is very much
impressed by everything. One would have a heart of stone not
to be overcome. I don't know whether I will get to Lyons or
not.

I only heard yesterday of Douglas MacMonagle's death. He
died, shot through the temple in an air battle — ^very gallantly.

I wish I could get Frederica Otis over here. She would be
a great help. The great difficulty we have is getting people to

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INTIMATE LETTERS FROM FRANCE 37

help with the children who speak French. Very few girls care
to work with children, the blesses appeal more. For instance,
Margaret Robins would be so much more help with children
than in the military hospital. There are more people over here
for that work than are needed, tell Miss Johnson this and tell
her that if she doesn't speak French, she is useless in the chil-
dren's work. Fortunately my work is organizing, so the French
is not so important, I am really making progress.

Evian, October 14, 1917.
To A. G.

I feel so exhausted after my morning's experience that I
doubt if I can write much of a letter. I thought yesterday that
nothing could be sadder than the sight of these poor families
landing at Evian, homeless, penniless, and forlorn, but with joy
in their faces at being again in France. The invariable answer
is, when you ask them if they are fatigued after their three days
of frightful discomfort, ''I was, but now I am in France, all
fatigue is forgotten." The worst of it is their troubles are
anything but at an end. The difficulty of finding them home is
almost unsurmountable. When you think of 1,000 people of all
helpless ages arriving in one small town every day, you can
imagine what it means. If they are not quickly moved on the
congestion is terrific, so trains moving them in and moving
them out are always being met by a stream of people, nurses,
attendants and ambulances. Our ambulance men are doing
fine work lifting the helpless in and out of the trains and ambu-
lances.

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INTIMATE LETTERS FROM FRANCE

Later. On the Paris train, 8 a. m.

I began this letter yesterday, just after meeting the train
filled with 680 Belgium children under 12 years. It was the most
tragic sight imaginable. Two-thirds of the children were taken
from their parents and sent to France to be supported. The
majority of the children arrived in a very excited, happy state
of mind, shouting "Vive la France!" but many little girls wept
bitterly. Little families with the little mother at the head
clung together. They marched to the Casino where they were
feted and given flags. After a good dinner, the Prefect made a
speech of welcome, and then the National Anthem was played.
You should have seen that mob of pathetic underfed, grimy,
helpless infants, standing on the benches, waving their two
flags violently and singing at the tops of their voices. It was a
really heart-breaking sight, and quite too much for the older
girls who put their heads in their arms and sobbed uncontrol-
ably. These children were facing starvation and their mothers
parted with them to save them. They leave Evian this evening
to be scattered over France. The Belgian Government has
charge of them. I was shocked to see many little boys of six
or eight years marching by me calmly smoldng cigarettes, and
they were all given wine to drink at the dinner.

I left Evian last night at 6 p. m. and had a horrible night,
six of us sitting up in a compartment without a breath of air,
door and windows tight closed. In the middle of the night we
were routed out for a customs examination. Some chocolate
was found in my bag which caused much trouble, and in fishing
for some money to pay the customs one franc, it was dis-
covered that I had some incriminating letters, so I was marched
off by a soldier to another place. My passports were demanded
and I was shut up in a little room while the letters were ex-
amined. Of course they were nothing, but it was not comfort-
able as I was alone.

The Swiss frontier is to be closed for ten days. After that I
understand the number of French coming in will be doubled.

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Paris, October 15, 1917.
To C. A. S.

I arrived in Paris this morning, perfectly exhausted after
sitting up all night fourteen hours in a closed compartment
with five other people. We were lucky to get that, many slept
on the floor in the corridor.

We are opening a Children's Hospital of 100 beds at Evian.
If you could get people to make flannelette nightgowns for us,
we would be delighted, direct to Children's Hospital, Evian les
Bains, Switzerland, care of American Red Cross. I think I
wrote you that one thousand French people from the north of
France, who had been deported to Belgium five months ago,
arrive daily at Evian. It is a peculiar task to find lodgings for
them, after a night or two at Evian and then find homes or
friends for ihem all over France. The majority of them are
perfectly helpless people, tiny babies carried oftentimes by
sixteen-year-old mothers, Boche babies of course. This has
been going on since last February, 500 at 6:30 a. m. and 500 at
7 p. m. French women meet the trains, help the sick and feeble
of whom there are many ambulance loads. As you look at this
tragic sight poor creatures laden with their pitiful all, baskets
filled with strange treasures, you find that it is the survival of
the unfit; Germany's gift to France. To add horror to horror,
on Sunday 680 Belgium children arrived, some of them were
orphans but the majority of them have been taken from their
families because their fathers have refused to work for the
Germans. The poor little things arrived tired and forlorn after
a three dasrs' trip, but shouting at the top of their voices, "Vive
la France!" French ladies distributed chocolates to them at
the train and then they marched to the Casino, many of the
bo3rs singing but the litle girls were frightened and many of
them wept. They had a dinner of meat and poutoes, which
they considered a great treat with roasted chestnuts, chocolate
and wine for dessert. Then the band played their national
hymn, which they sang, waving French and Belgium flags, ex-
cept those who were so overcome by the music that they put
their heads on the table and wept. I have never been so over-
come in public in my life, men and women sobbed is was so

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40 INTIMATE LETTERS FROM FRANCE

dreadfuL The children were fairly well dressed hat looked
under-fed. Mr. Cornelius Bliss made the trip with us, he is on
the War Council at Washington. He was very much moved.
Our doctor examined all these children during the afternoon,
any ill children who come in the future will go either to our
hospital or convalescent home. I return Friday to Evian with
eleven nurses, I will be there for about two weeks and organ-
ize the work. Eversrthing we do here is very difficult as we
have to satisfy the French as well as ourselves.

Hopiul pour enfants. Hotel du Chatelet,
Evian des Bains, Huate Savoie, France.

October, 1917.
To A. G.

I am putting on the above address in case you have anything
to send for the children. As I wrote, flannelette nightgowns
will be our great need. I am having a holiday; this is such a
beautiful place, at present with no bad sights, as the rapatri6
flood has stopped until November Ist, and our hospital has not
yet opened. While writing to you, I am listening with one ear
to a man who lived in Russia for 25 years, the Czar's dentist,
an American, he sasrs that our commission made no impression
on Russia. He says that Russia idolizes Roosevelt. It is most
interesting to hear his tales of the revolution. He was in Petro-
grad all through it, the truth is that it was anjrthing but a
bloodless revolution. Although the Russian news is bad, the
general belief here is that Germany will gain nothing by taking
Petrograd, just a longer front to guard.

We took such a wonderful walk yesterday, about ten miles
up in the hills behind the Chatelet, almost to the snow line.
I have never seen more beautiful autumn foliage, you can
imagine it against the snow on one side, the reflection in the
lake on the othr, the air is so wonderful that you can walk
all day without fatigue. I came here with an awful cold and
already feel like a new person. I will be here for two weeks.

I had two letters from you the night I left Paris, I read
them at 3 a. m. standing under a lamp in the corridor of the
train.

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We have such a fine set of young fellows here, I am fond
of them all; our new nurses from America are a particularly
fine set of girls. I am wondering and wondering if this is to be
a thirty-years' war. •

Evian les Bains, October 29, 1917.
To A. G.

Our hospital opened yesterday with a measles case. Every
one was excited and ran around. It was quite amusing. Every
one said before we opened that it would be difiFicult to persuade
the mothers to part with their children. But already we find
that we are being swamped with children. These poor ra-
patri6s seem to have such faith in the Americans that they trust
us implicitly.

We have such an interesting nurse here; she has been three
years in Serbia and Macedonia. She had tjrphus twice, there
were only two nurses in the hospital; they both had tjrphus and
were nursed by Austrian prisoners. I think she must be the
nurse Miss Burke described who found the Serbian boys and
marched hundreds of miles with them. Thirty thousand of
these boys between the ages of eight and eighteen were en-
rolled in an army and marched out of Serbia in order to save
them. Only 6,000 reached their destination, the rest died of
starvation en route. Miss Simmonds is very enthusiastic over
the Serbs; she liked the Russians very much, too; she came
into intimate contact with the men of six armies; it was a
tremendous experience.

Just before leaving Paris I had a most wonderful present;
it was a lace sofa cushion made by a French soldier in a
hospital. I visited the hospital and admired this lace very
much, which one of the men was making. All of the
men in the ward were making lace; they had patterns before
them which they were copjring. The Mother Superior of the
place had it made up for me. I think it is so pathetic to see
these strong men turned into lace makers.

I wish you would interest some one in making caps for our
children to wear when they are being disinfected, it is very
necessary.

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42 INTIMATE LETTERS FROM FRANCE

We did have such a wonderful trip to Chamoniz; arrived
there in the first snow storm of the season; it was like a fairy
scene— so many trees laden with huge red berries and these
covered with snow. The autumn foliage is so beautiful— It
makes such a wonderful contrast in the snow. It was hard to
realize we were there really because of the war.

I inspected a hotel en route which Dr. Lucas is thinking of
for a convalescent home, it is most unsuitable, I think. He has
not seen it and probably won't go there after my report.

We are to have a convalescent home near Lyons. I am de-
lighted with our nurses, an unusually fine set of women.

Lyons, November 1, 1917.
To L. McL. and C. A. S.

My present life seems to deal in the unexpected even more
than my life at home. After spending a week at Evian helping
to organize the new hospital which is open now with twenty
patients (we have room for one hundred but no more will come
until the rapatri68 begin to arrive again), I left for Lyons where
we are to have a convalescent home for children. There is a
wonderful young woman here who organized all this rapatri6
work, Madame Gillet Motte. She became interested in it
through meeting one of her young relatives who was sent
through, she found the child utterly forlorn, dirty, covered with
vermin and unattended by an adult. Madame Gillet's family
is very rich. She comes from the north of France. Her father
and mother are hostages now, they have been held as such for
two and a half years. Well, Madame Gillet undertook the care
of all the children who arrive separated from their parents, also
the orphans. She has had thousands in her care, at present she
has on her hands 1,200 who have not yet been connected with
anyone. She has them scattered all over in houses of about 60
beds in each.

Just to give you an idea of some of her troubles, diphtheria
developed in one house last week, seven of the children died
and at present about forty of them are down with it The
seven died because of bad hospital care, all of the decent medi-
cal men are in the army.

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Dr. Lucas expects to turn the German Consulate into a
hospital for children, it is next door to the Gillet home.

On my arrival at Lyons I found to my surprise that Dr.
Lucas had arrived the same day from Paris with Dr. Richard
Cahot, Mr. Devine and half a dozen other doctors. I was so
glad to see Dr. Cahot, he is to join our forces and we need
him badly. The arrival of that big party has interfered awfully
with my work, as we have had to meet the Mayor, be enter-
tained, etc. Yesterday we drove out to the chateau which was
left by a rich old lady for a convalescent home for children. I
was astounded when I got there to drive through the most
beautiful woods, and at the top of the hill find a palace! You
never say such a place, 56 rooms« besides the lodge and a central
heating ssrstem. It is high and overlooks a beautiful country.
We found three old servants in charge, all of whom I promptly
engaged, to relieve their minds. The butler has been with the
family forty-nine years. The house is full of wonderful old
carved furniture, tapestries, etc., which belong now to the
grandsons who are in the army. I shall select several big
rooms and store them pro tem. A housekeeper and assistant
arrived this a. m. from Paris, and we shall go to the chateau
tomorrow and I will stay with them there a few days to plan
it. We have the nurses, the beds are ready and this
A. M. I will buy sheets and blankets. Children's night-
gowns are our biggest problem, and while I think of it, I am
crazy for some caps such as we use at the Farm for disinfect
ing heads, just a mob cap made of gingham, pink probably,
with good quality elastic in it Do get some one busy making
these.

Lyons, Chateau des Halles, November 4, 1917.
To A. G.

Here I am installed in a palace with a total and entire
stranger (Mrs. Holzman), and a French architect as my sole
companions. Dr. Lucas left us here yesterday after going over
the place in a very formal way, accompanied by a number of
French politicians, all dressed in black, long coats and high
hats. It was just like a funeral procession and the house cer-

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44 INTIMATE LETTERS FROM FRANCE

tainly did seem impossible for the moment. But after a deUd-
otts hmch prepared by the Chateau's cook and served by the
maitre dHiotel, we felt encouraged to go ahead.

We have really worked out a very good, feasible plan, which
practically shuts off half of the house which is not heated.
This place is really a palace, 56 rooms without counting farm
houses, stables, etc, 300 acres. It was given to the city of
Lyons by an old woman who gave it in a time of mental de-
pression. Nothing could be more unsuitable than it is for a
children's home. It is built in the style of 50 years ago, perfectly
hideous, huge rooms with ceilings three stories in height.. We
can put 27 beds in the dining room. Mrs. Holxman, who is here
with me, is a treasure, a queer combination of artist (a singer),
and very practical, has run girls' camps in the Adirondacks.

We have planned all kinds of things for this place including
an Xmas entertainment for the village children, and district
nursing — ^there are any number of little villages near by and
not a doctor. Mrs. Holzman is a very capable woman. We
can't really do anything towards getting the chateau in order
until the heir to the furniture arrives and selects what he wants.
It is awfully pathetic, the house is full of relics of the past
with no one to claim them. One stumbles across children's
building blocks, uniforms of the young officer who went down
in a submarine, and all kinds of little things which make one
realize how uncertain life is, to think that these precious me-
mentos are being put aside by strange Americans.

Monday.

There is a beautifully kept farm in connection with the place,
17 cows, chickens, which of course pleases me, hot houses,
rose gardens, walled fruit and heavens knows what. I didn't
take time to really investigate it alL

We returned to Lyons in order to see Dr. Lucas before his
return to Evian. He was delighted with our plan for the ar-
rangement of the house, which really is very good. We all
dined together. The young doctor arrived, who is to have
charge of the place.

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Paris, November 10, 1917.
To L. McL. and C. A. S.

You can imagine my disappointment when I returned from
Lyons after a three weeks' absence to find that I had missed
a visit from Loyall, I felt like cr3dng. One of the hardest
things over here is that we are so cut off from those we love.
It is a comfort to me to know that Dick and Loyall are on the
same continent with me. My birthday letter to Dick arrived on
the day of his birthday and the cigarettes right after, which
seemed to please him.

So many of the big doctors are arriving here from home
that I am wondering if there are any left. You both write
about children's clothes so I am going to answer together: We
need bloomers for all ages up to 12 years: rompers, mob cai>8
(with good elastic) for disinfecting heads; aprons, high neck,
long sleeves, NOT black; woolen stockings if possible, for
winter; flanelette night gowns, all sizes to 10 years; sweaters,
dark colors to pull over the head, with sleeves; woolen dresses
(could be made of old material). I want a large supply of
boys' overalls but I think I will have to have them made here.
I am determined to introduce our overall to the French boy.
The black satine apron he wears with heavy wood soled shoes
is enough to discourage any boy from having a good rough
game. The children rarely play hard. I have watched them
carefully all over France; now I have decided that their dress
has much to do with it.

Madame Gilet is enthusiastic over the overall idea and has
begged me for a pattern which she will have made out of khaki
in her husband's factory. It is the ideal garment for the sun
treatment, just cut the trousers very short and there you are
with a perfectly modest, simple garment. Half of the Fmech
boys in Paris have already discarded the apron for the boy
scout uniform, introduce the overall and the nation is reformed!

I think I have made enough suggestions to last some little
time, keep you all busy for the winter knowing that neither
of you have anything to do but make children's clothes for
me, but be sure that you carefully mark anything you send to
the "Children's Hospital," Evian les Bains, Hotel Chalelet of
American Red Cross.

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46 INTIMATE LETTERS FROM FRANCE

I was glad to leave Lyons, it is the most doleful dty I ever
was lilt worse than Chicago, the same atmosphere, black and
grimy, the sui never shines there. It really should be very
beantifal, as it has two big rivers flowing through it, and lovely
hills around, but the factory smoke combined widi the river
fogs casts a gloom over everjrthing.

Tomorrow I begin lessons with a French Countess who is a
very sweet, attractive woman, whom Dr. Lucas has given a
position as translator in our office, although she speaks little
English. I worked out a French method which I thought would
help her English and my French at the same time. For instance,
"Everyone" "Tout le monde," she was to read the English and
I the French. When I suggested this she said, "No, it is im-
possible, for you do not speak English, you speak American.''
Well, I let that pass without argument, saying, "Perhaps not,
but our written English is the same, we learn from the same
literature." "Ah!" she replied, "mais les Anglais n'ont pas une
literature." When I tell this story to an English woman she
laughs heartily at the first part and I am sure agrees, but when
I finish the story she is way up in the air and furious. It is
quite amusing to watch their "re-action'' as Dr. Lucas would
say.

I have met a tjrpe of English man and woman whom I find
most congenial and admire very much, "The Friends." They,
without question, continue to do, and have done the best work
in France since the beginning of the war. Men and women,
they turn their hand to whatever comes. A fine young fellow
is at this very moment installing the new plumbing for us in
the chateau near Lyons. He has become an intimate friend of
the priest in the village where he is working and keeps his
organ in repair for him.

Dr. Hilda Clark is the moving spirit of the society. She
lives at this club, The Lyceum, when she is in Paris so I
know her welL She is iU now and in England.

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Paris, November 12, 1917.
To E. E. S.

Last week I was at Lyons en route for Paris from Evian-
les-Bains, where we have a wonderful hospital for children. I
spent a night at Chamoniz and thought of you. Isn't it beauti-
ful there? We arrived in a slight snowstorm, just enough to
make the place look like a fairy scene; the trees were all bright
red or yellow, some with huge bunches of red berries hanging
from them; you can imagine the effect in the snow. But I am
a hoodoo traveling. I seem a suspicious character. I am al-
ways held up. The last time I came through Bellegarde I was
arrested twice, at midnight, too, just for smuggling chocolate.
No one told me it was dutiable and after I had shown my
passports, paid duty, explained, etc., it was discovered that I
was carrying letters through to Paris, another excitement.

I was shut up in a small room, scared to death and expect-
ing to be put through the third degree when I was smilingly
released. Well, last week I avoided all these sins but when
I showed my passport, they shook their heads, asked if I had
come from Switzerland and put me aside for further investi-
gation. It makes one so nervous as I hear so many stories of
women being put up against a wall and shot. Think of that
happening to Auntie! I have come to the conclusion that the
trouble all lies in the fact that I was bom in Stockton. That
place has always been a curse to me. I believe they see Stock-
ton and think Stockholm. When my bag was opened last time
a woman inspector accused me of carrjring quantities of tobacco;
it was really only packages of punk, which I assured her were
to warm my feet with! After much smelling and almost chew-
ing, she was persuaded to let it through without duty. It
sounds very funny afterwards but I assure you it is no joke to
be yanked out of line at midnight, and it alwasrs is midnight,
to be investigated by three excited Frenchmen in a strange
tongue. I don't attempt to make explanations. I just repeat
"Non Suisse, je suis ete a Evian." They almost shake me
sometimes, but I feel helpless before the mystery of my pass-
port, camet rouge, identification cards, etc. I just hand them
out and let them talk. An English speaking Frenchman came
to the rescue last night and showed them how foolish they were.

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I was traveling on a military transportation and all that iosal
But I evidently have the countenance of a spy and a plotter.
I am sending the above which I wrote to Dick McLaren. I
thought Mr. Sloss would be amused at my adventures. The
most extraordinary things happen to me. Every time I return
from a trip the entire office hangs on my words as I always
have something queer happen to me. But events march so
rapidly here that one event quickly pushes another into the
background and I fear much of interest will be forgotten before
my return, which at present looks far in the future. These are
very black days but everyone here is so cheerful and philosophi-
cal that I won't write a gloomy letter-— we simply must bear
what comes.

Wednesday.

The news is so discouraging this morning that I can think
of nothing else. The guns are turned on Venice, it is really
unbearable. There is every prospect that I will go to Rome
soon with Dr. Lucas. Two of our staff leave for Italy tonight
to take a look, we never say the word "survey.''

We are turning the German Consulate at Lyons into a
Children's Hospital, a good use to make of it

It would make your heart ache to see the little rapatri^s
arrive at Evian on Lake Geneva. We have a children's hospital
there of one hundred beds. Twelve hundred of these poor peo-
ple arrive every day, carrying their poor pitiful little treasures
under their arms. Of course the most tragic ones are those
who are separated from their families. I saw with my own eyes
six hundred and eighty Belgian boys and girls come through,
two-thirds of whom had been taken from their mothers, you
can't imagine the pathos of the scene of their arrival. I just
lifted up my voice and wept. I really saw red and for the first
time felt that I would like to be behind a gun and do all the
damage I could to the soulless destroyer of home and family.
This war on helpless babes is too much, just think of our
children's refuge at Toul, where we have given shelter to four
hundred and fifty children under eight years of age. We have
been obliged to put up black curtains at all the windows so
that the night lights kept burning in the wards will not be seen

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by the German air planes, they select by preference hospitals
and children's refugee camps, isn't it unbelievable I

We are gathering around us here such a fine set of men and
women, but I can't help realizing when I see them arrive how
deeply they will be missed and needed at home, the world
supply of such people is not enough to go round.

My two dear nephews are over here and I can't decide which
is the finer, so difiFerent in type, both Bayards, "sans peur, et
sans reproche." Think that each may at any moment meet his
end and all for what? Liberty and truth, I hope.

I love to think of your peaceful country life, working side by
side with your dear children, conserving the fruits of the earth,
not destrojring them. It is so heartbreaking to see all the
orchards which have been ruthlessly destroyed by the retreat-
ing enemy, and now beautiful Italy is to be destroyed. I really
can think of nothing else today, it is uppermost in my thoughts.

Paris, November 15, 1917.
To A. G.

I hope to visit the "Friends" place at Chalons before my
return. I am more impressed with them than with any people
over here. They really show the fruit of Christian teaching,
and they refuse to fight; as men and women they are a devoted
band. The women make this club their Paris headquarters, so
I see quite a little of them. They all show a spiritual quality
which I see in no other English or Americans. These people
have certainly suffered for their faith, for I think they had a
hard time in England at first; now everyone respects their
splendid work. Dr. Lucas has backed them up in every way;
he is sending doctors to them now, and I hope later on I can
get them nurses as well.

The trouble about Christianity it seems to me is, that we
choose the part of Christ's teaching which suits our convenience
and leave the rest. There are few who are ready to really lay
down their lives for their faith.

I stumbled across another settlement in Paris just by chance.
The moving spirit is MdUe de Rose, a descendant of an uncle
of Jeanne d'Arc. Her mother is a duchess, very wealthy,
influential people. Mdlle de Rose conceived the idea twelve
years ago of going into a poor quarter of Paris to live. She

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has been teaching every week in a sewing school in this qaarter»
the 5th arrondissement, near the Latin quarter. The friend
under whom she was working died, leaving her work to her as
a legacy. She left home (an nnheard of thing in France) and
there she has lived ever since, contributing every penny of her
income to her work. She has built quite a wonderfully planned
tenement, she does not know it is a ''model tenement**; a home
for working girls, also wonderfully planned; conducts all kinds
of recreational work; has a chorus of three hundred voices, and
since the war has branched out into an Agricultural Home for
Orphans. But before I get on to that subject, I must tell you
of her trousseaux. When the girls go to work and leave her
younger sewing classes, a trousseau is started for them. All
the materials are provided for all kinds of under garments, bed
linen, etc., which is left in a locker at the settlement. They
have no name for their work and have never published a report,
although large sums of money have been given them to spend.
Mile, de Rose has evolved from her own brain, common sense,
experience and ingenuity, a wonderful placing out system for
children. She forms families of not more than twelve, all ages,
places them on a farm in charge of a motherly woman and there
brings them up normally. These farms are self-supporting, all
being under the direct, scientific management of a practical
farmer. They bought the land and are rapidly pajring off the
mortgages on it. She has at present about twelve of these
farm colonies under her supervision and is increasing them
rapidly. Her right hand is a Miss Hopkins, an American
woman who turns over her entire income to the place, and the
day I saw her she was wearing rubber overshoes because she
had no shoes. Their rule is never to ask others for money
while they have a cent left of their own. As far as I could
discover, it is the only rule they have. I have no doubt that I
shall find many more French women of this same stamp, but
they are so modest about what they do that it is difficult to
unearth them.

It is this quality that appeals to me in the French more than
any other; but it is really very inefficient in a way because they
have no co-operation. I am sure that sixteen ''oeuvres" as they
call them^ help one family, except that they do work in dis-
tricts.

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Read this letter to onr circle if you think it will interest
them. I hope they are sewing for my babies, do not kill your-
selves over model kits, use what you have. I can see little
difference between the clothes of the French children and our
own, anyihmg will do.

Nancy, November 23, 1917.
To A. G.

While waiting for Dr. Knox to make a formal call upon
Madame Mirman, the prefect's wife, I hope to start a letter to
you. We have had a fine trip together. After inspecting Toul,
we came on to Nancy where we found a most cordial welcome.
Monsieur Mirman, the prefect, is a very unusual man and so
lovely and simple, as all really big people are. I wish you could
have seen him stand before the infant class in one of his refuge
schools and go through all the motions with the children, of
one of those kindergarten songs — ^it was really touching — and
so unconscious of our presence. He is so eager for our help
for his dear children and most appreciative. I talked over with
him the possibility of introducing play ground workers, and he
jumped at the idea. We arranged for another series of dispen-
saries with a center from which to work at Luneville, we now
have one at Nancy which is supported by the American Fund
for French Wounded (Chicago), but under our supervision.

Dr. Brown had fifty patients in one small town yesterday
and was obliged to turn away twenty. Our bojrs are camped
all about here. Yesterday we saw one who was wounded and
who had received the croiz de guerre. All of his comrades
were so proud of him. When I entered the ward filled with our
wounded, a lump came into my throat, a different feeling from
any one has when visiting other hospitals.

The most reaUy shocking thing I have seen was in one of
these towns which is constantly under shall fire. The little
cemetery is a complete wreck. The graves have literally been
rent asunder and the coffins lie exposed to the naked eye.

We visited a baker (a woman) who lives and bakes in a house
the top of which is quite gone, just a mass of d6bris and the
back all gone. The oven is still intact and when the bom-
bardment is too severe she retires to her oven for protection!

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She had a hig bowl of chrysanthenmins on the connter and a
man next door was making delicious chocolate creams between
bombardments, as it were. It is all so extraordinary.

Chalons-Sttr-Mame, November 23, 1917.

Dr. Knox and I arrived here last night to inspect the
Friends' work. They have a maternity hospital which they
opened in December, 1914. You can't imagine ansrthing more
uncomfortable than the way in which they live, so over crowded,
every inch given up to the babies. I consider Miss Pye a real
heroine, and such a sweet, lovely, gentle woman, with tng black
intelligent eyes. Dr. Lucas has been so impressed by her. He
has got the Red Cross to give them lots of money. We are
financing a "baby house" for them, an old chateau where refugee
babies under 3 years are kept.

Dr. Knox is thrilled by his trip, the first he has seen of the
war xone. He is to have this district under his care. A series
of First Aid stations will be established all along the fine with
hospitals in the rear to send the really sick to. I feel so hope-
ful for the future of this district. We will do real district work
now. I think I wrote you that the traveling shower was ours!

Lyons, November 30, 1917.
To L. McL.

I have just come in from our convalescent home 30 miles
from Lyons. It is in beautiful order. I was quite surprised
to find what had been accomplished in three and a half weeks,
plumbing installed, walls protected very cleverly, carpets up,
floors polished; in fact, an inconveniently arranged palace made
into a comfortable hospital because the children there are not
really convalescent. It is such a pleasure to see the children
installed, to have that impossible place put to such a good use.
We have there a splendid co-operative set of workers, all pull-
ing together.

Little Hannah Hobart is getting on well and happily at
Evian, she is a little trump.

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Lyons, December 1, 1917.
To E. E. S.

Just a line to wish you all the blessings of the season. This
is not intended to be a letter, just a greeting, as I feel that I
must be in touch with my best friends at this time.

I have just come from our convalescent home which is
located in a palace, I call it, such a contrast to the Hill Farm,
but not nearly so well fitted up for children's use, although as
there are lovely woods close by, I am sure that the children
will have a happy time there in the summer and this is to be
a permanent place, so it is a pleasure to fit it up comfortably.

I am in Paris very little, just a few days at a time, but I have
time on Sundajrs to see friends. I won't mar my Xmas letter
by writing of gloomy things, so it must be brief as nothing is
very cheerful here at present, although the Germans seem to be
checked in Italy. Our bureau may extend its activities to
Rome, in which case I will probably be sent there, I don't
mean permanently. My work is intensely interesting, in fact
quite exciting, as I have to fly from one spot to another adjust-
ing difFiculties which are really generally very simple tangles
which untrained people have become involved in. I am always
welcomed with open arms which is a pleasant side of it, and
have so far managed to be a traveling interference without
being hated by everyone.

We have at present about 600 children under our direct care
whom we house, feed and clothe, besides those under the care
of the doctors and nurses in about ten dispensaries. We open
a big welfare center in Paris January 1st with the Rockefeller
Institute people, who are launching a big tuberculosis campaign.

Paris, December 11, 1917.
To A. G.

As I have a bad cold and cough fortunately it is Sunday.
I shall go to the American church this morning. This certainly
is a beastly climate; one day of sunshine in four weeks so far.
Just damp, cold, thick black penetrating fog. I have had three
bad colds since I left home, although otherwise I am very welL

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Bveryone htrt it bu«y over the soldier't presents. This dab is
the center of the packing. You can imagine what it means to
get off 200,000 packages. I have been contribating norses to
the work, ten this week. It takes nurses or anyone in fact,
about one week to get out of Paris after reaching here, so I
have set them to work in the interim with the A. F. F. W.,
(Mrs. Lathrop), which is good for co-operation. I can often
help in wajrs of that kind here where most of the R. C, al-
though doing splendid work in their own pursuits, do not real-
ize how much is going on outside. I chum with all kinds of
people, exchanging ideas and workers with them. My cosmo-
politan bringing up is very useful to me. It seems to me that
San Francisco people have more ramifications than any other
people in the world.

Eveljm Preston, Ralph Preston's daughter, is Miss Bsrmes'
chum. She is working awfully hard in Dr. Lambert's office. I
think these young girls deserve a lot of credit for this hard
office work they are doing, typing from morning to night.

I hope to have an Xmas Eve dinner for the young people
and there is some chance that Dick may get off for it; and
another dinner on Xmas Day for forlorn nurses who may be
stranded in Paris. I will go to the American church in the
morning, Madame Gotz has invited me to lunch. Major Murphy
gathered us all together yesterday, the sixth months' anmver-
sary of the starting of the Red Cross in France. It is really
quite wonderful what has been accomplished, a herculean task
has been undertaken and well organized. As he said, each of
us sees only the defects of his part in the organization and
can not see the result as a whole. I think we have accomplished
in our bureau a great deal in the short time since it was
organized, just four months. We have four hospitals and
twelve dispensaries with about 15 doctors and 100 nurses and
aides at work, besides the Paris office, which investigated and
passes on the claims of every children's society in France,
orphan asylum creches, etc. I am afraid this sounds boastful,
but you can have no idea of the terribly discouraging times
we have; the nurses nearly go mad with the difficulties, for
instance. Dr. Baldwin at Nesle in the war zone has been running
three dispensaries and a hospital for two months without
gauze, alcohol, or night gowns. Fortunately, I have been able

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to supply things from time to time out of funds which have
been sent me, in fact, I bought night gowns for the above place
and put them in a nurse's trunk. Express simply never arrives
in the war zone, except for the army.

Paris, Sunday, Dec. 15, 1917.
To A. G.

I have had such a quiet and uneventful week that there is
very Kttle to vmte you about today. Two American mails have
come in without a letter from you though I am sure you have
written. We seem to live only for the mails. We share our
letters and are interested in those from total strangers.

I am going to drag the sadness out of Xmas day by having
two dinners; one on Xmas Eve, one on Xmas day. One for
Miss Bjrme and the young people and the other for the nurses
and any aides who may be here at that time. It is possible
that Dr. Lucas may return on the 22d, unless he gets an ex-
tended leave from the U. C. Dr. Knox will carry out his plans,
he straightened out my department which is now running like
clockwork and everyone happy.

I must tell you one thing which we all feel pretty much the
same about and that is our feeling about the war. We feel that
in the future (I mean by next spring), if the war continues,
all our e£Forts should be directed toward the men. I think it
will be more and more di£Ficult to get over here and those of
us who are here must turn to, for our army. It is our first
obligation. I do not know which I consider the most important;
the social or nursing side of it. They are both vital. If the
men are not looked after morally, what hope have we in the
future of the race? Our men beg for help; they constantly
stop me, a total stranger, on the street and beg me to do
something. The Y. M. C. A. has taken hold splendidly, but
the job is a gigantic one. I would not urge Dr. Blake to
come over except in the spring with the army, then every
available man will be needed.

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Paris, December 26, 1917.
To Willing Circle.

Your '^round-robin^ was fine, it came about a week ago, but
I played fair and didn't read a line until early Christmas morn-
ing. I was very lucky, because all my Xmas letters came on
time, at least I think they did, but there may be more en route
which I sincerely hope to be the case, as letters from home are
my only consolation. You see no one really tells you the same
things, so in order to get all the news you long for, you have
to piece the news together.

It is really quite funny about the family news, each one
takes so for granted that some one else has told the real item
of interest that no one does anjrthing but refer casually to it
or if they do the letters all go down.

We have been quite worried about one of our doctors. Dr.
Knox. He had an operation for appendicitis three dajrs ago,
is doing well, but we had quite a scare about him. We are
like one big family here, it is really quite remarkable that so
many people can be collected together so indiscriminately and
work together so harmoniously. There are about twenty people
in the Paris office and about one hundred and ten outside and
all pulling together. In fact, you can feel proud of our whole
Red Cross organization over here. Of course mistakes are
made and I have no doubt but lots more will be made, but we
have two fine men at the head. Major Murphy and Major Per-
kins, and their spirit pervades the whole organization. I think
they have accomplished marvels in the short space of time, just
six months— we have been here four.

I am writing thus fully on this subject because I have no
doubt but that you will hear much adverse criticism, but simply
don't believe it. I have never seen harder working or more
sincere people than are here in the Red Cross, and they are
directed by men of a high order of intelligence. We all get
discouraged at times, but at present Paris is very hopeful of the
outcome of the war, victory and peace in the near future. We
can at least all hold the thought.

You will most of you be interested to know that I went to
the opera last Saturday night with Mrs. Coit, escorted by Willie
Gwin, who is doing fine work with A. F. F. W. I have, by the

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way, joined the staff of the latter. I am to make inspections for
them of French military hospitals which I will do when I pass
them en route on my other inspections. This is an example of
Red Cross co-operation with other societies.

New Year's Day, 1918.
To E. E. S.

This is New Year's Day and I am sorry that I can not drop
in upon your happy little family today and wish you all the
blessings for the coming year.

Your New Year's letter reached me last night and I was
more touched than I can tell you, to receive the Mothers' Club
contribution. You must tell them how pleased I was, but I
will write myself to thank them. I have had many touching
evidences that my friends, both high and lowly, have not for-
gotten me this Christmas time. A letter from the old doctor
at the Farm gave such a graphic account of affairs there that I
could hear the pigs squeak. She says they put up apricots and
blackberries, I am wondering what you did with all the fruit
you canned. You say you and Mr. Sloss wept over my letters,
well, I am not going to tell you one sad thing in this. For the
day I will try to forget the sadness of the world. I have estab-
lished an Emergency Fund with the various gifts which have
been sent me, some of the men in the office hearing of it have
contributed. We are supporting out of it a little family of five
until the father has sufficiently recovered from an operation to
support them. The news of this help was the mother's New
Year's gift, wasn't that nice? (She has a baby two months
old.) I also got a few toys for her children. It is really very
difficult for the Red Cross to take care of individual cases.

I had such a nice Xmas, twenty-five letters, wasn't that fine?
They made me feel happier than I have been since my arrival.
It is nice to know that you are not forgotten. One feels some-
times over here so completely overwhelmed by the terrors of
life that you can hardly believe that friends at home are just
the same faithful stand-bys as ever. I certainly am blessed in
my friends, they are such worthwhile people, sdl true blue.

I am deeply interested in the Y. M. C. A. work. They are
doing wonders for the morals of the men. I only regret that

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the officers are excluded from their recreation centers. Dick
and Loyall Sewall say they look with longing eyes at the
brightly lighted places and stand out in the cold to listen to
the musfc I suppose that will develop later.

I might as well tell you now that deeply as I am interested
in the children, and you know how my heart goes out to them,
my deepest interest is with our bojrs, Dick and Loyall and their
friends give me such a vivid picture of camp life, the cold hard
times, homesick days and the general misery of it all, that I
know that if the time comes when the hospitals are overflow-
ing with our men and nurses are needed for them, all the
French babies in the world won't keep me from them. After
all, blood is thicker than water, and these boys are our very
own. And they are such young bojrs, most of them, so care-
free and happy. I went with one of them the other day to
choose toys for the Xmas tree the regiment was having for the
children of the town. He was so young and enthusiastic I
wondered if he would see another Xmas. The regiment that
Loyall Sewall is in is infantry. It is considered to be the most
dangerous branch of the service. He has already been under
fire, had three men killed at his side and has been into No
Man's Land.

Now I thank God the snow has stopped the slaughter for a
time and peace may come before spring. It is our only hope.
Here I am talking tragedies which I swore not to mention, but
one always comes to the vital things at last.

I have been up till 11 p. m. every night filling soldiers'
Christmas bags, 300,000 were filled for ours and the French.

Paris, January 7, 1918.

To A. G. at Red Cross Headquarters.

Your notice of the sixth of December, stating that you had
forwarded a case of children's clothing to the Children's Bureau,
Paris, was received by me today. The selection is very good
and I feel sure will fill a real need. We find warm night gowns
for children quite impossible to secure here, wouldn't it be pos-
sible to divert the work from baby kits for a time?

I wish you had seen the joy with which your Xmas bags

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were received They did not go after all to men in a hospital
as Mrs. Vail advised me to give them to men leaving for the
trenches as they suffer so from the cold» you know the bags
contained woolen socks which I had made by refugee women.
The men were so pleased with the writing paper, I saw some of
them counting the sheets. The poilu certainly is a most ap-
pealing being, he is so simple and pathetic to me. Yesterday
was the feast of the Epiphany, so a special send-off was given
the men going to the front. It is wonderful to see the spirit
with which the French women conduct their canteens after all
these weary years of war. I wonder if we will work with the
same enthusiastic spirit at the end of three long years if we are
called upon to do it. The room, last night, was so attractively
decorated, good food was served and the final touch given when
cigarettes were freely distributed. I wish you could have heard
200 men sing the simple peasant songs and clap their hands in
unison. The singing of the Marseillaise was, of course, the
grand finale, it was splendid, just sent shivers up and down your
spine, knowing that many of the men will never return to their
homes.

We all regret that we are to lose Major Murphy who, being
a West Point man, is returning to the army where all men of
sense are needed. I am glad he is going but sorry to have him
leave us.

Hoel Vouillemont, 15 Rue Boissy D'Anglas
(Place de la Concorde)

Paris, January 20, 1918.
To J. S.

My impulse upon receiving your nice letter containing the
check from Mrs. Heller was to sit down and write you immedi-
ately I received it. New Year's Eve, and here it is almost the
last of January and your letter not acknowledged yet. But as
you know, I lead a very strenuous life and even Sundasrs are not
free as I have a French lesson early in the morning, then
church and in the afternoon try to help with the soldiers tea
parties. They are so hungry for the sound of an American
woman's voice that it is paretic. When I travel I am con-

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60 INTIfllATE LETTERS FROM FRANCE

stantly stopped by our men who beg me just to speak to them.
On one occasion I used a slang expression to one of them and
he just slapped his leg in delight, saying, That's the stuff—
that's what I like to hear/' It is so pathetic to me. One fel-
low stopped one of our nurses on the street and after a few
preliminary words asked her if she would mind if he read his
mother's letter to her.

Really, a great deal is done to fill this need both by the
Red Cross and the Y. M. C. A., but they don't begin yet to
touch it. It is all such a colossal task. General Wood, who
took me off to lunch the other day, predicts that we will need
50,000 nurses before this awful thing is over. I am very much
excited and overcome at present over the description a girl
gave me of hundreds of Serbian discharged prisoners she had
seen with her own eyes while visiting the hospitals who have
tuberculosis of the glands of the neck, which extends down the
shoulder to the arm. These men were captured by the Austri-
ans, inoculated with tuberculosis and then discharged. Isn't it
unbelievable? I would not believe it but from an eye witness.
Their case is very pitiful as they get no allowance as the
French soldiers do, so they can't even buy a cigarette.

My sister's boy, Lojrall Sewall, has just been transferred to
the tank service, doesn't that sound terrible? I am afraid my
heart and thoughts are more with our men these days than,
with the poor pitiful French babies, although all my work is
for them. We simply can't keep up with the demands on us.
I am desperate for nurses.

Paris, January 27, 1918.
To A. G.

This has been a very intense week, full of excitements of all
kinds. I hardly know how to begin the chronicle. Our work
is increasing by leaps and bounds. This big educational cam-
paign which Dr. Lucas is launching has quite upset the ma-
chinery of the bureau. It has, as I wrote you last week, thrown
the Paris work into my hands. Between acts I have been try-
ing to supervise their work. It is so far purely a settlement
proposition. The settlements themselves haven't the vaguest
idea of the duties or possibilities of real district nursng. Their

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so-called visiting nurses are purely and simply social workers.
In fact, every one has to be taught.

Fortunately I have a splendid woman. Miss Phelan from
Chicago. She is taking hold well, and I feel sure will be a
splendid help to me.

We have to double our hospital at Toul to take in the chil-
dren from other hospitals which are being evacuated to prepare
for the big Boche offensive, which is expected any day. Air
raids are expected every night on Paris and altogetiber there is
a very tense feeling in the air. I expect to have a very interest-
ing trip, as that region is very active.

Paris, January 28, 1918.
To L. McL. and C. A. S.

I am going to make an effort to write two letters at once
as now that you are all so scattered it is quite impossible for
me to keep up with the weekly letters unless I type them
which you can see that I do very badly, but I can do it more
rapidly than it takes to write. Personally I hate typed letters,
but I know you will be very forgiving. My work is increasing
by leaps and bounds. My day begins at five or six a. m., never
later and ends at seven. You know I never am any good at
night, so I just don't attempt it.

Last week was much cheered up by letters from home, some
dated the tenth of December, and others December 30th, none
on Xmas day, although I feel pretty sure you and Alice and
Camilla wrote me on that day. They will come later.

I received a letter from the National Council of Defense
asking my advice on the subject of aides being sent. "To be
or not to be, that is the question." My plan would be to have
them sent to me first and after I had tried them out to transfer
them to the military service, if they need them, which they do
not at present. This would be too simple a solution of the diffi-
culty to go through, I am sure.

I had such an interesting day on Sunday. I lunched with
Miss Derby, there I met Sothem, the actor, who looked too
queer in Y. M. C. A. uniform. He is here to advise on the best
form of entertainment for our men, he anticipated much diffi-
culty in making the American public see the necessity of it and

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was relieved and surprised to learn that the public were pretty
well educated on the value of play. It is planned to establish
250 theatres for the men in the camps, if such they could be
called, these queer looking settlements of our men in French
villages.

Later I had tea with two of my old Presbyterian hospital
mates who have been here nursing the poilus since the beginning
of the war. Miss Allen is now with the English, bue does not
care for them nearly as much as the French; every nurse has lost
her heart to the poilu, his bravery under the knife, never failing
cheerfulness and love for his children draws all hearts to him.
Miss Warner had just been to the wedding of a poUu who has
lost both his hands and earns his living as a clerk; he writes
a wonderful hand. I contributed 100 frs. out of our fund to
help start him in housekeeping, people with pluck like that
should be helped.

Miss Allen gave us a most thrilling account of the murder
of Rasputin, as told to her by an eye witness. It all sounds
like the wildest dime novel. Miss Warner has charge of a large
French military hospitaL She has been bombarded several
times and been obliged to flee with her patients, one of her
nurses lost her hand during one of the bombardments. Miss
Warner sajrs that nothing is so important to the poilu as his
drawers, he is willing to go without any other article of cloth-
ing, but is utterly miserable without drawers.

Sunday I dined with Dr. and Mrs. Lucas to celebrate his
birthday. Dr. Cabot was of the party, we had such an interest-
ing evening. Dr. Cabot has a splendid dispensary in Paris; he
has so many patients that he can't handle them alL

Toul, February 2, 1918.
To A. G.

As usual 'I don't know where to begin, I have so much to
write to you about, but think I will answer your letter first.

While I write a Frenchman is playing, very slowly, ''The
Star Spangled Banner" on the piano. My heart is in my
mouth today as I hear that our men, Dick's regiment, is to
make its first ofiFensive within the next few dajrs, the possibiH-

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ties are too dreadful to think of. But I must put aside fear and
think of other things.

This idea that the French people will only accept black
aprons for their children is all nonsense. We have five hundred
children here, all happy without them, and the fifty mothers
seem perfectly satisfied.

I hope that fine box you sent reaches us, but it really mat-
ters littie so the children get them, as they surely wilL

Now I must tell you the story of my past week. To begin
with Monday. I heard that General Wood had been severely
wounded. I located the hospital he had been taken to and
called on him in the afternoon, found him up and smiling with
his arm in a sling. Seventy-five Frenchmen had been killed
right beside him by an exploding shell. I had a nice quiet visit
and sent a reassuring note to Louise by a friend who was sail-
ing for home the next day. I tried to get o£F to Toul Tuesday
morning but the work piled up so I couldn't get away.

I have sent for seventy-five nurses more. We expect in the
immediate future to have hospital dispensaries at Havre, Lyons,
near Nancy, at Togue, a munition tovm, at St. Etienne, a big
munition center, and to take care of ten thousand refugees from
Nancy who are to be evacuated in the immediate future. One
hospital here doubles its capacity next week. I have great
difficulty in providing nurses, they come so slowly from
America.

A pathetic little family of five, mother and four children,
arrived here today from Pompey, their house had been de-
stroyed by a bomb. The nurses are distributing layettes and
clothing from the dispensaries which we maintain in this region.
We have ten now; I visited some of them yesterday.

The night before I left Paris we had a visit from the Boche,
sixty planes. It was very thrilling. I stood on the balcony
and watched it, but I never will do such a foolish thing again
as I have since learned that many were killed. A plane came
down quite close to us. We could see the manoeuvering in the
air. The planes all carry lights, then to hear and see the burst-
ing bombs, the sound of canonading and the sky lighted with
the fires started by the bursting bombs, none of it seemed real
to me. When I first heard the siren I hopped out of bed into
your nice warm wrapper and stood on the balcony uniU I

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couldn't resist the temptation to see what was going on in the
streets, so many people were running about below me. The
Place de la Concorde presented a weird scene. A low sort of
land fog made everjrthing indistinct, but the sky was very blue
and clear, the moon full, and the air fiUed with planes darting
about in every direction, it certainly was exciting.

I left at 6:30 the next morning for TouL Found things fn
somewhat of a mess here, a new head nurse having a little
difficulty in maintaining discipline, but with my backing all is
serene again. We really have had very little trouble all things
considered and the children get the best of care. I have never
seen a more conscientious group and the aids are fine.

Mr. Raeder, an orphan asylum expert from New York, is
here. Dr. Ladd says that he was simply dumbfounded when he
arrived to see the condition of things, five hundred children
huddled together in soldiers' barracks, nothing according to
Hoyle. After he got his second wind, he went to work and has
been able to bring about a good many reforms, although the
French mothers and matrons of the buildings resist him at
every step. I am so glad I have seen him, because he was so
discouraged — ^felt that no one understood his aims. I told him
that he was not estabhshing something permanent, just a tempo-
rary shelter. We may be shelled out any minute. It has been a
surprise to me to find that these people are just like the Neo-
politans as far as dirt is concerned. Of course the excuse is
that they have no running water in the houses, but they could
have had it ages ago if they had considered it of any import-
ance.

Paris, February 9, 1918.
To A.G.

Visited Mrs. Ladd's studio where she makes masks to cover
deformed, mutilated faces which are beyond the help of surgery.
I saw a poor poilu whose entire nose and part of upper jaw
was gone, his tongue could be plainly seen moving in his mouth.
The transformation made by his mask was marvelous. He
stood before us smoking a cigarette, lips parted slightly; the
flesh tints of the mask so perfect that you expected his expres-
sion to change. Mrs. Ladd is a very clever sculptor. She

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makes plastic masks first from the original and then builds
them up. This man was a good subject, as both his eyes were
unharmed. The mask was held in place by attachments over
thtt. ears. It is made of very fine light copper and painted flesh
colors, a stubble of hair on each of the side cheeks helped the
deception, with a real mustache. When worn with large specta-
cles the mask is wonderfully life like. I am wondering how this
delicate painting will stand the wear and tear of use, weather,
etc. The idea is to provide the poor fellows with something
which will enable them to go about their work without being
absolutely repulsive to their fellow beings.

Le Glandier, Le Pompadour, February 12, 1918.

The refuge home for 680 Belgian children who have been
taken from their parents is an old monastery of the Chartreuse
monks. It was taken from them twelve years ago and sold to a
land Sjmdicate. The place has been partly destroyed, all the
handsome woodwork torn out of the chapel which is ruined,
many of the cloisters blasted out in an e£Fort to give the place
a more secular air. There were many ruins to be cleared away
before the place was at all habitable for the poor little Belgian
refugees. I saw the place at its best, on a bright sunny day
with the children actively at play under the leadership of two
Quaker boys from Philadelphia. The children alternate in the
school, one-half in the morning and one-half in the afternoon,
so the bojTS are kept busy all day long teaching their American
games; football and baseball are the favorites. It is pathetic
to see the boys' efforts in sabots and aprons to run and play
freely. I talked with the manager, Capt. Gros, about overalls;
he was charmed with the idea. I promised to send him some
samples. The Belgians seem more progressive than the French,
they take to new ideas more easily. The sabots are very hard
on the feet, rows of children were waiting in the dispensary hav-
ing their feet dressed, they had ugly looking raw places on
them, the result of rough sabots and some had bad looking
places from frozen feet, the sabots are so cold. Apart from the
aprons, caps and sabots, I can see no difference in their dress.
Capt. Gros and the Belgian doctor in charge could not speak

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66 INTIMATE LETTERS FROM FRANCE

highly enough of Miss Boyle, our head nurse. She and her
assistant worked night and day for two months; in December
they had a number of pneumonia cases; her devotion was so
great that it won the admiration of alL They are to receive
the Elizabeth Cross from the Queen, who visits them next
month, they surely deserve it, for a week neither nurse took off
her clothes. We had no idea in Paris what a hard time they
were having, as Miss Boyle didn't like to complain. Capt Gros
has asked her to supervise the baths and the dormitories. I
think all will go better now that the cold weather is over.

Fontainbleau, February 17, 1918.
To A. G.

Miss Bsrme and I came here last night to spend Sunday with
three nice bojrs who are having a leave, they are not allowed
to go to Paris so came to the nearest point. The young people
are riding this morning and I have just made the tour of the
chateau, it is sad to see it like everything over here being de-
nuded of its splendor, all the tapestries and other valuables
being cached for fear of the Boche. It is all so peaceful and
beautiful here that war is hard to imagine, of course the boys
talk of nothing else. They are instructors in the artillery
schooL Speaking of the fortunes of war, one of them said that
when he arrived at the school it was dark; he was met by a
private who deferentially took his bag and escorted him to the
hoteL When they could see each other the private turned out
to be one of his classmates at Yale; they both had a good
laugh.

After having three weeks of quite warm weather it has
turned bitterly cold suddenly. I am so sorry for the men in the
trenches and the little children, seeing all those frozen feet at
La Glandier made me realize how they suffer. It is simply im-
possible to heat these barracks in which they are housed, as
difficult as to make our gymnasium warm.

We are staying at the hotel France et Angleterre. I am
wondering if you have ever been here, I always wonder that
wherever I go. It is an interesting quaint old place, the walls
quite covered by old engravings. I go to Evian again this
week.

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Paris, February 24, 1918.
To A. G.

Captain Farragut Hall is in the infantry. We had a fine
hinch and talk together the other day. He gave me such a nice
account of the relations of his men with the village people. He
fOLyn they tarry the heavy loads of washing home f(^ the
women i^ter they have knelt side by side at the stream wash-
ing their clothes, it is quite a sight. They chop wood, play
with the children, and make themselves generally usefuL Far-
ragut's regiment was temporarily taken from this village, and
upon their return they had a royal welcome! The men are
reaBy in fine condition, the morale splendid; this I hear from
all ddes. They get on bettef with the Australians than with
any of the other Allies.

Paris, March 2, 1918.
To L. McL.

I am very much interested in the refugees from Nancy. We
have the medical supervision of them. One colony of 1,000
children.

I have been hearing tales of German brutality that makes
my blood boil. They refused to heat the cars filled with
refugees from Northern France, who were en route through
Belgium sometimes for four or five days. Many arrived at
Evian frozen I For a long time no toilet facilities were pro-
vided on the trains. The conditions when they arrived in
Switzerland were so terrible that the Swiss Government pro-
tested and finally one toilet was installed in each train.

We hear many stories of the terrible treatment our prisoners
receive, but I discredit those tales of horror. You never can
trace them; it is always some one else who has seen it. I
know that our troops are in good shape — ^the morale fine.

Mrs. H. has had her eyes opened especially to the moral
conditions and is surprised to find things going so well; with
exception of five men at Bordeaux on Xmas day she has not
seen a drunken army man. A French general told a friend of
mine that he was delighted with the quickness of the Ameri-
can, they learned so rapidly.

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68 INTIMATE LETTERS FROM FRANCE

Paris, March 3rd, 1918.
To A. G.

The children's work is really helping the whole war situa-
tion tremendously. We have over and over again expressions
of gratitude and confidence from the Poilu of the care we are
giving his children. When the children were sent out of Nancy
the parents begged that they be given to the Americans to care
for and our doctors and nurses left Nancy with the thousands
of children that were sent to safety. AU of this counts tre-
mendously in the winning of the war, and I suppose I must be
content with my part in it but I do long to directly help our
men.

Paris, March 5, 1918.
To Willing Circle.

This is designed to be an Easter greeting but you probably
won't receive it before May Day. In this very uncertain life
we lead, the mail is one of the most uncertain things of alL
Although it is surprising how little is really finally lost. I have
so far received every package which has been sent me, which I
think is quite surprising.

Just at present all my thoughts are with our men on the fir-
ing line. They are behaving so splendidly and we are so proud
of them. From all sides I hear praise and appreciation of the
work they are doing. The French o£Ficers are delighted with
their eagerness to grasp all that is taught them.

I visited one of our hospitals last week at Dijon; it is an
old Jesuit school and was the dirtiest place imaginable, but has
been made fresh and clean by much scrubbing and new paint
applied by German prisoners, who looked disgustingly fat, well
and complacent compared to our men stretched out ill in their
beds in a foreign land, all because of German vileness. There
were five hundred and eighty men in the hospital, no wounded.
I did not see any of our pyjamas. The men sit about conva-
lescing in very forlorn looking citizen clothes. One hundred
and eighty-five of these men had mumps. I have not seen any

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men in France parading the streets in those pyjamas, they may
do so in summer, but I doubt it.

Miss Warner, a nurse who has been in charge of a French
hospital here since the beginning of the war, tells me that next
to his children, the dearest things to a Poilu's heart are his
drawers, his wife doesn't seem to count at alL He is perfectly
miserable if he has to leave the hospital without drawers.

I hope you have seen the wonderful letter of thanks written
by the man with wooden fingers, it is truly remarkable. He
earns his living clerking at the Bon Marche.

Have I written you about the marvelous masks which Mrs.
Ladd, the wife of Dr. Ladd in charge at Toul, makes for the
mutiles? It is almost like a miracle. The mask is of very fine
copper and painted the exact flesh tints of the wearer. Worn
with a mustache and spectacles, it is most life like. It is worn
while the man is at work.

I have just returned from a visit to Evian where I saw
several trains arrive loaded with people from Northern France.
The border is to be closed for several weeks now. It is always
closed when the military operations become very active. I think
many spies must get through among the rapatri6s. It was, of
course, a tragic sight, one can't get hardened to the sorrow and
frightfulness of all that it means. As the train pulls up in
France the buglers play patriotic strains, the windows are
crowded with shouting and weeping people, Vive la France!
fills the air, Swiss flags are waved from the windows. The
Swiss never fail to provide flags and toys for the children who
get out of the train hopelessly dirty and grimy, but generally
with dolls clasped in their arms. Our ambulance men are at
hand to tenderly lift the sick and feeble to the ground into
wheeled chairs or directly to the ambulance. The crowd is
composed almost entirely of decrepit old people and little chil-
dren, the majority under eight. Mothers are only sent when
they are ill or have infants in their arms, and what to me is
the most tragic sight of all is to see a woman step off that
train clasping in her arms a Boche baby, which of course they
all are. If the woman is married she leaves this poor little babe
at Evian as she cannot face the husband with it in her arms,
but the unmarried girls usually keep theirs. Five of these poor
little abandoned creatures were brought to our little orphan

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refage the night I was there. It was an inexpressably sad sight
to see them waiting in the hall to be admitted.

But to write of something more cheerful, it is really a joy
to see all these people march down the long avenue overlook-
ing the Lake Geneva, their faces radiant, shouting now and
then "Vive la France!" They are always delighted at the sight
of Americans. One dear old woman with such a lovely face
kept clasping my hand as I walked beside her to carry her
heavy bundle (they all come through laden), saying, ''Ameri-
cans, our compatriots.** The feeling of confidence that these
poor people have that we have come to save them is really too
touching for words, it makes one feel that no sacrifice is
too great to justify their faith in us; and as I look about me
and see all the earnest men and women who are over here and
think of the Work and unselfish devotion that is shown at home,
I have a sense of security and a deep feeling that right will
prevail in the world. All the powers of darkness can not over-
come the light which is being shed now. People are making
great sacrifices without even giving a thought to it, it seems
so natural to put aside material things now when the call of the
spirit bids us put forth our best efforts to overcome evil.

There are four men here in the Red Cross who compose an
entire law firm from New York, Bymt, Cutchen and Taylor,
they have practically abandoned a prosperous business at their
country's calL

The activity near Toul gives us a good deal of anxiety for
our five hundred chUdren, the place is about a mile from the
town of Toul. We have just opened a maternity hospital there
to receive refugees from Nancy. A bomb exploded in one of
the maternity wards in Nancy the other day so the patients
have all been removed to TouL Our doctors and nurses are
still working in Nancy but it is getting pretty hot there, all of
the helpless women and children have been sent out.

I have been getting off nurses and aides all week to the
various points where the population of Nancy have been sent in
large groups. For instance at Dinard there are one thousand
children. As soon as large numbers are gathered together con-
tageous diseases break out. We always have at least half a
dozen nurses and aides ill with contageous diseases. It is most
trying when they are so scarce. I am in terror now for fear

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an emergency will arise in the next few dasrs before another
steamer comes, as I haven't one nurse or aide to send.

We are just beginning a most interesting piece of work in
Paris, You have probably read about it before now in the
papers. It is the distribution of food to the school children.
Our doctors came to the conclusion that as nine-tenths of the
illness they saw was the result of malnutrition, it was useless
to have clinics if the children could not be fed, so they have
given a supplementary meal in all the schools where the chil-
dren are poor. It consists of a Red Cross bun made of flour,
milk, sugar and chopped fruits, figs and dates. This is given
with a piece of chocolate every afternoon at 4 p. m. We saw
the first distribution which was made a great occasion by the
schoolmaster. The children sang "The Star-Spangled Banner"
in English better than our children can sing it, they decorated
the school with little American flags which they made and
generally showed their appreciation. This food distribution
serves two ends, it is a simple telling demonstration to the poor
people that America is behind them, and will do much to keep
up their courage in the trsdng months to come.

Paris, March 7, 1918.
To Willing Circle.

Last night I wrote you a long letter only to wake this a. m.
with a feeling that I had not finished all that I would say to you
as I know how difficult it is these days to catch up with the
march of events if we let weeks slip by without record. As this
is the only diary I keep, I hate to let the days slip without not-
ing the facts of interest to me.

Did I write you about the enthusiasm with which my overall
suggestion was met by Captain Gros who is in charge of the
Belgian children? He is impatient to see all his boys in "Can't
bust 'ems." He bemoans the fact that he has just ordered
aprons, but I told him the girls could use them. But sad to
relate the sample overalb which Alice sent me months ago have
not yet arrived. I had some difficulty in my bad French ex-
plaining the overall idea, but finally succeeded so well that Cap-
tain Gros drew a very good picture of a pair.

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The Americans seem to absorb like sponges. They will
return with many different views of life, some of them bad and
some good, but never will they or the nation be the same after
this great experience. I can see people's whole point of view
change before my very eyes, it is really very curious and this
same mental process is taking place in millions of American
minds and hearts at this very moment

I am very hopeful on one point, I feel sure that those who
have, through this world tragedy, learned the joy of personal
service, will never be content again to let the suffering world
go by without extending the hand of brotherly love. We won't
find it so difficult in the future to supply our starving babes
with milk, or to find homes for the families full of light and
sunshine, places fit for human beings to live and bring up our
future citizens in.

I have seen nothing over here, except in the bombarded,
destroyed towns, worse than we have at this very minute on
Telegraph HilL But I am sure that is not what you want to
hear, but at times I do look forward with hope to what we
might accomplish when all this awakened interest ^nd realiza-
tion of the life that is outside our own narrow walls will be
expended on sweeping and garnishing of our own cities, making
them physically and morally fit for the coming race to grow
and develop in. '

Dr. Lucas expects to return in May to take part in various
child welfare conferences. He has launched a big Infant Mor-
tality campaign here. The plan is that after a series of demon-
strated lectures are given in a town, generally in the opera
house, a group of trained social service visitors headed by a
nurse, goes to the town and organizes baby clinics, home visit-
ing, etc. The plan is to stay in each place about two months,
during which time they hope to rouse such enthusiasm and
plant such seeds as will develop into flourishing trees of infant
life.

The difficulty of accomplishing such a scheme as this during
war time is almost overwhelming, but Dr. Lucas is very
enthusiastic and optimistic about it and really inspires people
to do the impossible. So few nurses have the training and
initiative to undertake such a big piece of work that I am in
despair at times in supplying the demand.

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This plan only covers the small centers, we have permanent
educational exhibits and teaching centers in the big cities; here
in Paris we have now six dispensaries where French women are
being taught public health visiting and home care of the sick.
In fact we are doing much more here than we have ever
dreamed of undertaking at home. We are hopeful of teaching
something here as the French are thoroughly frightened over
the low birth and high death rate.

I forgot to tell you of a little incident I witnessed at the
base hospital the other day at Dijon. A group of men who
were discharged and just about to leave, held in their hands
bright comfort bags which they had received at Christmas. I
spoke to them about them and they told me that they treasured
them above evenrthing. The nurses say they never let them
out of their sight. It was so touching to see those big men
holding those foolish looking little bags full of their treasures.
I used to wonder at Christmas time when I stood for hours in
the evening on a stone floor, cold up to my waist, whether I
wasn't wasting time and strength, but I am sure now it was
worth it.

We filled 200,000 bags and I assure you it was a big task.
Not many of those filled at home got here in time for Christ-
mas, but they will do for another time. When I distributed the
bags, Alice conunissioned me to fill for her, I saw a Poilu
standing in a comer counting the sheets of paper.

We may have to withdraw some of our nurses from the
front. At Nesle the whole hospital force, nurses, patients and
doctors, have to frequently retire to the cellar for the night
when the bombardment becomes too severe. One of our nurses
at Nesle is to be decorated. A train upon which one of our
nurses was traveling to Toul, not long since, was struck by a
shell, but fortunately no deaths. The situation becomes more
tense every day.

A hotel for nurses has just been opened in Paris. We have
found such difficulty in finding suitable accommodations. I
don't expect to live there as I am very comfortably located.
None of the clothes have come which people write have been
sent to me direct, except four flannelette nightgowns without
name of sender.

I can't understand why it is so difficult to find suitable

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aides for me. A cable comes saying that only 7 have been
fonnd out of 25 I cabled for two months ago. It may be
the fact that we require them to speak French is insurmount-
able or is it that their patriotism doesn't extend to the care
of babies?

Margaret Robins is eager to come over, but is under age.
I have cabled specially for her. Twenty-five to forty are the
age limits. General Wood thinks we will need 50,000 nures;
the thoui^t is overwhelming.

Paris, March 20, 1918.
To A. G.

On Friday the big ezplonon took place at Laconouvre. I
was in the Bon Marche at the time with the Countess Bremand
d'Ars, the lovely Frenchwoman I have written you about, who
translates for us. She is fascinating, t3n;ncally French. Her
husband and only son have been killcKi, her one remaining
child, a daughter, is at the school of the Legion of Honor
founded by Napoleon at St. Denis for o£Ficers' daughters. The
Countess and I were, as I said, at the Bon Marche, when we
heard a terrific explosion accompanied by the falling of glass
and great clouds of dust. One's first thought was the Boche.
The Countess made a wild dive to the street which took her
under the huge glass rotunda. I had a hard time controlling
her, we finally got out into the street to seek a "cave." Madame
had an idea that it was an attack upon the Ministry of War
where her brother is, he is the Minister of Aviation. We in-
quired of a man on the street who assured us it was not a raid,
but an explosion at St. Denis. You can imagine the poor
woman's feelings; she began to moan and cry, "my husband is
gone, my son is gone and now my daughter." Fortunately I
found a taxi near by, drove her to the Ministry of War, where
her brother, who was jumping into a car, called back, "no, not
St. Denis, Laconouvre." Well, my heart stopped, for we had a
doctor, nurse, and French aide working there. It is a big
munition center, the people all living in little huts around the
factories, four villages cluster about the place.

I stopped at the office, picked up doctors and nurses and

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first aid supplies, two cars fall, and went to the rescue, but
you will have to read the rest in Miss Crandall's letter.

When I got to Lavonouvre, the center of the disaster, I
found 500 homeless people whom the mayor had to provide for.
He said that he had a good building to put them in, an old race
track with stables, casino, etc., but he needed food, clothing and
bedding. I told him to telephone in to the Red Cross immedi-
ately, and I returned to Paris in hot haste as it was nearly
noon. I left him trying to telephone.

Paris, Palm Sunday, March 24, 1918.
To A. G.

This is really becoming a perfect bore. One never gets set-
tled but that "Alert" sounds and we are routed out of our beds.
Now that the planes come at night and we are bombarded by
day, there is no rest for the weary. I get so sleepy that I can
not keep my eyes open to be alarmed. Sunday night I was
dining at another hotel when the "Alert'' sounded. I waited
until 9:30 then took a room on the first floor and went to bed.
I slept until morning. Fortunately I came home at dawn be-
cause I could not get any breakfast. At eight a. m. the "Alert"
sounded again and guns boomed every twenty minutes all day.
It is astonishing that a gun has such a long range.

The poor have the hardest time through all this. They live
in rickety old houses, with poorly constructed cellars. They
hover until midnight around the entrance of the Metros with
their children clinging to them and with little bundles in thdr
hands, it is all so hideous and now that the terrific battle has
begun and thousands and tens of thousands of men are going
to their deaths to save us from destruction, I long to be nearer
thnn.

Whenever I think of that battle fine, I see dear old Dick
facing the enemy with his fearless blue eyes. He seems tsrpical
to me of the Anglo-Saxon interpreting the "Golden Boy" that
one of these poets writes about.

Loyall Sewall is here in Paris, thank God, he is so dear and
fine.

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Dr. Blake's hospital is filled with our gassed men; thdr eyes
being badly injured. It is unbearable.

I want to answer your fine letters but my heart is so in
those trenches I can think of nothing else. I know yon will
understand.

The guns are turned on Paris again this morning. Loyall is
coming to go to church with me. I do not know, now, if there
will be a service. It is Palm Sunday. The Boche have promised
to spend Easter in Paris.

Paris, 8,00 p. m., March 25, 1918.
To A. G.

I know your thoughts are with me and the bleeding world
in which we live. The sound of the big guns booming by day
and the bombs being dropped at night, have made us all realize
very fully the gigantic battle that is going on at the front, and
the thousands giving their lives in our defense.

Last night we were routed out of bed at 1.00 a. m. by the
"Alert" and after a few hours rest it sounded again this morn-
ing, but as we read this morning of the fearful carnage at the
front, how trifling our small discomforts seen. Tonight we
have better news, that the English are gaining ground and that
the big guns turned on Paris have been sUenced by two aviators,
who gave their lives to sUence them.

I long, now, to be at the front. My work here seems so
little worth while. Two of our nurses returned from Nesle
today. They had to leave without their clothes. They took
the children from the hospital to a place of safety.

It is a cloudy night so we should have a quiet sleep.

Paris, March 27, 1918.
To A. G.

Another day has dawned bright and clear. It looked like
rain yesterday, which might have helped to arrest the enemy.
It is hard to sleep with that terrific battle raging right at our
doors.

An emergency call came last night for nurses. Dr. Lucas

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was away but I hope he returned last night from England. I
am anxious to leave for the front, but do not know whether
they will consent to it or not It is hard to decide what is most
helpful. I may be of more use here.

Just what part our men are taking, I do not know. We hear
nothing of them.

Everyone here is very calm, no nervous excitement. The
restaurants and cafes are filled as usuaL

Paris, 4:30 a. m., March 28, 1918.
To A. G.

Easter approaches. The battle rages. The forces of Satan
seem to prevail over the Prince of Peace, seem to prevail but
will not prevail, although things look very black. Fleeing people
bring news of conquering forces, sweeping in upon us, but I
have absolute faith in the ultimate result. Everyone is calm
and unafraid.

Yesterday our doctors and nurses arrived from Amiens,
where they had retreated from Nesle, which has been taken and
lost seven times. The nurses gave thrilling accounts of their
experiences. One of them carried an eight weeks' old baby in
her arms for two days.

Dr. Lucas returned from London tonight to my great relief.
He rushed around with me to the Military Affairs Bureau. It
was decided to make up teams of doctors and nurses and
orderlies; fill camions with surgical supplies, go on the road
toward the front and give first aid to the retreating wounded.
The nurses and surgical supplies' end of it was turned over
to me.

The nurses have responded splendidly. Everyone is eager
for the privilege of going to the front and those who have re-
turned are most eager to get back. It is a grief to me that I
must stay here, but I am sure that I can thus help more.

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Paris, Good Friday, March 29, 1918.
To A .G.

The battle continaes to rage; five dasrs of agony. What is
the result to be? You will know before you receive this.

The absolutely calm, smiling self-control of the French is
heroic Their confidence in their army is perfect. The only
comment they make is "The Boche will never pass our line.''
But we who have not been hardened to years of horror are
depressed. I assure you that reading of it in San Francisco
and seeing it enacted before your eyes are different matters,
for we know that but a few miles from us the dead are so thick
on the ground that the troops can not move and one can almost
hear the moans of the wounded. Refugees are coming into Paris
telling sickening tales of horror. Our own workers, who stayed
until they were forcibly removed from the burning towns also
bring much information. Both sides arrested the oncoming
troops with gas and liquid fire. The aeroplanes circled low
above the troops, dropping upon them the tortures of helL How
those men come on and on in the face of it I can not under-
stand.

An official announcement last night says that the Americans
are fighting but we hear no news of them, although yesterday
we had a hurry call from the American ambulance for nurses.

The English army has been crushed by mere numbers. They
are fighting magnifidently.

We have been working frantically to get off teams to the
rear of the army. The nurses were ready in a half hour after
the call came, all eager to go, of course. Those who were left
were heart broken, I among the number, but I know I can help
most here.

Mr. Devine has met this emergency well I am in charge of
the nursing pro tem. I send a French speaking aid with each
team.

They are having a dreadful time at Chalons where my friend.
Miss Pye, the Friend, has her maternity hospital We have a
number of nurses there with her. I worry about them all but
so far no one has been hurt.

We made the rounds of the railway stations last night. The
sights were so pitiful Our nurses help the sick. I saw a five

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weeks' old baby sucking a piece of chocolate. The excitement
of the flight from a burning town had dried up the mother's
milk and the milk at the station had given out.

Our Red Cross camions drive back and forth from the store-
house and the stations all day long supplying the needs. All
the outgoing soldiers are fed and the incoming refugees. It is
all wonderfully well arranged and organized. All of the people
who arrive at night have to sleep in the stations, where rows
and rows of matresses are put down. We are most helpful at
night. I assign about six nurses and aids to each station for
the night. A doctor goes with each group. These are chiefly
women doctors, as the men have gone to the front with the

Paris, March 31, 1918. Easter Day at dawn.
To A« G.

I simply can not sleep through these dreadful nights for the
moon has been so bright that nightfall does not bring a cessa-
tion of the killing. No brief time comes when the wounded
may be brought in and the dead cleared from the field for
another day's carnage.

Our losses in Paris seem such a trifling matter compared
with the thousands who are falling to protect us. You know,
of course, that eighty-five people were killed while they were
at a church on Good Friday. France is being crucified now but
I believe that her resurrection will come and that she will be
purified and fairer than ever before. I can not tell you how I
admire the spirit of these heroic people, face to face with total
annihilation they stand perfectly cahn and serene and politely
smiling at us strangers, who tiiey never permit to penetrate
their reserve. It is a self-restraint that makes one stand and
uncover the head as they pass through this fiery ordeal.

Yesterday, I slipped out of the office for a few minutes to
order some flowers and came back with my arms full as delivery
is very difficult now. As I walked through the streets laden
with flowers and heard the loud report of the canons (from the
vibrations we can get a pretty good idea of how close the shell
is bursting), I thought that in my wildest nightmare I had
never dreamed that I would be calmly walking through Paris
streets, gathering flowers as it were, an&idst bursting shells.

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Dr. Lucas is a big man, nothing small about him. As our
bureau had many more nurses and doctors in it than any
other. Major Burlingame thought it best for us to have charge
of the Medical Emergency.

Monday.

I returned to the office after church. The guns boomed all
the afternoon and the effort of trying to bring the Easter
spirit into this mad world was finally over. I was called in the
night to the Gare de Lyon for an emergency; fifty sick people
had unexpectedly arrived.

Paris, April 2, 1918. (Postmark.)
To A. G.

We have plenty of good public health workers but what we
are short of is nurses for hospital work. There are thousands
of them at home who are eager to come, who can not get over.
Why, I can not make out I am short 150 workers.

If this war has' not accomplished anjrthing else, I think it
win have shaken people together more and there will be a bet-
ter spirit of brotherhood in the world. Men who have been side
by side through this world crisis must have a better under-
standing of each other. The relation of a French officer and
soldier is a very beautiful one to me. I have dined at the home
of Monsieur Mirman, the great Prefect, where seated at the
same table were a French General and two Poilus, the latter
being god children of Mme. Mirman at home on permission.
The General and the Poilus conversed together in the simplest
and most natural manner.

Paris, April 3, 1918.
To E. S.

There are few quiet moments in Paris now. Between air
raids by night and cannonading by day we have a very lively
time. It is strange how quickly one gets used to such things.
When the bombarding first began, people rushed to the street
and curiously looked about to see where the shell had burst.

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but now, although we know that each report of that gun means
death and destruction to innocent, defenseless people, . we
hardly raise our eyes from our desks. The cruel senselessness
of this bombardment of Paris has so infuriated the French
people that it seems to me the Boche couldn't have selected a
means more calculated to stimulate France to spill her last drop
of blood to eject the barbarian from her soil. The air raids on
unfortified cities might possibly be justified from a military
standpoint, that the enemy planes are thus kept at home for
defense, but these big guns can do nothing but kill a few hun-
dred women and children every day, destroy priceless works of
art, and nothing is accomplished by them of military advantage.

I am simply filled with admiration for the French people.
I am on my very knees before them. I have never dreamt of
such sublime courage as that displayed by the wives, mothers
and sisters of these heroic men who are dsring by the thousands
to keep men free. It stirs one's soul to ^e very depths.

Last week, when the fleeing multitudes came to Paris from
their burning homes, we kept nurses and aids night and day at
the railroad stations, which I assure you are not very safe places
at present, as they are the objectives of the air raids. Train
loads crowded with refugees and wounded come in all night. I
made rounds continually myself to see that all went well and
then I blessed the thoughtful friends at home who supplied me
with money to use in individual relief. I met so many pitiful
little families who have fled leaving their all behind them. Many
arrive carrying nothing but their pet animals. One old woman
brought her goat, which she said behaved better on the train
than the children, another hugged a rabbit, dogs and cats of
coarse were plentiful and even little pigs could be found, tucked
under protecting arms, saved from the Boche stomach. The
calm courage of all these women was marvelous, not a com-
plaint was heard, not a tear shed. I had a long talk with a
madonna like mother whom I found standing surrounded by her
eight children, the youngest in her arms, the eldest a pretty
girl of sixteen years. Her serene face shone with pride when
I admired her children. This is the second time she has been
evacuated, fled for her life, leaving behind all her household
treasures. She told me her tale quietly and calmly and without
a complaint. All I could say was "Madame, what courage!"

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Her simple answer was "Victory is sare.** I felt like uncover-
ing my head before her.

I have been spending a good deal of refief money enabling
mothers to send their frightened children from Prais. It is so
hard for the poor little children. One little boy of ten said to
the district nurse: ''I don't fear, bat it is hard for the little
ones." One of the nurses who was in church on Good Friday
when the shell exploded, saw the child who knelt in the pew
before her instantly killed. A shock like that is never forgotten.

The Red Cross is establishing colonies for these children in
the mountains, fortunately the weather has been very mild.
Valuable work was also done last week, supplying the railway
canteens with food, clothing and medical service. Many old
people entirely collapse at the end of their flight.

These are tragic letters I write you but this is a tragic time.
Never while we live on earth will the horror of these dajn be
forgotten. It certainly is a time when every ^man and women
is called upon to put forth his best e£Forts. The little children
of today will be the questioners of the future. They will de-
mand of mothers and fathers: ''What did you do to help in the
great fight for liberty?''

Won't the taking of Jerusalem be a great help to the Jews
in founding their new Zion? It was the first thought that came
to my mind. It would be wonderful if the victory gave to the
Jews their own again.

Paris, April 4, 1918.
To A. G.

This is the first Sunday since I have been in France that I
have not written to you the first thing in the morning, but I
wakened with a discouraged feeling, probably due to the fact
that the big gun boomed the greater part of the night, which
is very disturbing to sleep. It is the first time we have had it
at night. Although I am not personally afraid, one can not
help but wonder what tragedy has followed in its wake. You
have heard of the slaughter of the innocents in the maternity
hospital a few days ago, mothers with their new-bom babes
killed or wounded.

The children are being sent from Paris in colonies as rapidly

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as possible, the mothers must stay at their work. I have been
contributing money to mothers for some of them to pay travel-
ing expenses for the children who have relatives or friends in
the south. The Bureau of Refugees does not consider Paris
children refugees. Thank goodness and my friends that I have
a fund to call on.

I have felt so unhappy at not doing some army nursing that
I have written to see if it would not be possible to serve in a
hospital during my vacation which will be in June. I have
offered to do night nursing, since I do not feel equal to doing
those horrible dressings. Dr. Lucas is away, but I am sure he
will consent if I get the call. Since our men are in the fight
it has been too much for me; not that I am not willing to care
for any of the men, but I know that the more men the more
need of nurses. Two weeks ago one thousand a day passed
through the hands of one of our units.

Although the British continue to lose ^rotmd a little every
day, now that Foch is in command confidence has been restored.

Your day at the Farm seemed like Heaven to me. I hear
the court ladies next appear in Roman guise, those costumes!
I would rather see one of Miss Johnson's plays than the Paris
grand opera.

Paris, April 7, 1918.
To A. G.

Mrs. Ladd says that no one can help her who has not made
a specialty of portrait sculpture. Dr. Collin might do, but she
could not come under the Red Cross as she is a neutral. They
seem to get away from America without trouble, but when they
arrive here they are held up by the Paris police, who vis6 all
our personneL

Mrs. Ladd is a genius. I try to look after her a little, as
she neglects herself horribly, when genius bums. She is giving
new life to men through her masks.

I am going to lunch with Madame Gotz today, which means
that I will not only have a good lunch but a talk with a very
lojral American, who is so proud of her country that she speaks
of it with tears in her eyes. She has intimate friends among
the high French people, who give her a good deal of informa-

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tion of the kind we do not ordinarily get. They all admire the
spirit of our men. They find them adaptable and teachable.

The English have certainly been giving their life blood for
the cause. When I read of those brave batallions going down
as a man all of my Anglo-Saxon blood rises in me to respond
to the calL

Paris, AprU 28, 1918.
To A. G.

It has been two weeks since a letter has gone to you — ^the
longest period of silence since I left home. I wrote as usual
last week on the train, but the letter was so smudgy that I did
not send it, thinking to write another immediately. But these
last weeks have been strenuous ones, and I had a horrid cold
which kept me very tired as I coughed so much at night. It is
much better now.

But to go back in history (I suppose all we live is history
now), hearing that things were not going well at the Chateau,
I decided to take a flsring trip down there last week. I picked
out the psychological moment for it, as the Baby Welfare
Exhibit had caused such a stir that all the high moguls decided
to go down to see what all the excitement was about. Miss
Boardman and Mr. Davison have both been here, and we all
arrived in Lyons Sunday morning.

A big Red Cross lunch was given for Mr. Davison, who had
just come from Italy where he had been much impressed by the
work of the Red Cross there. He received an ovation in Rome,
where 50,000 people gathered in the Coliseum to do him honor;
it must have been a wonderful sight. Every one says that the
Italians are even more appreciative of the help America has
given them than the French are, and that is sasring a good deal.
I sat at Mr. Davison's right at the luncheon, which was an
honor I should not have had according to my ideas of etiquette,
but I did enjoy it as he was most interesting, and a very inti-
mate friend of Cousin Loyall's.

Mr. Davison told me that he considered Dr. Lucas a genius,
and as I quite agree with him I was glad to have my opinion
endorsed by so clever a man. He must have been all the more
impressed by his ability after lunch when we visited the exhibit.

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and saw 10,500 people standing in line, waiting to get into the
pavilion. I shall never forget that sight. Last week 72,000
people attended — ^the population of Lyons is 700,000 — and this
did not include the school children who are taken every morn-
ing to it. Dr. Lucas proved that he had a better understanding
of the French than we had, for we were all skeptical as to the
possibility of interesting people in an educational eadiibit while
the most terrific battle in the world's history is being fought.
But the more the men are mowed down the more eager they
are to save the babies for France.

In front of the eadiibit building, which faces one of their
beautiful squares, a model playground is teeming with children
led by two charming girls, Ruth Hejmeman being one of them.
That has been a revelation to the French, but they will have
to change their laws before much can be done in diat line, as
a school teacher can be sued for damages if a child has an acci-
dent while at school. Of course the most popular exhibit was
the washing of the baby which took place in a glass case, a real
live baby furnished by Madame Gilet.

We have had anodier rushing week getting off nurses and
aids to help in our army; not under the military authorities, as
they have been going into the French hospitals where our men
are taken since the armies have been joined. It is really a
very complicated situation.

April 28, 1918.
To A.G.

I am going to St Cloud. This afternoon I go to Beauvais,
which is not far from Amiens. Many of our wounded are there.

We are so proud of the courage and coolness our boys
show. Madame Goetz always speaks of them with tears in her
eyes. She hears them spoken of by the French generals.

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Paris, no date (probably May 1, 1918).
To A. G.

I have not been waking at dawn lately, consequently have
not had nearly so much time for work. However this morning
I got a good start, and now have a few moments. I feel cheer-
ful as the sun is shining, a most unusual occurrence, and the
birds are singing, too. I am going to try to get out to Versail-
les where we have a nursery which needs inspection. We have
one building of a big establishment where Dr. Lucas is making
a demonstration of American methods. It is a very difficult
proposition, as the woman in charge has been there for twenty
years. We have two nurses there, and eight French pupils.

I can not tell you how we miss Dr. Lucas, the inspiration
gone. Quite a number of new nurses (only two aids) came on
the last boat I have been trying to give them an idea of the
situation here; I think this experience will be a revelation to
many. I am sure I shall never be the same again. I feel sure
you will find a changed point of view on many subjects.

I did not realize untU I left home that all my work in life
had been done surrounded by and supported by people whom I
love and who love me; but in spite of the difiPiculties, the cause
here is so big and so worth while that one is willing to sufEer
for it.

Paris, May 2, 1918.
To A. G.

This morning I awakened to the sound of birds, and sun-
shine streams in my windows, and I decided to celebrate by
writing to you instead of doing my daily French lesson. I do
not think we have had three weeks of sunshine since we have
been in France. The climate certainly is horrible, and I am told
it is still worse in England.

Still the flowers do bloom in spite of it; the trees are not all
out yet in Paris, but the slow spring has its compensations in
the thorough enjojrment of each unfolding blossom. The
Champs Elysees has been lovely for a month, and now that the
horse chestnuts are in bloom I think of our dear old buck-eyes
at the Farm, and I feel lonesome. This formal gardening with

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stiff, regular flower beds makes no appeal to me; I love English
parks much better. If it were not for the Seine I would not
care for Paris at all. On May Day everyone was presenting
little bunches of lilies of the valley to friends for good luck; I
had several pathetic little bunches brought me by grateful peo-
ple.

I expected to get off to Beauvais, but it takes interminable
time to get passes to move about. It makes our work very
difficult. Margaret Robins has been in Paris for three weeks
trying to get papers.

Hannah Hobart is very much excited at the idea of going
into a military hospital. Our nurses write me pathetic accounts
of our men, and we were asked for ten more nurses yesterday.
I have not seen Dick since last September; he seems to be in the
thick of this battle, and never has time to write.

You asked in your letter about Mademoiselle De Rose, you
¥dll be glad to hear that we have one of our most flourishing
dispensaries at her settlement, and I gave her five hundred
francs to help send her children to the country. We are all
anxious to get the children out of Paris, as so many are killed.
Is it not ghastly, a war on children! Think of those killed in
their mother's arms when the maternity hospital was shelled!
The women were all thrown from their beds, and many babes
killed, and the mothers seriously injured.

Last night we sent off sixty children to Evian, as the hospi-
tal there is empty. The rapatri^s have not been coming in
since the big drive started. It is a long trip for the Paris chil-
dren» twenty-three hours on the train, but I sent a doctor and
seven nurses and aids with them.

Paris, May 5, 1918.
To A. G.

I have spent the greater part of the week straightening out
the educational course; the first class of "Visitenses TEnfants,"
as they are called, is just finishing, and another about to begin.
Every individual in the class had quite a different idea of what
the obligations of the Red Cross were to her, and of hers to it;
the course was not half long enough, covering only a period of
six weeks. But all is going smoothly now for the new course.

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88 INTIMATE LETTERS FROM FRANCE

I have doubled the time, and intend to send the students into
our hospitals when they have completed the course, before
sending them into the field*

We are giving these instructions in three places, Paris,
Lyons, and Marseilles, thirty students in each class, so you see
we should in a year turn out a good many French women pre-
pared to take part in the Infant Mortality campaign. A series
of twenty lectures is given them by Frendi doctors, besides the
lectures given by the nurses. We have one nurse who speaks
French fluently for each set of students, besides several others
who speak well enough to explain their demonstrations. But
you must read the details in my article to Miss Crandall.

Tomorrow I go to Beauvais, where so many of our men are
in the French hospitals. I feel quite sure that my place is just
where I am. I would willingly turn over every nurse we have
to our men if they need it, it seems to me to be our first obliga-
tion. Do you think I am right in this? It seems to me that if
our own are neglected all the work we do for civilian France
will not count.

You ask about the children's clothing; I have not yet heard
of the arrival of any, but am sure some must have come as they
have it in the warehouse.

I have given up in despair trying to get individuals over
here, there are so many stumbling blocks put in the way.

I can not answer your question about how the man with
artificial fingers learned to be a clerk. Why not write and ask
him?

Paris, May 5, 1918.
To C. S.

The Lucases got off last week, and I miss them very much.
I hated to see them leave withput me. I suppose I will be over
here several years longer from the looks of things.

I am going to Beauvais on Monday where many of our men
are being cared for in French hospitals by our nurses, mostly
mine, as I have lent them to the Military Affairs of the Red
Cross^not to the army. I have also let them have a number of
aids, who are most acceptable as they speak French. I wish
that I had three times as many aids, but it seems impossible to

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get them. My aids are a really very exceptionally fine set of
girls.

We are beginning to have a few bright days; the sun shines
occasionally. I do miss our California sun. It rains or fogs
here nine days out of ten, but the trees are out and the flowers
in bloom. The Champs Elysees is lovely.

Paris, May 10, 1918.
To C. L.

I fully intended to get up early this morning, and go to St.
Germain, where I hear that the woods are full of lovely flowers,
but of course it is raining! It rains or is foggy nine days out
of ten over here, I am just homesick for some California sun-
shine. I expected to see at St. Germain, Malmaison, the
house where Josephine lived.

In spite of the bad weather the flowers are wonderful now.
I wish you could see the flower market near the Madelaine, I
walk by there every day. Miss Griffith writes me how lovely
everything looks at the Farm. Barbara is there again, and I
am glad as I think she has the interests of the place at heart.
I wonder how long it will be before we are all there together
again. I hope the children have a party on the 16th of June,
I am going to send Miss Griffith some money to get something
for them. I do not want them to quite forget us, do you.

Last week I went to Beauvais, a town not far from the
French lines where our men are fighting. I have been sending
a number of my nurses and aids there to care for our men in
the French hospitals. They are all mixed up in the wards with
the French, so it is not very satisfactory, and of course the
French idea of nursing is very different from ours, but the
nurses are fine about it all, and do the best they can. They feel
it worth while just for the comfort the boys get from talking to
them. They often cry when they first see an American, the
relief is so great. You see they do not understand what is
being done for them, so have no confidence. The French sur-
geons are very fine and do all in their power for our men, they
are kindness itself to them. The other day one died at Gisor,
a small town near Beauvais; the whole town turned out to

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honor him, and they found a Protestant clergyman to read the
service. All the school children followed the hearse with
flowers, it was most touching. The nurse, one of mine, wrote
to his mother all about it. The poor fellow was a Virginian,
and sang just before he died, 'To Be in Old Virginia.''

I saw ever so many wounded from Dick's regiment. I
visited twelve hospitals, one thousand beds in each hospitaL I
thhik the Red Cross will open a hospital there for our men; we
already have a small children's hospital which will be con-
verted into a military one. There is a great difference between
the army and the military Red Cross, you must not get them
mixed up— when I say military I always mean Red Cross.

More nurses are coming over now, I am glad to say, but not
more aids, and the latter are really more important at present,
as the nurses who do not speak French are pretty helpless in
the French hospitals. Fortunately the nurses who came over
first have picked up a good deaL

A French woman came to me yesterday and asked if this
was the place where eye tickets were given out, said she had
lost her eye when she had measles and would like one. You see
they come to the Red Cross for everjrthing. I took her to the
dispensary where she got an order for one.

Name of place censpred. May 19, 1918.
To A. G.

While awaiting my tempting breakfast which will consist of
bad coffee without sugar or cream and bread without butter, I
will try at least to begin a letter to you. The loss of my
fountain pen certainly was a serious one; you will have to be
content with pencil which is most disagreeable, I know.

I had a perfectly heavenly twelve-hour trip here yesterday.
The day was perfect, the country so beautiful, and I so ner-
vously tired at the end of an exasperating week. But I do not
intend to talk shop this lovely May morning. It is Whit Sun-
day, and I have decided to spend the day quietly here by myself,
going to church and for a walk. I met a very sweet, friendly
girl from Kentucky on the train yesterday, whose motheir-in-
law fives near here at Chateau Neuf. She says it is a wonder-
fully interesting place built in the time of Louis XI, who slept

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there one night I am to go out to tea with her this afternoon.
Her mother-in-law was an American, Miss Polk, who married
a famous French generaL

Tomorrow I will cross to Dinard and inspect the thousand
little refugees from Nancy, who have been there for six weeks
without a change of clothing, which reminds me that the pack-
age of nightgowns arrived from Mrs. GrifiEith. Thank her and
tell her that I will write soon and thank her for them, and for
the Easter greeting which was the only one which reached me.
Just before leaving Paris I received a letter from Dick, the first
since he took his part in the offensive— I cabled his mother —
I can not tell you how relieved I was to see his hand-writing.

The trip was a joy from start to finish. You know how this
country looks in spring, all so tenderly beautiful, such a con-
trast to our mountains, valleys, ravines^ and great stretches of
plains carpeted with intense colors. This is the perfect time, as
the trees are not all out, many just showing feathery green on
the swaying branches — I have never seen so many shades of
green. Then the fruit blossoms, hawthome, bridal wreath, and
best of all, I thought, fields of buttercups, the only familiar
wild flowers I have seen. The genesta is in full bloom, you
know how beautiful that is! I am charmed, too, by the absence
of fences, the lovely blooming hedges make the division, but
it certainly is not humanly speaking economical, as each cow,
horse, and pig in France has to have an individual guardian to
keep him from going astray; it is too amusing to see them
take their animals out for a walk just as people do pet dogs
once a day for a constitutional! And the birds, they are so
delicious, I have never heard such singing! The flowering
hedges are just filled with them. And scattered all through this
lovely country the old houses with their tiled and moss-covered
roofs only add to the enchantment.

St Malo, I am told, is lovely. I am looking forward to a
day of bliss, away from the sound of guns and "Alerts.** I
shall try to forget that the world is at war.

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Paris, May 26, 1918.
To A. G.

Since writing to you on the train of the beauties and de-
lights of my trip to San Malo I have had an eventful week. I
traveled with the Marquise de Charette, who was en route to
her country place near San Malo. We became very friendly
at the end of a twelve-hour voyage together, so it ended in my
spending Sunday afternoon at the most beautiful place I have
seen in France, and it was most interesting, too. The Baroness
de Charette is the widow of a very famous French general who
raised a volunteer regiment of Zouaves to take to Italy to de-
fend the Pope against GaribaldL His regiment presented him
with this beautiful place. It is full of interesting relics of Gari-
baldi's army, etc The chateau was built in the time of Louis
XI, and is a dream, simply covered with ivy.

Madame Charette was a Miss Polk. She is a woman of about
eighty, very well preserved and full of energy; her only son is
in the tank service and was wounded some time ago. The
tanks, it seems, can only be used in an offensive, this should
relieve Millie's mind about Loyall, as we are not apt to have an
offensive soon. Madame Charette knew your cousin, Mr. Stone,
when she was a girl. She told me with great pride that they
were once the only two people outside the royal family at some
function in Russia.

We walked through the most heavenly woods you can
imagine, where the marguerites, primroses, forget-me-nots, and
lillies of the valley grew thick in the high grass. I nearly lost
my head with the beauty of it all. It did me lots of good
because I found that I had some capacity for enjojrment left
in me still. "To him who in the love of nature holds com-
munion with her visible forms, she speaks a various language.
She glides into his darker moments with a mild and healing
ssrmpathy that steals away the sharpness ere he is aware.''

And San Malo, is it not beautiful there? I sat on the ram-
parts through the long twilight, saw the moon come up over
the waters, and in listening to the waves felt less lonely than
I have since leaving home. The next morning after this day
of relief and bliss I went over to Dinard, where the colony of
one thousand children from Nancy are under our medical super-

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vitton, these are not under the direct supervision of the Red
Cross, but are supposed to be looked after by the Nancy people.

The next day I started direct for Paris, expecting to arrive
here that same night, but was diverted by one of the members
of the Smith unit who was on her way to Mont St. MichaeL
I found that I could go with her by taking the night train for
Paris. We had a wonderful day together; you know what a
miracle that place is, built out of that solid rock. I paid for my
pleasure by a night of horror on the train where I stood for
three hours, and then got a seat in a second-class carriage
between two men, one of whom smoked a pipe all night.

Miss Bliss, the Smith girl, told me a tale of absorbing inter-
est although of horror. She literally took part in the retreat of
the British army. Their unit was at Nesle, and they moved
back inch by inch as the Boche approached. It was a thrilling
experience and all so tragic. This unit had for months kept
open house for these men at Nesle, and knew many of them
intimately. Most of them were killed or taken prisoners. These
very same fleeing men, when they met the French coming to
their rescue, turned about and fought splendidly. The Smith
unit slowly retreated to Beauvais where they are running a can-
teen, and visiting our men who are in the French hospitals.
They are a fine lot. I am glad I sent Camilla there.

I am going to get up now and go to St. Germain for the
day, and try to forget the horrors of war. You asked me why
I do not dictate my letters to my stenographer to save time,
you must remember that they are all written on Sunday. I am
not writing any more to Miss Crandall as she has never
acknowledged any I sent her, so I suppose they are not what
she wants.

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Memorial Day, Paris, 1918.
To L. McL. and C. A. S.

The last three dayn have been more strenuous than usuaL
Big Bertha announced the beginning of the new offensive. It is
very thoughtful of the Hun to keep us so well informed of his
plans. I immediately began sending telegrams to my nurses to
report in Paris. I thought I wouldn't wait until a hurry call
came for them. Unfortunately Dr. Knox was away so I had to
assume a good deal of authority and take a big responsibility as
we have not nearly enough nurses at the various hospitals and
dispensaries, as it is. While frantic telegrams were coming in
for help from our different centers, I was sending equally
frantic ones for nurses. Then news from the front came pour-
ing in, calls for help to arrive, and when a conference was
called and a demand was made on me for forty nurses, and I
was able to produce forty-three instantly, the relief of the Mili-
tary Affairs Committee was great. Those nurses got off yester-
day afternoon in big trucks to the front and I assure you I had
a big lump in my throat when 1 saw the last of them. The
Boche are systematically tr3dng to get the hospitals, especially
the American — ^the hospital for which half of those nurses were
destined was shelled the day before. Our little refugee hospital
in the same place had bombs dropped on it a few dajrs ago.
One of the nurses wrote me that she had saved a new-bom baby
by sheltering it in her arms. I will enclose you the letter she
wrote. The patients from this hospital have all been evacuated
now so I have turned over the staff to the military.

This is one of the most soul-stirring days I have ever spent.
In the early morning I read of the Hun advance, that Soissons
was taken, of the danger Rheims was in, of the wonderful
fighting side by side of the British and French troops, and then
to cheer and give us hope, of the splendid fighting and success
of our men, who in the midst of this general retreat actually
made some advance. Madame Gotz told me about it with tears
in her eyes. A French officer had telephoned to her, she said
to me when I met her at church, "My dear, it was so magnifi-
cent, I am proud of my country/' She has lived over here for
fifty years. The boys went over the top as cheerfully as if they
were playing basebalL My nurses went eagerly to the front

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Those few who were left behind were in tears. After they left
there was a few moments lull, so I slipped into the American
Church for the Memorial Da^ service. I longed for you both.
It was the most wonderful and inspiring service I ever attended.
The church was beautifully decorated with poppies, bluets and
white sweet peas. When the boys marched up the aisle carry-
ing on high their standards, followed by a number with
shouldered arms singing the "Son of God Goes Forth to War/'
it was all the congregation could do to refrain from kneeling
down to conceal their tears. They looked so big and fine and
grave and handsome and we knew they were, too, for we had
just been reading of their glorious fighting which has done
much to keep up the morale of the allies, as they say all the
time "more like them are pouring over.'' And just think of it,
my dear sisters, your hoyn are right there, taking a splendid
part in this great struggle which is going to settle the destiny
of the world for so many generations to come. How proud
you must be of them, I have some little idea of your feelings as
I have such a feeling of pride, when I say, "I have four nephews
at the front," now that Rogers is here, I count the fourth. I
had a note from him.

The hymn was followed by the reading of the President's
message, some solemn music rendered by an English military
band, then a sort of requiem service which we realized would
be the only service which would be read for some of our hoyn.
Finally the three national anthems were sung with a fervor I
have never heard before. You would both have felt upheld and
uplifted in this great sacrifice you are daily making, if you could
have seen the shining faces of those men and boys who are
going forth to fight for justice, truth and liberty. Be of good
courage and remember that I am at hand always and ready to
go to them if they need me.

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Paris, June 1, 1918.
To A. G.

Big Bertha is booming again this morning, a report was so
loud a moment since that it nearly startled me out of bed. As
you know the second drive is on, and we are rushing nurses to
the front.

Our work is suffering terribly by it. For instance, I have
been calling nurses to Paris for several weeks, knowing that
they would suddenly be needed. Yesterday the Military Af-
fairs sent in a call for twenty nurses, fortunately most of my
nurses are availble.

Paris, June 2, 1918.
To A. G.

I wrote you in my last of the queer pain I had in my arm
and thi-oat which I ^bought was rheumatism. Well, after half
a night's rest it was much better. I had quite made up my mind
that I would spend Sunday in bed, but after hearing a tale of
tragedy from one of my guests, I got up and went out to the
American Ambulance, where I knew I could find out the true
state of affairs. There I found every comer filled with our
wounded, but they were getting on all right, very grateful to
me for the help sent, I sent out some of the Paris dispensary
nurses to help for a few days. I am going to hang on to some
of the Paris nurses as long as possible as they fit into all kinds
of emergencies. I think my mission in life at present is to do
odd jobs, and am hauling in nurses from all sides. I met a
canteen worker the other day who told me she was a graduate
nurse, but not in the Red Cross because she had no obstetrics!
I explained to her that this was no maternity job, and had her
signed up before she knew where she was. I gathered in eight
last week who were not connected with us. Anne Morgan has
a number of floating people and the American fund contributed
three. I am so grateful for my promiscuous acquaintanceship;
Mrs. Lathrop, Willie Gwin, Anne Morgan, Mrs. Vanderbilt are
afl useful people to know.

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June 5.

No time to finish the other morning. I have had a mad sort
of day. Most misatisfactory, except that I found a dozen more
nurses for our men.

At five o'clock I saw our nurses and aids off to the front,
realizing that some may never return. It was a big responsi-
bility sending those aids who had come for children's work,
but they were eager to go and I think it is their right to volun-
teer for such service just as their brothers do.

We hear better news tonight, but so far nothing official.

Paris, June 12, 1918.
To E. C. G.

I have been really nursing at last. I have been going to
the American Ambulance at Neuilly every day helping out
When our Marines went so suddenly into the fight at Chateau
Theirry, our hospitals weren't prepared for the large number of
wounded that suddenly and unexpectedly arrived, it was terrible.
The hospital at Neuilly almost over night increased from 600
to 1,500 beds. The nurses were routed out of their beds at
eleven p. m., one night, and wounded from the operating room
brought right in. You can't imagine anything like it. The
slightly wounded were sent away at quickly as possible to make
room for more, consequently there was a continuous stream of
stretchers going and coming. The men were perfectly splendid.
I never saw a finer lot of boys, they really are boys, very few
even twenty-one years old, many seventeen. The engineers did
splendid work^ they just threw aside their picks and shovels, and
fought to the death. Really even our papers can't exaggerate
the courage and spirit of those boys. The French are wild over
them. Strangers meet us on the street and embrace us in
gratitude, it is most embarrassing, as we all feel as a nation
that we can't do enough. The boys talk freely to me while I
do their dressings, make beds, etc. It is really so extraordinary
to hear them recount their killing of men. I can't get over
the shock. When I ask the men how they feel when they just

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kill a man, they say it generally happens after they have seen
some of their comrades killed, and rage fills their hearts. I
think it all too dreadful, but how they can unflinchingly face
that deadly machine gun fire, and see thousands mowed down
before them, I can't understand. The doctors and orderlies are
so tender with the men, the stretcher bearers handle them so
lovingly, it is very touching. The thing that upsets me more
than ansrthing else is their simple gratitude. Most of these
bo3rs come from good homes, and they have found this last
year in the trenches pretty difficult. Very few gentle words
have been spoken to them and they have suffered so many real
hardships, such as having no water for dajrs, being without
food, sleeping in damp ditches, etc., that in spite of their
wounds, the hospital seems like heaven. I wish I had time
to write you more fuUy of it. I enclose a small donation for
the Ross Chapel, use it as you like.

Paris, June 13, 1918.
To A. G.

Not since I left home has no long a period elapsed without
my writing, but when I tell you the cause you wiU understand
and forgive. Last week I got so upset over the stories of
wounded (it was just after the Marines had fought so splen-
didly near Chateau Thierry) that I just went out to the
American Ambulance, saw for myself the conditions, and offered
my services, which were thankfully accepted. Then I went back
and asked for a vacation, which was granted me by Dr. Knox
most ssmipathetically, he knowing that I would not ask for one
at this time unless I absolutely needed it. After making the
leave safe I told him my plan.

Well, I have been through a week of horror, but thankful-
ness, too, that I have the training which enables me to relieve
a little of this suffering. I can not write to you about it, but
you win appreciate somewhat the nursing situation when I
tell you that I had a tent containing thirty-six men turned over
to me, eighteen of whom had been admitted in the night, and
many of whom had been operated on, four coming out of ether
when I arrived, and no nurse had been near them, there being
none to send. Convalescent patients were looking out for them

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in a fashion. The hospital in a few days almost doubled in
size. Twenty nurses were promised six weeks ago but have
not arrived yet One takes care of sixty-four patients, assisted
by three aids.

Of course at the end of a day of these dreadful sights, the
unaccustomed lifting, bending, etc., I am almost exhausted, but
I sleep well and wake more rested than I have for a long time.

En route to Rouen, June 22, 1918.
To A. G.

It is a difficult matter to write on the trains as they are
hopelessly jerky, but I am going to try to write to you a sort
of progressive letter, writing at the stations. Oht for a foun-
tain pent I am really lost without one. I have bought two
and both no good.

The work became so light at the Ambulance at the end of
my second week that I decided to take a few days off and
inspect our dispensary at Rouen. It is for refugees at the sta-
tion. Rouen is in the English war zone, and two of our base
hospitals are there. The town has been bombarded for several
weeks now, we hear that Big Bertha's efforts have been directed
there instead of on Paris.

I have just been talking to an English officer; he asked me
if the Fifth Marines had been in the fight at Chateau Thierry,
he has been with them near Verdun. I answered "Yes, the
Fifth was almost wiped out, in one instance only four men
being left in a company." They are composed of young, ardent
boys who think the world is theirs, as I wrote you before they
range in age from seventeen to twenty. If you ask one if he
was not afraid or if he can bear the pain of a dreadful wound,
the answer always is: ''Why, I am a Marine!"

A Frenchman yesterday told me that he had received a letter
from a friend from the trenches with the following character-
istic tale in it: Two reconnoitering parties of ten each had been
sent out in opposite directions. The French, having accom-
plished their mission returned to the base, but it was a long
time before anjrthing was seen of the Americans, who finally
appeared triumphant with a number of prisoners. It seems that

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they had gone where they were sent, to the first line of trenches*
hat seeing no one, they penetrated to the second Une, captured
some prisoners, and then retnmed as thmgs began to get too
hot for them. Now, much of this kind of thing is really fool-
hardy, hat the moral effect of their yoang enthusiasm npon
these tired alfied amdes is really a reviving force which seems
to make the sacrifice worth while. The French simply hng
them in defight, particularly here where they are placed between
the oncoming hordes of barbarians and Paris.

It does not seem possible with the present grim determina-
tion set against it that the Boche will ever enter Paris. Did I
write yott the answer a Frenchman made the other day to a
Red Cross worker who asked him if he thought the Boche
would come to Paris? 'Did you ever see a pig in the streets
of Paris? No? Well, you never will r

Sunday A. M., Rouen.

What a beautiful, interesting place this is, but one's pleasure
in seeing these wonderful churches, monuments, and public
buildings is destroyed by the ever-present fear that at any
moment the Boche big gun, which is now trained on Rouen,
may destroy in the twinkling of an eye beauty which it has
taken centuries to create, and which the hand of man is power-
less to reproduce. It is strange how one trembles with fear
for these wonderful historic monuments while the thought of
personal danger is very remote.

I climbed to the top of the cathedral tower, the first time I
have done such a thing in France, always having a vivid recol-
lection of how my knees ached when descending the Mission
tower at Santa Barbara. I climbed the tower with a very
pleasant English officer, and he and I forgot the war, and
reminiscenced on the beauties of Rome. I think this place is
more full of historic interest and beauty than any other town
I have visited, but one can not forget the war for long as the
British Tommies fill the streets. I met a very enthusiastic
American woman who has been married ten years to a French-
man, and she acted as my guide.

The refugees came in here in hordes two weeks ago, but

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now it is pretty quiet. We have a dispeA^r^Jki fb^ stattoi^^.a
doctor and nurse in charge. The doqjtqr'here is the* sister of
Mr. Coolige who was at Burlingame lor.8Q*.longi:rV*.:Jj :\: \ ,

To return to Rouen, I am particularly' enliHusiastic over the*
Palace of Justice which I think is a perfect public building, it
is so wonderfully harmonious. And do you remember the little
church of St. Maclou quite near the Cathedral? It is strange
that the English are finally here allies with their ancient
enemies, the French, in the very spot where they captured Joan
of Arc and burned her so many centuries ago. The French are
very enthusiastic over the Americans as fighters. A Frenchman
explained to me the difference between American and British
the other day; he said that if a company of French or Ameri-
can men lost Uieir officers they would go right on just the same,
but when the English lost their officers they lost their heads.

There are thousands of women laborers here doing men's
work; they are dreadful looking people, hard-featured and very
bold expressions. The V. A. D.'s are most attractive just like
my aids, who really are the flower of our civil army here. Nine
of them returned from a French hospital where they have been
for six weeks, Hannah H. and Margaret Robins among them.
The former is a perfect deiar, so simple and genuine. We all
dined together before they left again for the front, and included
Mary Eyre, who is installed at the American Ambulance, taking
histories for the home service.

Paris, June 26, 1918.
To C. A. S. and L. McL.

After a three weeks' letter famine it was with joy that today
I received an accumulated mail consisting of 22 letters, wasn't
that wonderful? I had a perfect feast. Miss Maxwell and Miss
Dabney have also arrived laden with packages and news for me,
so I feel very happy and close to you all. The war news is
more encouraging, too, the feeling here. is that America has
shown what her men can do, although they have not spent their
lives in the study and art of killing men. They learn so quickly
and are so eager to be taught, that it is half the battle. We are
so proud of them, I know you will often think that much that

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• • • ,*, • • • • ^« • •

y^iMd 9f*jh^A^d{ijlerfal work is newspaper talk bat I assure
. 7<iu J^t nottijng^ ^e «a^ surpasses what the French say of
•*.*.<h^.>I* OYeTheatdVa .pftrty of Frenchmen talking the other
night at a restaurant and one said, and they all agreed, that
in the time to come when history would teU the tale, that Bel-
gium and America would get the credit for saving democracy
and liberty, and that Wilson would have a widespread fame,
second only to that of Christ Every one here simply idolizes
Wilson, they think him the greatest prophet of democracy that
the world has ever seen.

Paris, June 27, 1918.
To A.G.

You know my feeling of relief and joy when at last after a
three weeks' fast all your letters came. I was the envy of the
whole ofiEice, I always am, for no one has such true and devoted
friends as I have.

I was so glad to hear about the Red Cross parade; half a
dosen people wrote me, "I will not tell you about it, as Alice
surely wiU." Curiously enough you never mentioned it until it
was over. I would have given a great deal to have seen our
Telegraph HiU mothers march — ^that was a real triumph. The
whole thing must have been inspiring.

I must tell you that I have had a change of heart in regard
to the service flags after reading a letter one of our wounded
bojrs had from home. His mother wrote, ''My flag has two
stars, and in each star I see the face of my boy.** Outward
and visible signs do not mean to me, I fear, as much as they
should. For instance there is a service stripe given over here
for every six months of service; now, it does not appeal to me
at all to wear on my sleeve the advertisement of the fact that
I have for six months been doing an obvious duty.

As to the nurses, it is really difficult to have hospitals ready
at every point because, of course, no one but old Hindenburg
knows just where the attack will be made, and he won't tell I
For instance, we rushed all our nurses to a certain point when
one attack was on; they did magnificent, heroic work for two
weeks in a hospital which was being shelled, and now for three
weeks have had nothing to do as that sector has been very

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quiet If they are withdrawn, tomorrow the sector may become
the center of the conflict, and we would again be unprepared.
I have a real feeling for the first time that the end is in
sight. Our men have made such a splendid showing, and are
coming over so rapidly that I believe the Huns will not be will-
ing to enter upon another spring campaign.

Paris, July 9, 1918.
To A. G.

On Sunday I wrote you at intervals pretty much all day,
and now I have lost the letter, which is really a great bore, as
it is so difficult to write the same thing again.

The 4th celebration in Paris made that day a never to be
forgotten one to those who were privileged to take part in the
ceremonies. For a week before we watched with the deepest
interest the preparations which were made all over the city, in
fact all over France. The Stars and Stripes decorated every
building, you know how beautifully they arrange the flags in the
shields. Our flag was placed in the center, flanked on each side
by French flags. To our delight the nurses were asked by the
French government to march in the parade. It was the flrst
time women have ever marched in a parade in Paris. We formed
in the Place de la Trocadero at 8:45 a. m. I carried the flag,
it was the proudest moment of my life, in fact don't think I
ever had that proud feeling before. But when we fell in line
behind the Marines, our band playing Dixie and I held that ban-
ner on high to the cheers of the crowd "Vive I'Amerique," I
really felt that I had reached the supreme moment of my life.
You can't, or I rather think you can, imagine the exalted sensa-
tion of marching through that sea of cheering people, throwing
flowers before us, and every now and then some one would dart
from the crowd, sajring: "I want to touch that flag, I love it
so, — ^the flowers are for it." That kind of thing happened not
once but many times. Our splendid Marines got tihe ovation
they deserved. When we marched by the grand stand where
Joffre, Clemenceau, Lloyd-George, and the President were
seated, I dipped the flag following the instructions of an army
officer. I was terribly excited doing that as I had to keep step
at the same time, count spaces, etc., and see the flag didn't

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touch. After it was oyer another army officer told me that I
shouldn't have dipped the flag, that only regimental colors were
dipped, not the flag, — it got dipped ansrway, correct or not. Miss
Maxwell marched at my side with the Red Cross flag. She
marched like a young girl, we did not disband till 12 m., so you
see it was yery fatiguing. The nurses made quite a good ap-
pearance, Norfolk suits, black sailors and white turn-over col-
lars, very severe, but I thought very dignified. There were 120,
all the night nurses from the Paris hospitals and our Paris dis-
pensary nurses.

In the afternoon we went to the Ambassadeurs Restaurant,
Ave. Gabrielle, where the American Fund for French Wounded
had a wonderful entertainment for our wounded, they were all
brought in ambulances from the hospitals, the poor fellows
were a tragic lot, so many limbs gone, but they were wonder-
fully cheerful and so gentle and tender with each other. Mrs.
Lathrop managed it all beautifully, she is a most capable woman
and has been a very useful friend to me.

Miss Maxwell and I decided to finish the day at the Char-
maunt Palace where a mammoth entertainment was given for
our bo3m. It was really a great sight, about 3,000 of our men
packed in that great place, an American band pUyiag familiar
airs (familiar to them not to me) and Elsie Janis (the idol of
our army) stand there before them all, telling funny stories,
dancing or singing. The applause would nearly raise the roof,
it was deafening, but such a relief after the tense dajrs we have
all been through; the second half of the program was boxing,
I can't say I enjoyed it, but I was amused at Miss Maxwell who
so caught the spirit of the occasion that she sat beside me
shouting with the bojrs, 'That's right, give it to him." We had
a little dinner before going, just six of us and I produced the
fruit cake you sent to celebrate with, it was really very good
in spite of tlie tin and we all enjoyed it. I called it Porter's
birthday cake.

The next morning early I left for Dijon, Miss Maxwell had
left for Tours before my return. I had such a good time at
Dijon with Loyall Sewall who spent two days with me. I met
his Major just before leaving Paris and he telegraphed to
Loyall, who is stationed in that vicinity, two days' leave, —
wasn't it fine? He looked splendidly and is in the best of

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spirits. I will enclose a letter from Dick, which I think also
sounds very cheerful.

I am saving my vacation, hoping to be able to join him in
the near future somewhere, for a few days. We are supposed
to have two weeks' vacation at the end of every six months. I
liave taken a week of mine when I went to the hospital at
Neuilly. I don't feel the need of it but would like a few days
with Dick.

I saw Miss Johnston from San Francisco at Dijon. I lent
her to the canteen there, she is doing fine work.

Paris, July 10, 1918.
To A. G.

Such a good batch of letters yesterday— in addition to the
faithfuls who never neglect me (you, Camilla, Linie and Mil-
lie) one from Laura McKinstry and Ethel Beaver, both very
characteristic and interesting. I remember so well that little
boy Purcell Jones— he used to play in the most fascinating way
with the pansies in his garden; I am sure he is an artist.

All that you write me of the Well Babies Clinic is deeply
interesting. Are you keeping any kind of statistics so that we
can prove that we have reduced the death rate in that neighbor-
hood? I do not believe it would be possible to prove this, as
I doubt if the San Francisco Vital Statistics are kept in districts
as they are here.

Most of our nurses are in the French hospitals where our
men are. They get on surprisingly well; the public health
nurses get on better than the army nurses as they are more
adaptable. Did I ever tell you that I had picked out a nurse
to take home with me? Miss Bears, from Waltham — she is
doing splendid work now in the Service de Sant6. I am sure
Miss Johnson will like her. Hope the salary will be ready for
her in four years. One year of that five I came for has passed
—it seems like ten.

We all hope for a fine 14th celebration. The next time I
march with that flag it will be through the Arch de Triumph
with the Kaiser in chains at my side! We are so proud of the
way that our men are coming over, and I am told by the
quartermaster that our army is self-supporting, besides having

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106 INTIMATE LETTERS FROM PRANCE

much aarplus for the French. In truth it is a miracle when I
think of how impossible all declared it to be.

The army has the utmost confidence in Pershing. I* think
it is so wonderful that we have proved again (the last time in
76) that it does not take years of military training— the neces-
sity of keeping up a big military establishment— to fight success-
fully for right and win against veterans. The French and Eng-
lish say that our men fight just as well as the seasoned troops,
and with much more enthusiasm. Of course these poor fellows
are worn out, but so are the Germans. Just let the numbers
keep up and victory is in sight — I feel sure of it although we
probably have some hard days ahead.

The following letter portrays so vividly the work the nurses
and aids are called upon to perform that it is inserted here.^

Beauvais, July 11, 1918.
Dear Miss Ashe.

I've been meaning to write you for a long time but somehow
its about all I can accomplish to get off my weekly leter to the
family. There is so much to do when work is over. I wish
clean collars and cuffs would grow on uniforms during the
night

The last time I really wrote you was when we were so busy
with our 122 gassed. As they began to be evacuated and the
work let up. Miss Christians and Miss Hoadley were sent to
Field 12 so Miss Wilson and I had our hands full again. The
night of the 28th was fearful in regard to bombs. After a
second attack I went up stairs to bed but was no sooner in
that Madame Jiller called me to say that a brancardier had
come to say they wanted me at the hospital at once. I dressed
and went out into the inky black deserted street. I will have
to admit that I ran all the way there and kept my head more or
less ducked as the shrapnel had only just stopped clattering on
the street I opened the door of the entrance room and by the
dim light of one shaded lamp saw it crowded with stretchers
and all around the edge wounded sitting up. They were all
Americans. The bombs began dropping again outside and I

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INTIMATE LETTERS FROM FRANCE 107

began to go through the necessary admitting papers for them.
Not one complained — I was so proud of them before the French
clerks. They had come straight from the front, Cantigny,
without any stop at a field hospital, with just their gory first
aid dressings on. It took from 12:30 to 7:30 a. m. to get them
all done and that was working perfectly steadily. More kept
filling in throughout the night.

The next day you can eadly imagine that we were busy.
Miss Wilson had, I think, twenty new gas cases whom she had
not only to dress but to wash, besides her old ones and I was
running from one place to another interpreting, of course had
to work some in the gas ward. One boy only died that day.
That night eleven more came in from Field 12, all were very
bad abdomen and chest cases. The gas boys were all evacuated
during the next few days but for a while we had more Ameri-
cans than they did at the American Hospital. Finally there
were about sixty-five wounded left, scattered through all the
wards. Miss Wilson went on night duty in the ward with the
worst ones. JoU Clark took a whole week to die in the most
awful pain. He was the nicest, bravest boy and we both could
hardly bear it. All his last night he called Miss Wilson
"Mother." She kept being called by orderfies from other wards
for different patients and so was more than busy. I interpreted
for patients, doctors and nurses, till I really didn't know
whether I was speaking French or English. It was the greatest
satisfaction, though, to be able to get them fixed up. Sometimes
the smallest things which they wanted but couldn't explain
seemed to make the boys perfectly contented.

Finally by the 11th of Jime when the big rush of French
wounded came, there were only five Americans left. That night
Miss Headley and Miss Wilson went to the American Hospital.
I'd been on during the day but everyone was so swamped with
work that I stayed and it wasn't until 5:30 a. m. that we got
the last of the poor, half-dead, men off their stretchers and
into bed. We all three went back in the morning and washed
them, etc They had been 200 behind in the operating room the
night before so you can imagine the condition of many of them.
All we'd been able to do the night before was to cut their
clothes off and lift them into bed. There was one American
and he was dying. Miss Headley stayed with him all afternoon

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106 INTIMATE LETTERS FROM FRANCE

and I went home to sleep. Miss Headley and Miss Wilson had
to be on call again for the American Hospital during the night,
so at 8 I went on with MacKenxie. He came from Lexington
and all through till morning when he wasn't delirious we talked
about home. He died» after Miss Headley came on, at 7:30. I
felt awfully as he was so nice and very pathetically homesick.

After these things died down, we had about a week with
very little to do, when Miss B. and Miss H. and Miss W. were
suddenly sent off to Paris and I was left very much alone, but
luckily went right to work at No. 14 at the top of the hill and
was very much occupied, being day nurse for three bojrs, two
Americans and one Frenchman. They told me all three were
probably going to die, but thank goodness they didn't. After
a week Miss Candish and I changed and I was on night duty
there for five nights when as they didn't need me any more I
took Mrs. Clarke's place on night duty at the American Hospi-
tal. There I am now and probably will be until August. I am
very flourishing and happy and my only cross is that I can
never seem to rid mjrself of the smell of Dakins. I have to
inject it every two hours all night and get so saturated that I
have to use cologne before going to bed in the morning. I
have twelve boys and like them all and as they all seem to be
improving, the ward is more cheerful every day.

I hear you carried out your plan of nursing through your
vacation. I'm sure you must have loved it but hope you're
getting a little rest in somewhere on the side. There was
nothing very restful about the office as I remember it.

How is Miss Weaver, and also Miss Hawley and all the rest?
Give them my best love. Perhaps when this night duty is over
111 get a day or two in Paris and can come and see you all.
Will you come to a meal at Pruniers with me?

I must stop and get dressed. Nothing I can say can tell
you how glad I've been to be here for these two months.
Thank you a hundred times for sending me.

Looking forward to seeing you at the end of the month,

Affectionately,

FRANCES WEBSTER.

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INTIMATE LETTERS FROM FRANCE 109

Paris, July 14, 1918.
To A« G.

This is to be a great day. I am at present in a room at the
Red Cross, just on the comer of the Place de la Concorde and
the Rue Royale. We have a splendid view — ^the Madelaine and
the Place. The crowd is immense in spite of the fact that Paris
is supposed to be empty. Everyone seems excited and jubilant
—one would think a big victory was being celebrated. A dele-
gation has just passed bearing a big wreath to be placed on the
Alsace Lorraine Statue. Miss Maxwell is with me and as en-
thusiastic as a young girl— she is so satisfactory to do things
with.

Some day we will all be celebrating the final victory— will
it bring the world peace? I doubt it It will just bring about
a long exhausted period of rest when strength will be stored
for a future combat. This sounds pessimistic, but I begin to
believe that it is inherent in man to fight

Later.

The parade has passed, and we have cheered and shouted
until we are exhausted. There seemed to be some special
reason for cheering each company as it passed by, and a French
girl expressed our feelings when she darted from under the
arm of the gendarmes, and kissed each standard-bearer. The
English, American, Italian, Poles, Serbs, Greeks, Australians,
Canadians, New Zealanders, and even Portuguese made up the
parade. Of course flowers were freely given; the poilus were
literally laden, their knapsacks full and bunches on the ends of
bayonets— our men are not allowed to carry them. The Eng-
lish marched the best and they made a splendid showing.

In the afternoon I went to the Trocadero where a big
patriotic meeting was held. Twelve of our aids helped sell
programs. Vivian! was the orator of the day, and most of the
program was taken up with eulogies of America. I was terribly
disappointed in the singing of the Marseillaise at the end.
There was an immense crowd, and I expected something stir-
ring, but no one joined in with chorus who sat on the stage.

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110 INTIMATE LETTERS FROM FRANCE

and a group of Frenchmen behind me talked all the time the
soloist was sins^g it.

All night last night we could hear the big gons at the front
and Big Bertha has been shelling us all day. I have not heard
what damage has been done— people pay very little attention
to it. Now that the moon is visiting us again I suppose the
air raids will begin.

Paris, July 18, 19ia
To L. McL.

Yesterday I wrote you a letter so this will be just a few
lines to tell you that Mary Eyre met a man from Dick's regi-
ment yesterday and that he gave a fine report of Dick, had
seen him the day before and that he is up for his lieutenantcy,
had passed his physical and there seemed to be no doubt about
the result of the mental I hope he gets a leave soon. I am
saving mine to join him somewhere.

I have had such sweet letters from the Farm children telling
me about my birthday. Porter was there, took the children
some candy. Frank, Mrs. Griffith's chauffeur, gave the children
a phonograph in honor of the day. Wasn't that touching?
One little girl wrote me "You do not know me, but I wish to
thank you for the book you sent me and teU you wliat a lovely
time we had at your party, but the day seemed out of place
without you." Wasn't that charmingly expressed? Little Ca-
miUe wrote such a nice letter and Patsy, with his poor little
crippled hands, writes remarkably welL I like to think of them
all having such happy times on the Farm. I wonder how long
it will be before I wander through the vegetable garden with
Camille expounding the wonders of it to me; no vegetables
here taste so good as those. The artichokes are impossible,
huge, big old things impossible to eat anjrthing but the heart.
The peaches and cherries are delicious, the rest of the fruit
poor and so expensive, strawberries (large ones very tasteless)
were one franc a piece, season very short, there were none in
the markt after June 20th and peaches 5 francs a piece at small
places, 3 at the cheaper. I bought none, they are cheaper now,
1 franc Food is very plentiful, but very high, 3 meatless dajrs,
very little sugar, otherwise all you want if you pay for it. It

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INTIMATE LETTERS FROM PRANCE 111

costs us $100 per month to live, hotel and kLundry, we wash
small pieces.

We hear that the boys in this battle are not so badly
wounded as the Marines were in May.

American Ambalance, Neoilly, Jnly 21, 1918.
To A. G.

This is just a line to tell you that I am too rushed to write.
I volunteered out here at the American Ambulance yesterday,
Sunday, and came out this morning at 7 a. m., taking French
leave from the aSlct. If I am shot at dawn for deserting I
intend to look after our wounded instead of well baby clinics.
I dragged all the nurses into it Saturday I could possibly lay
hands on, have persuaded all the women doctors to give ether
(they are only too glad to do it). The doctors are working
night and day, 2,800 men passed through.

I am waiting now for a telephone message. On Saturday I
went up towards the front in an ambulance to bring back a
wounded nurse. We had a fearful trip, it took us three and a
half hours to get back, we arrived at 1:30 a. m., the patient
perfectly exhausted, but so plucky. I couldn't get a word out
of her, all those hours, when sometimes she was nearly jolted
off the stretcher, but "I am all right, it is nothing compared
with what the badly wounded suffer.'' She was wounded in the
back, not seriously. When I tell you that I rode in that ambu-
lance for 11 hours, with one half hour off for dinner and was
not dead tired when I got home, you can know that I have
some pep left in me yet.

I just ran out to see a battle in the air, a day raid from the
Boche, but couldn't see much, just flashes.

The spirit is simply wonderful among the bojrs, coming and
going, they are always cheerful, smiling and joking all the time;
every one is crazy about them, and now they are all so excited
and eager to get back, as every little while news of victory
comes in, if we can only keep it up, pushing back steadily. But
we must be content with every gain and not expect to keep
up this big effort, all of the allies except ourselves are to
exhausted, I fear. The men say that a number of Hun women
have been captured, one a Captain, it seems incredible, but one
believes almost anything, it is all so impossible.

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112 INTIMATE LETTERS FROM FRANCE

Later.

The wounded continue to pour in night and day, it is impos-
sible to handle them properly. I am on duty in the receiving
ward (a big garage which holds about 100 stretchers, packed
so closely together you can't step between). I try to make the
men a little more comfortable by feeding them and poking
little pillows under aching wounds to keep them off the iron
bars of stretchers, bless those foolish little pillows, nothing
gives more comfort. We never hear a complaint night or day,
just smiling thanks, it is so wonderful, a big Red Cross man
told me their smiles made him cry; many are only looked over
and sent on. We can't keep any but serious cases, an ampu-
tated case, if in good condition is not considered serious.

(The writer of the following is the nurse from Waltham
mentioned in Miss Ashe's leters.)

July 22, 1918.
My dear Bfliss Ashe.

If we continue to have as interesting a time as at present,
we shall all be completely demoralized as far as going back to
Paris is concerned. Did you know that our Beauvais formation
split in two sections a week ago— one-half to stay there and
the other half to form a flying squadron to go wherever the
need was greatest? I was forunate enough to be assigned to
the half that was fljring, and we have had the most interesting
time. We took equipment enough, even to a chef, to start a
hospital and came by camions to Chantilly, where we joined a
French auto chir and although we are off in our own comer,
we work along with them.

We are to stay here as long as the bless6s come in from this
front and when tibey stop we are either to go back to Beauvais
or to move on where llie work is heavier. It's a wonderful
experience and we love the sort of gsrpsy life we lead. With
this heavenly weather it's a joy to work out under the trees
and practically live out of doors.

The wards are under canvas and we have put up a small
portable operating room. We bought the equipment from Beau-

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vais and it is the cutest place. It rocks and shakes like a boat
when we are working there, but ''ca ne fait rien''— -f or the boys
are being rushed through with real American speed and we
know that the doctors have saved a great deal of gas gangtene.
The first cases we did were nearly all infected with g. g.
because they had been Ijring out in the fields for several days
up at the front. But now they are getting them down quicker,
and by keeping at it every minute we keep up with the proces-
sion and the boys do not have to wait around all day before
getting attention. We are on eight-hour shifts, and everyone
is keeping remarkably fresh and fit. Twenty nurses came down
from Paris and joined us and fifteen more went to Beauvais
to take our places there, for after we left they had a large con-
voy come in. I have done nothing but anesthetizing ever since
I joined Dr. Moorhead's formation, and it is a wonderful ex-
. perience, although a bit out of my line.

Have you been up to Chantilly? It is quite the prettiest
town I have seen in France and the Chateau de Chantilly is a
beautiful place. The park surrounding it covers miles of forest
and the vistas through the bridle paths and walks are the work
of a genius. But you can't get away from the war even there
for there are several auto chirs on the open fields and ambu-
lances are chasing in and out every minute. Also, thousands of
German prisoners march through every day or so, and some
have come into us as patients.

Our boys are elated over their success and their stories are
thrilling. I rather hate to see them so blood thirsty, for the
height of their ambition is to get a Boche, but their enthusiasm
can't help but be infectious and the French love it.

Very sincerely,

ELMIRA W. BEARS.

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114 INTIMATE LETTERS FROM FRANCE

Paris, July 29, 1918.
ToA^Q.

Yesterday being Sunday I didn't have a moment in which to
write you even a fine, this nursing business is fatal to Sunday
letters. I leave so early in the morning that letters before are
impossible, and by night I am so dead tired that it is a physical
impossibiUty. But yesterday I had a very pleasant change, the
work was not nearly so heavy as all of our corridor patients
were evacuated and an aide was sent to help me. So I left early
in time to be able to have a hot restful bath before going to
dine at Colonel Cutcheon*s apartment, where he keeps house
most luxuriously with three other men. Colonel Cutcheon is one
of Mr. Byrne's partners, the whole firm (also Mr. Carl Taylor,
a very fine man), calmly packed up and came over, leaving the
law business to get on as best it may. Walter Damrosch was
there at dinner and I don't know when I have had such an
interesting time. We discussed all the problems of the uni-
verse. Helen and I were the only women, it was a real treat
to hear those interesting intelligent men talk freely of funda-
mentals. I decided not to go to the hospital this morning, as
Dr. Lucas returned Saturday and there are important matters
which must be taken up with him.

There is one comfort about things over here, it shows people
up in their true colors and if one only has patience, the dross
is swept away in time, for the men at the head are very fine
types and don't stand for what is not right.

Dr. Lucas was welcomed with open arms and such a sigh
of relief. He looks splendidly and has told me so much about
home and you. He was delighted with his lunch on the Hill
and says Armand de Lillie was much impressed by the Farm.
Barbara writes me that you are going to abbreviate the chil-
dren's clothes for the sun treatment,— 4t really should be done,
the results from that are quite wonderfuL I want to go into it
really scientifically when I return. I hope to be able to visit
the famous Switzerland place where the children are practically
naked in the snow. I was very much interested in all you
wrote about the Lucas' visit.

He was very much impressed by the work being done
on the Hill and thinks it would be all wrong for Miss

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Johnson to leave it. I feel quite sure that the military necessity
has not come yet for her and I doubt if she could stand the
strain. Of course her value would be in giving ether, but the
strain in that work is terrific, they have to work at times several
days and nights without rest and it is so harrowing. I find the
work perfectly exhausting, the men suffer so and it is so diffi-
cult to give them any relief whenever a limb is either shatered
or badly wounded. I have a boy who has a compound fracture
of tibia — ^wounds in both legs, both above and below the knees
and has been burned by mustard gas over the greater part of
his back, which is raw—- he simply has to lie on his back on
account of his arm which is suspended by a frame; there are
hundreds of this t3rpe of case in the hospital; one nurse has
charge of 65 patients with 3 aides to help her. I have really
been taking the place of an aide as I am too uncertain to be
put in charge of a big ward or floor. I did manage last week
to get my 15 patients bathed, which was a relief as they had not
had a bath since before the battle. I just couldn't stand it and
made a herculean effort which nearly killed me, but I feel well
repaid, it was too dreadful to have those filthy men in bed. But
I feel as if I could never more complain of any physical pain
after seeing what the men suffer in silence, of course there is
always an occasional one who complains and does not bear it
well, but the others have so much contempt for him that he is
soon reduced to silence; they don't hesitate to express their
opinions in forcible language, brutally frank. Some poor weak
fellow will be groaning and moaning and he is told to get a
bottle with a nipple and suck it or some such comforting thing.
I feel awfully sorry for the man with little grit, he does not have
an easy time.

Mary Ejrre comes out to distribute cigaretes, she seems to
like her work. I saw Masie Hammond and Sarah Cunningham
at July when I went for our wounded nurse, they both seemed
well and doing good work. Everyone says that the aides I
have trained are the finest workers in France. I am awfully
proud of them, because I have always made a point of getting
into the closest possible personal relations with them and im-
pressing on them the fact that the whole aide situation would
be judged by their conduct; they do whatever they are told to
do wihout question and I think are a very remarkable group of

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116 INTIMATE LETTERS FROM FRANCE

yoanc women. The nurses are a little jealous of my interest
in them but I felt that I must make a great effort to prove their
▼alue.

Paris, August 2, 1918.
To E. S.

Such a good letter come from you yesterday and I hasten
to answer it as I have an unexpected half hour this morning
before going to the hospital. As Miss Griffith has told you I
have an erratic way of suddenly leaving my bureau at the call
of the wounded and appearing unexpectedly at the hospital, at
the critical moment, where I am greeted with open arms. Then
I come back so dead tired at the end of a week or so that no
one has the heart to scold me. But to sit in that office dic-
tating letters, knowing that those poor boys are actually suffer-
ing for the most rudimentary care, is beyond my powers of en-
durance. When Dr. Lucas returned Saturday, I was not there
and the first tale of complaint he heard was of me. But of
course being a big-hearted red-blooded man he said "that's fine,
it's just right." I must say I was relieved because one hates to
appear insubordinate and irresponsible. Now that I have his
sanction I can really do both things better. I try to get to the
office for an hour or two every day, which keeps things moving
very smoothly. My secretary is a brilliant jewel— only twenty-
one years old and so clever and attractive.

One of the doctors has just come in to tell me that a train-*
load of wounded came in last night which means that 350 men
have been brought to the hospital and are lying in all stages
of discomfort over the floors, lawns, corridors and in fact
wherever they can find floor space for them as they have to be
undressed, fed and many things done for them before they
find rest. They usually arrive on the stretchers without pillows,
their heads resting on the iron cross bars. The suffering these
poor fellows go through absolutely without a complsun is heroic
beyond words. I can't get used to it, it is all I can do to con-
trol myself as I kneel beside them tucking those little pillows
under their poor shattered bodies.

I must tell you of a remarkable incident which occurred here
last week when the big offensive began. A number of Red

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INTIMATE LETTERS FROM FRANCE 117

Cross workers were at the station receiving the wounded — ^giv-
ing them water and comforting them as they waited to be
moved to the hospital. Mrs. Bacon was leaning over a boy
helping him, when she heard a feeble voice behind her call
"Mother" and turning she found her own boy Ijring there. I
am sure that meeting started a wave of homesickness through
these fallen ranks. Mrs. Bacon went to the hospital with her
boy, left him there and returned to her post for the rest of the
day.

I really must go to the hospital. Please thank Mrs. Heller
again for the money, some day soon, I am going to have Miss
Bjrme make out a little statement of some of the people we
help. I hope people will not mind my very erratic way of
helping, but I give at the time when I feel the need is greatest,
most unscientifically. I feel sometimes like Mr. Bender who
said once that he looked first up the street to see if Miss Felton
was in sight, then down for Miss Pexiotto before giving a man
a quarter for a meal I

Paris, August 5, 1918.
To A. G.

Yesterday I had a day off, the first in many weeks. I went
to the hospital as usual at 7 a. m., but found I was not needed,
as twenty nurses had most unexpectedly appeared. I was glad
as I was pretty tired, and besides wanted to go to the anni-
versary service at the English Ambassador's church. I gathered
up quite a party to go with us, including Helen Cheseborough.
It was a wonderful service. I like the service always at that
church better than any service I have attended for years — ^it is
so hearty — generally more men than women, who lift up their
voices and pray and sing as if they meant it. They all sing
through the entire service, even the Te Deum.

Well, yesterday the church was packed and when those men
sang "Onward, Christian Soldiers," after a splendid sermon
from an army chaplain who always goes over the top with the
boys, the roof nearly came off, and cold shivers went up and
down my back. You should have heard them shout "On to
victory I" If you could have had any doubt of the ultimate
result, then and there it must have l&een dispelled — ^those grim

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118 INTIMATE LETTERS FROM FRANCE

looking men never mean to stop until they have triumphed
over the powers of darkness!

The chaplain was a wonder— he actually swore several timeSf
but made me take an oath never again to express the slightest
doubt but that complete victory would end war for all time
among civilized nations. I will in future hold to that thought
even if I know it can not be.

Coincy, August 10, 1918.
My dear Miss Ashe.

I was so pleased to receive your letter this morning and
to seem to get in touch with you once more. I am so sorry
not to have seen you in Paris, for I think this last move is a
more permanent one, and unless our boys keep up this wonder-
ful chase and leave us miles behind, we are apt to "rester id**
until fall

This last move has been quite thrilling. We came across
country in camions — about 30 miles and the ride was a con-
tinuous change of 'Var scenery," starting through the villages
which the Germans invaded in 1914, the ruins being covered
now with vines and flowers, and the inhabitants taking up the
old routine of life once more in a protected comer of their
homes, — and passing on to the district that the Germans have
made their homes for months, — ^through miles of screened
roads, acres of barbed wire entanglements, trenches and dug-
outs — and finally into the region where the Americans have
swept all before them these last four weeks. We were so
covered with dust that under ordinary circumstances we should
have been cross and uncomfortable, but I felt much more in
tune with my surrounding, with my face stiff and my beloved
(?) blue coat a beautiful grey. Only my eyes were free and I
saw to it that there was no obstacle in the way of my "seeing
history.'' We stopped long enough to inspect the most wonder-
ful dugouts — ^long underground passages and tiny rooms, all
solidly built and fine examples of German thoroughness, but
the last occupants were Americans.

We found one group of 25 graves, all Massachusetts hoys,
who were buried within two weeks. The roads are covered

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INTIMATE LETTERS FROM FRANCE 119

with unexploded hand grenades and shells, and you truly
''watch your step" when you are sight-seeing.

Chateau Thierry is a pathetic sight— a city completely
ruined but simply teeming with life, — ^the American army. Every-
where in this region it is a rare sight to see anyone but an
American, except the French troops leaving this front for
another, and even though we read the papers and know that
our boys are pouring into the country we simply can't believe
our eyes, for we have seen them pass for hours and hours both
ways, and every nook and comer is filled with them. We have
an ambulance corps of 110 men with our formation, all from
the South. We talked with groups all the way up and our
Massachusetts men are all around us, so I shall not be sur-
prised to see someone I know only I hope ho won't be on a
stretcher, with bullets and 6clat8 to be hunted for.

We ran to one side of the road once to allow four of our
boys, all mounted, to pass with a long line of German prison-
ers. It was a wonderful moment, we couldn't cheer for it
seemed too impressive, the boys were so characteristically
American and so proud of their job and they solemnly saluted
us. It seemed so significant of what the near future surely
holds for us, our lively young Americans, full of life and vitality,
can spell but one word to these stolid, tired German boys, and
they looked as if they fully realized it.

We shall still be some days organizing, but we are putting
up a tent hospital for 800 beds and most of our personnel is
here and will be reinforced at once, of course. We still have
a small group both at Beauvais and Chantilly, but this will be
a small city when we are fully equipped. We are only 12 miles
from the front and at night we can see the flash from the guns

and the artillery signals. The guns always seem loud at B

but they actually keep us awake up here, and we find ourselves
getting all stirred up and unable to sleep when we know it is
our Americans who are up there a few miles beyond hammer-
ing away.

This field we are on was a battle field not more than two
weeks ago and we came here in time to see some unmistak-
able signs of a hurried retreat, loads of ammunition, two beauti-
fully camouflaged machine guns, some forgotten Boches and
horses and all sorts of souvenirs— helmets, bayonets, guns, etc.

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120 INTIMATE LETTERS FROM FRANCE

Yesterday p. m. three of the girls took shovels and actually
went up on the hill and buried one unfortunate^-or peihajw
fortunate Boche, and even put up the regulation cross over
him. The roads and country are simply peppered with shell
holes and there isn't a whole house for miles. Some of the
houses have been utterly wrecked, even the faces cut out of the
portraits.

We have a heavenly view from our hill, miles and miles of
rolling country, with long roads like ribbons ^vinding in and
out among the hills, always in motion with long lines of troops
and supplies, blue coming down and khaki going in. The boys
from an aviation camp near start off in squadrons, go over the
lines and in a few hours we count them as they come back.
It is just as well that we have a few days here to get our
equilibrium or we should have a sad time trjdng to work and
not miss anjrthing at the same time. Our ambulance boys are
inside the tent we have been leaning up against, entertaining us
with Southern songs, accompanied by a mandoline and some-
times a violin. They are great and we are between hysterics
at their camp songs and tears at some of our old home songs.
It's a bit distracting for my letter but it seems so good to be
''all-American" once more. What a change from last year is
the present routine life and business of our nation I

Last night some of us walked over a few miles to see one
of the placements where "Big Bertha" held forth for a while.
It is a marvelous piece of work—exactly like a railway turn-
table, with a well built track up to it, and it is so heavy that
their attempts to blow it up before they left it only curled up
the comers. Everything about it was well camouflaged and
there is a guard over it. About 100 of our boys arrived about
the same time we did and among them was one who came
form a mobile unit near us and he said Miss Evans was here.
Dr. Woodroffe will remember her last winter at the Royal on
her way South on account of chillblains. I am going to look
her up this evening.

Signed E. B.

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Paris, Ausust 12, 1918.
To A. G.

This has been a very quiet, uneventful week for me, although
"Big Bertha*' has kept things a little fively. I spent one day
inspecting a very interesting place for delicate diildren near
Paris at Hachette. It is really four places, a hospital for chil-
dren where they are kept for ten days before going either to
^the convalescent home or the hospital, and then a big place
with 150 beds for convalescent or delicate children. The latter
is being run by Miss Dabney. She is doing well at Hachette.
She is a very fine capable woman and I am glad she is there.

But I must tell you about Mrs. Post, who is here from Mor-
laix. She has developed her work wonderfully since I was
there last year, and quite cheered me by telling me that I had
been a real help. She tells me that she carried out all my ideas
even to pruning the trees. You see, I arrived just as she was
about to build expensive shelters for the children when I
showed her how she could get splendid results with her plant
just as it was. She quickly took the idea and says it has worked
ideally. She has even introduced pottery at my suggestion.
This had become a lost art. She is having the tubercular
women make it, and says it is a great success — ^that they make
lovely shapes. I was really awfully pleased about it, as although
I enjoyed my trip to Brittany more than anything I have done
since I have been here, I felt that it had been a waste of time.
Mrs. Post has seventy children in her day camp. She says
that the improvement in them is marvellous. She also has a
hospital, and dispensaries scattered all throughout Finisterre.

I am going to start out tonight on a tour of inspection, and
expect to travel pretty steadily this next month. I go today to
Blois, and Friday to Sermaise, which is not far from Chalons.
Yesterday I had a very quiet, restful time; we got an
old fiacre, took a guide book, and spent the afternoon sight-
seeing in a leisurely manner. I think it did us all good • It is
just one year ago today since we arrived in Paris. Of the
original group who came, only Dr. Lucas, Miss Gilder, Dr.
Baldwin, and I are left. Dr. Baldwin leaves for home in a day
or two.

Last night I dined with Mr. Macdonough; I do not know

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122 INTIMATE LETTERS FROM FRANCE

if yon remember him— lie is a great friend of Mr. Ejrre's. His
son had been here only about a week or two when he was
killed in his first engagement. Helen Bjrme knew him well,
he was a fine fellow.

I fear the loss of life among our men has been very high,
bnt let us pray that their over-zealousness may have given such
an impetus to the retreat that the Huns won't stop until they
have crossed the Rhine. I cannot help hugging to my heart
th^ hope that the fruit of the sacrifice our boys have made of
their young lives will be victory in the near future, not another
year of war. Let us pray.

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