The Washington times., 1915-01-24
JEAN ELl0TeH
LETTER
EAR sUsAN-pon't you wonder
sometimes whether Catherine
Eritton and Mona McAdoo quite

ingr Az some ono recently said, being
q war nurse is no poetic jeb,. even
though 1t makes tho poets eloquent"
and 1t /, difficult 10 picture those two
p.tted bellc1 and beauties drudgins al
heir taak. for heroic though the labor
lie, 1t Is drudsery-- indeed, therein lies
its herc!am. TO be sure. they ara hound
Ior a ccnvalcscent hospital on tInc
old private estate near San Ecno.. In !
the south Of France. where horrors Will
DOUBTLESS be fewer. work less hard, and
beauty Of Sacc and charm of manner Ut
more account than in tho hospitals
nearer tho Aeld But even go. the actual
,niristerins angel of tho hospital Is
,rueA ucre useful but less poetic fsure
than the miniatcrins angel of the battle-
teld. as pictured In the average fmasi-
nation.
Miss Cora de Wilhorst,, who has Re.
Gently returned from France, where shs
spent several nonths as a Red Cross
nurse tells story thrilling but terrible
cf the horrors that make UP the daily
round of the nurses. Part French Rer.
self. she was In France when the war
hroke out. and at once volunteered for
duty in the little field hcapita! at Area
rhon. near Bordea aux, where she Norkev
until her health suffered and che was
forced to return to tllie county
The hcepital occupied an old schocI
house; at frst said Miss de Wllhors'i
there were no lights cave kerosene
LAMPS, no running water, not oven ~
~. cneratinE rccrn. Running water ana
electricity we're ,nutall3d later, but er:
ervthiny was most primitive, strip o.
ot,c,oth about the walls and on Inc hooG
dist,rgui.hcd the operating room 1ltlt!
tho rest of the wards and slu ayc there
vss ar arpalline lack Of aneathet.cs-
Again and again terrible operations
we're performed With the patients con
so.cus ard in agony. again and again
,he nurses 1ere called upon to- witness
these trag4d.es and lend helping hand.
And tu:t as often thsii duties consisted
in cleaning. ccrutbirg, or washing
sotled linen. never ending grind, with
each dsv new. lahore, esrh day new
horrors.
And yct--for all their primitive equip
,. rnept, in six months in thst enc small
town the, n,lracd over S,CnO wounded
soldiers with record Of only forty
deaths. and Of these some eight or ten
reached the hospitals i'll a dying condl-
tior, Of a truth though 1t 10 hard
work, constant work, even terrible
work, II Is beautiful. and the good
wishes cf host of friends will go with
the two girls in their new life. the life
IF toll and trouble they have deliber-
ately chosen instead of the luxury and
pleasure they have heretofore known.
One ct the most attractive Halt1ss
played at the dance at the Army and
Navy Club Thursday evening was COM
rcsed by Col. Clarence Wainwright
Murphy who has been a constant v1s-
itor in Washington Of late. Colonel
Murphy ig a musician Of some note
and plays the piano delightfully."- I am
told. Also he Is In great demand as a
dinner guest as he dances beautifully
and talks. ~sll, having Travelled .ovcr
mcet Of the globe in 2. leisurely way and
cleaned L store of curious and interest
ing anecdotes, He had planned all cN-
tended trip by automobile this fall. bat
the outbreak of the war prevented.
Colonel Murphy has been III Wash
irgton about two months this season
occupying an apartment in the Bachel-
ar, but he was here for some time las
winter, taking some aor!, of 2. coursc
in diplomacy. He owes his title to his
position on the staff Of the governor OF
r.ouisianu. but, though hc hos made
his home in New Orlcars for some
Years. no halls originally from North
Carolina,
When Capt and Mrs. Clarence Day
leave Fort Myer in tn" early spring for
Honolulu, on Captain Days attaining
lis majority, they will be the nine
,centh family TO leave the fort within
the las, year. And, OF course there
have been many newcomers. Capt. ano
Mrs. Dawson Ollnstcad. who are in.
cludcd in that number, will leave fol
New York on Wednesday, and Capt
and Mrs Francis HOreycutt will take
their place. The Olmsteads arc dears
and everybody is sorry to sec them go
The HoneyCutts arc already III Wash
ingtcn, having como up from Fort San
Houston. where they were stationed
with Major and Mrs. Manus McCloskey
who are expected to arrive at For
Myer almost any day.
Capt. Arthur Carter. who is now or
leave, expects to return. unless h
should decide to retire and remain a
tho attractive bungalow near Leesburs
which he and Mrs, Carter recent,
~,
and Mrs. Hillnlan arc another recen
loss to the post, but they did not ~
very far, being stationed at the Waite
Reed Hospital, on the outskirts o
Washington. And in addition to al
these changes there are several ncV
captains expected al the post in tn
near future.
- !. -
'rho Club of Colonial DANES yester
day celebrated their birthday with thet
annual birthday luncheon. fhr mem
bers of tn. club turned out in fu
force, the attractive home OF the Clu
in SiHtecnth street WsS CharminRl
decorated for the event, and it was al
together a. thoroughly enjoyable occs,
son. MIS-. Murray Addison. Mrs. Ed
ward II. GnCen, and Mrs. Sias Case
iieSticd at the table. The only thin
10 mar the enjoyment was the univel
sal regret among the members of tn
club for the serious illness of their foi
rer president, Mrs. Eugene Van Rens
sslaer
Mrs C'laNtun, widow OF the late Ge