The Birmingham age-herald., 1915-09-19
Titled English Women Are Prominent in Supplying
 Material for Hospital
STORIES OF THE JOY
 GIVEN TO SOLDIERS .-
AmeriSan Gifts by Thousands Have Been Distributed and Thousands of Soldiers Have Written
 Letters of Appreciation
By HAYDEN CHURCH

Lohuoh, august zo.-(Speclal Core spondence)-There are two visits that one wishes every American woman could pay just now. Both would glad den her heart; that Is. if she is now taking part in one of the best of the good works that are being done by women in connection with the war; if not they would be sure to impress her and make her eager to take a hand in this work herself.
 The first of these visits would be to a military hospital in France. Not to one of the great government ones, nor even to one of those-known as ''hospi- tai auxiliaire'-thata arc under the di- rect control of the French Croix Rouge, but to ono of tho little hospi- tals, situated in some small, poor vil- lage and housed in any chateau, hotel. school or even factory. that happened to be available when war swept over the land and the little place was notified that 1t might expect 150 wounded men. and within a month or moro received a. couple of thousand
 Sad indeed is the plight of many of these little French village hospitals, which. owing to the fact that there are over a million wounded in the country, exist in their thousands today, much sadder, indeed, than may be told. Let us imagine typical one. Tho very
 
 from tho houses round about of well-to- do and poor alike. These beds may be standing on the bare ground, those that are capable of standing at least for many have to be propped against the wall Most pathetic of all, how sproper clothing, of surgical fnstru- ments, and all the other appurtenances of successful nursing. Some of the wounded, in fact, are lying in bed in their much worn uniforms. Many of these beds are blanketless, the sheets can be changed only once in five weeks In some cases there are no pillows at 1 all The little. white robed religious nurse in charge is in despair. She may have four or five flannel shirts for the 200 odd men in her wards. She may be trying to make pillow cases from old bits of linen, to utilize soiled dressing, or to mend once more socks whose darns already are so large and in SD many different colored wools that 1t Is hard to tell the original color of the sock
 Opening the Bales
 But what is this? A motor car, laden to it's capacity with wonderfully packed and. labeled bales, is coming up tho hill It's driver is obviously an Amer ican and the car itself bears the name of the American city by which 1t was originally made possible and which now supports it. Also the name of the or .sanization--a woman's organization in whose interest the automobile cruises through the war-racked land of France-namely. the French wounded emergency fund.
 Some of the bales are labeled for this very hospital. They are carried in by some of the strongest among the strange ly clad convalescents, and unpacked, and what veritable treasures they contain. It is just In time. The situation Is saved! News of this event soon goes around, and from every part of the building men pour and make for the spot. Legless and arm less they crowd up the narrow staircase and feast their eyes. almost in disbelief on the wonders that the bales contain. Then the distribution begins. From her patients poor. sore feet, where the skin is broken and blistered the "religeuse' draws the dirty socks and then with equal care, puts on the beautiful neY ones fresh from the magic bales. Slippers go like wildfire, many of the mems feet having been tied up in rags, and 1t is joy to fit slipper on wounded foot and see the comfort it gives. And so 1t goes on. There are sheets and pillow cases in the bales, as we'll as pajamas, shirts, con- valescent jackets, air pillows goodness knows whatnot. The little sister" is past thanks, but as the last soldier goes out well clad and happy, she wipes her eyes with chache neg and murmurs, "C' est le bon Dieu!'
 An American woman who had worked on behalf of the French wounded emer- gency fund might, standing by, see socks knitted or shirts hemmed by her own hands received by men almost fearful with gratitude. Might have seen them. too, with the card bearing her name and address grasped tightly in their hands, sitting down straightway to indite let ter of warm thanks to the unknown donor of these gifts, so many miles across the Atlantic. Here for example, is an extract from letter that was shown to me, writ ten from the Formation Sanatairc, at Dielette, in Brittany, by one of tho visi- tors' of the emergency fund:
 'I cannot describe the pleasure of the men here when they saw the clothes. The days are so monotonous and they have so little pleasure. They each had shirt a vest handkerchief, tricot and pair of socks. One of them, "chasseur" from the Midi" found card in his shirt with the words, Worked by a Philadel- phia girl'' written on it, which pleased him very much when I translated it. It was a pretty shirt with lilac and green stripes and he was much envied by the others"
 Comfort to Dying Man
 Here, too, is an instance of how an American womans gift brought comfort to dying man. It was fin one of the crowded wards at Granville. near St. Malo. The man had had a terrible case of fractured jaw. and was unable to speak. Other complications had set in and ----- ' = : = . =