The Yale expositor. (Yale, St. Clair County, Mich.) 1894-current, 1917-12-06
From Yale Girl in France
Springfield, Ohio, Nov. 2C

Dear Mr.. Menzies:
We have just been reading the
letters of the Yale soldiers in last
weeks Expositor and thought you
might be interested in the news
Marie sends us from France. OF
course its rather meagre the strict
censorship does not permit many
details. In her first letter she
wrote:
October first. We are near
enough the fighting line to hear
the terrific din of the artillery
and are waiting for our passports
to go over the line. There is much
red tape getting through even for
nurses. l had an accident today
which may prove a tragedy for
me- When we were out walking, in
stepping into a deserted trench, |
sprained my ankle very badly and
was carried back to this very beau
tiful chateau, owned by Madame
Park, an American woman. AT
first the doctor thought my ankle
was broken but the X-ray showed
it to be only badly sprained. l
shall not mind if only / am able to
go on with this division. The Doc
tors keep telling me they think |
can.
Major Skele has given us our
instructions and gas masks which
we are never to be without. In
case the hospital is bombarded
we can put them IN in a few sec
onds and proceed as calmly as
possible in caring for our wound
ed. We are to be taken through
the gas chamber to see how it af-
fects US. Our major cases will be
all that we can take with us as we
will live in dugouts or portable
tents.
The Germans are trying desper-
ately to break through the line at
this point but so far the French
have stood firm Now indeed the
war seems a grim reality. Appar-
emily an air raid is expected to-
night. A crier has just gone
through calling mo light s to-
night" so we will have to go to
bed in the dark.
October 3. am left behind.
ankle is in a cast and will be for
some time. / am too unhappy for
words. Only think of being near
enough to hear the roar of the
canon all day long and then not
be able to do anything but study
French verbs. My chance to be at
a trench hospital may not come
again for weeks and weeks. Every
one is so kind and | have been
overwhelmed with attention. Nine.
Park is to take me back to Paris
in her car and one of the doctors
and nurses from our post are to
meet me there and escort me
home.
November End. At last | have
discarded my crutch and am going
to Nice for two weeks or until
am equal to hospital work. Two
weeks of sunshine on the Mediter-
rarean sounds most attractive to
me. Your birthday candies were
luscious. Being on the road seven
weeks did not impair their flavor
in the least. They were devoured
in just fifteen minutes after their
arrival so you see there is no dam
ger Of sweets getting stale when
they are once in our possession.
Do not try to senG anything often
but when you do just send us a
little sugar and few saltines or
plain uneedas. It's impossible to
get anything like them over here
and they would taste awfully
good to us. Do not worry about
me not getting enough to eat, l
assure you / am, but sugar is very
hard to get here so if you want to
cause rejoicing throughout the
hospital just mail us few humps
occasionally.
With kind regards to you and
Mrs. Menzies, / am,
Cordially yours,