Wauwatosa news. [volume] (Wauwatosa, Wis.) 1900-1948, 1916-01-14

the transportation of troops. Even
when news came of the fall of Liege
and Brussels, there was little excite
ment. 1t was only when the Bava-
rian crown prince won victory near
Metz that the people forgot their
calm and cheered and wept for joy.
On September 1 l arrived in Mu-
| mich, the Bavarian capital. The life
here was as different as could be
from that in Kissingen. The streets
and cafes were crowded, the theaters
and museums all open. Orchestras
played popular music. Singers sang
comic songs. One would never have
realized that a war was going on,
had it not been for the yellow tele-
grams pasted on the bulletin boards
and for the throngs of soldiers.
The city swarmed with men in
gray. And the remarkable part of it
all is that one sees just as many sol
diers now as one did a year ago last
September. There are soldiers every
wherein the streets, at the theater,
in the cafes-strong, heaithy-looking
men, some of them already decorated
with the Iron Cross.
After a week or so of aimless sight
seeing, my conscience began to trou-
BILE me. | felt it was wrong to stay
idle in these earnest times, so /
set about to find some occupation. /
started in service at a day nursery,
where poor children were taken care
of while their mothers were at work.
All the children are delightful, and
these were no less so than the aver
age; but sad to relate they spoke a
Bavarian dialect that was impossible
for me to understand. They in turn
did not recognize as German the Ian
guage l spoke; so we decided that
was no success as a disciple of Froe-
bel, and | started to search for a
new field of activity. l found what |
sought at the American Red Cross
hospital, and soon began my work
there.
l should like to be able to say that
at once / attained the dignity of a
cap and apron, but / did not, be-
cause / had even less than the aver
age knowledge of nursing. | really
started as an errand girl. l shopped.
carried out propaganda, and made WIS.,
| it's, in order to interest people in the
! good work. / chatted with Geraldine
Farrar, was respectful to Countess
Won Bernstorff and visited enough til
tied people to set my democratic head
awhirl.
The next step in my hospital career
was when | began to do little Sec
retarial work, and soon afterwards
received my uniform and came more
in contact with the work of the hos
pital proper. My special department
was the provision room, where the
jellies and other luxuries that the
regular commissariat did not carry
were kept | was the mistress of the
key to the wine cellar and also looked
after the clothing with which we sup
piled the men.
There was nothing too mental for me
to do, and l was glad of every oppor-
tunity for service. l still have a
mental photograph of myself scrub
bling the floor and cleaning windows,
not to speak of darning the biggest
holes that / ever saw in socks. In
December we received huge ship
ment from the American Red Cross
society, and we had so many boxes
and bales of clothing, comforts, and
cotton, that we decided to give the
surplus to the German Red Cross
The Bavarian queen, as its official
head, came to inspect our supplies
She was little, wrinkled old lady
who smiled most amiably when we
made our court curtsies and who was
very grateful for our timely gift.
Christmas came and went. We
thought of the men in the trenches
and prayed for peace. But, in spite
of the war, l enjoyed every hour in
Munich, and large share of my pleas
ure / owe to the musical advantages
the city offers. Performances of the
opera and concerts are being given al
reduced rates on account of the war