New Britain herald., 1915-11-22

the dear Belgian people a whole. 1 The poor, simple peasant boys who have been injured! How ones heart
 does go out to them. We have 50
 many little Belgian soldiers, mere
 boys, who are trying to be brave | with an arm gone, a leg off at the 1 thigh and even two legs gone in
 some cases. And in addition there
 are the non-combatants those little
 boys who have been maimed by l bombs or shells that have reached
 La Panne. One little fellow about
 II years old, is without his left leg;
 he was hit by an exploding bomb. But
 he says to the nurses Just think of the men in the trenches, how many there in the trenches, how many there are getting shot to pieces.' And he is right. Many of those at and near the hospital try to be bravo, not knowing where their families are. Their homes and cities have been destroyed and burned"
 Seeing a Battle.
 From the hospital Miss Johnson could, with glasses, view the fighting near the trenches, six miles away. One day she also saw naval engagement i'll the North sea. She saw the bonn bardment of Ostend. The German shells came very near the hospital One of the English boats was but three-quarters of mile off-shore. When the tide was out, a shell fell within the line marked by a buoy and an officer remarked that it needed but half-inch different training of the German gun to have sent the shell to land, to the destruction of the hos pital. "One night when I was doing night duty" she says, i've looked up at the ceiling time and again expecting to see a shell drop through. And in the morning we went out and found five big holes in the sand nearby. The noise was something awful, a severe strain on the nerves" Miss Johnson prizes a photograph showing a Ger man mine that rolled up on the sand in front of the hospital One of the nurses snugged close to the big mon ster while the photographer snapped her picture. But the story of the oth- CT mine that drifted ashore is of it's exploding and killing eight soldiers. From the hospital balconies the flash of cannon and the flames of the rock cts could be seen on the trench line front. Airships were common sight and CAace or twice airships engaged in
 
 Few Pleasures.
 The American nurses were com pelled to have some relief from the awful strain of not only being so near he battle front but in attending to the pathetic and frightful cases it was their duty to care for. LaPanne being a famous watering place of many enjoyed surf bathing. 1o pn nf July party given by Dr. Page for his American helpers. Some of the Bel gian soldiers had been in America and their delight knew no bounds when they were presented with an American | football by the American doctors. One day Miss Johnson was out with a few others, guided by a Belgian officer and they ventured over the line into French territory. This occasioned l some trouble but they finally reached 1 LaPanne safe and sound. i
 Following America.
 Just as the American unit of nurses had about completed it's term of ser vice, a Canadian contingent arrived for a three months service. Others were then beginning to arrive from England, Scotland and from other parts of Belgium. The general of- fensive of the allies had just started l when Miss Johnson felt obliged to 1 return home. She says 1t was hard l to leave then so great was the need 1 of aid and succor.
 Miss Johnson worked in a hospital l that was formerly the exclusive hotel | LOcean. Until she went on night l duty, she lived in a German arch I Uh of the sea was always heard. The l villas used by the nurses and the doc tors and for the care of patients were formerly the homes of royalty and of very wealthy people. The king and queen visited the hospital frequently. 1 The beach is a wonderful one, and it l was a pretty sight, Miss Johnson says, to see the soldiers on review along the beach front Pavilions have been erected about the main hospital, and .hese with the hospital accommodate from 1900 to 1900 patients. She further says. Many titled ladies do work and every one does what little he can. Many of the Eng ish and Canadians have relatives, friends, brothers and fathers at the ront yet they go bravely on each lay, working with no pay of any kind, md only hoping for a victory to their tide" While there, she had French md Belgian professors assisting as walters and orderlies. A beautiful light on the trip was had passing through Normandy in apple blossom ime.
 Bound For Shores of Peace.
 Coming home the sailing was out ,f Bordeaux instead of from Havre, md instead of the usual nine days it required two weeks to get home lboard La Tourine. The boat was hort 40 stokers. We kept our lothes on day and night while pass ng through the war zone, and were