Harrisburg telegraph. [volume] (Harrisburg, Pa.) 1879-1948, 1917-08-02

don't keep them here long. They are
sent home to the hospital nearest
where they live. wonder il our boys
Will be as brave?
| It's getting late-I go to bed with
the hope that tomorrow will bring
your mail. You must always tell me
every little thing when you write.
With dearest love to everyone,
F., "Devotedly,
June H. 1917. Helen.
June 16, 1917.
| Dearest Folks:-
"As can't find anything but a pencil
to write with, l hope the sea air win
not obliterate all I'll try to write. I
have tried several times to write YOU
but l have been in a whirIwind since
l left London. We came on a hos
pital ship from Southampton to Havre.
leaving at 1880 and arriving at port
safe and sound about a. M We did
not undress but managed to get some
sleep in our clothes. We awoke to find
cold rainy, dreary day and there was
considerable delay in getting us off the
ooat as our arrival was unexpected that
day. We left finally about 1 p. m. and
rode in second and third class cars
until 1890 at night. You can imagine
our comfort and at 1890 when we ar
rived we had ride of one hour by
auto. arriving here about 1880 cold,
weary and hungry However. we all
survived and some of us went on duty
the next day,-I was one of them. l
am sorry l am not permitted to tell
you where | am or any details about
the size of the place, or in fact any of
the things l know you are keen to
know. However, l can say it is a most
beautiful spot on hill and the view
is wonderful The little town we over
look is old ana quaint and of course
water is always pretty 10 look at II
is always cold here except in the mid
die of the day, when the sun is rath-
er hot, but you may know it isn't very
hot when / tell you that we sleep with
two army blankets and l use foot
warmers. They say ii was so cold here
last winter that hot water bags froze
in the bed. What / am going to do to
keep warm at that rate is beyond me.
We all live in little huts and of course
they are very cold. The place looks like
one of our very large rail construc-
tion camps. Harriet and l room to-
gether. We will try to buy an oil
stove. l will have to have you send
me two pairs of woolen stockings and
we have to have sleeping bags. Do
you think l had better have you send
one. or would you advise my having
Mrs. c. get me one? l am writing
dbOul IL lOW So L VIII surely nave IL
in time and anything you think would
make me warmer. please enclose. !
do hate to be cold. The air here IS
splendid and we all look and are fine
/ never felt better.
II have never been so happy in my
work as l am now. The work is inten-
sely interesting. I am in charge of a
surgical ward with forty-two beds,-
all serious cases. l have ten nurses,
tup al dc 7 AoIt
about my orderlies-two are medical
students, one a prosperous going busi
ness fellow and one is from one of ou
best prep. schools. DR.. Taylor from
Philadelphia and DIR. billiard are in
charge of our ward The endurance and
patience of our boys is wonderful.
There is never complaint and there
are all English Tommies. A Canadian
are many heart breaking sights. They
hospital adjoins ours. The work is very
hard and 1t is quite a job getting on to
the English army methods of running a
hospital. A few of the English sisters
and aids stayed. as we do not have
enough nurses to do the work. We get
up at $780, which is really $50, as they
start things an hour earlier here; break
fast, (very SLIM, on duty at s, tea in
the ward at $3.50, lunch at one, off duty
either at to or 5 to 8, Chat last
means you don't go back on duty that
night, tea at 4:30, dinner at s p. m.
1t is light here until 10 p. m. We are
all enjoying the English tea habit.
LAS yet no mail has come and 1 feel
as tho it was years since l heard from
you. We get a Continental paper but
the news in it is very limited. 1 am
afraid my letters will not be very in
teresting because there is so much
can't say and there are so many in
teresting things 1 would like to tell you
about. l hope all the letters l wrote
you in London came all right. Mrs.
c. was writing Edith the day left and
she said she would tell her all l was
doing in case mine did not come. She
was so lovely to me and 1 felt home
sick when 1 said Good Bye to them.
Everyone is interested in our army
coming over, but 1t would break our
hearts to see our boys as some of these
patients are now.
II will try and write more in few
days. Address letetrs just as put it on
the envelope.
with dearest love to each and all. |
hope every one will write me very Of |
ten. You don't know how l positively |
ache for letters. Devotedly,
HELEN"
CSomewhere in France.D