Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1917-12-29

MI
TNIIE horrible monotony of the ex-
L istence, the fact that no, one around
you cares whether you live or die, ana
that you have nothing to look forward
to but tho end of the war. make the
life Of prisoner almost unbearable.
One has actually to be II prisoner to
realize this. II is n state of mind that
cannot be imagined j can quite easily
see how men who have been in German
hospitals or camps for two or three
years become Respondent, nervous
wrecks and often go stark. staring mad
or commit suicide.
Noodle had spent a year in hospital
and some days would be attacked with
u fit of the blues. He would lie ON his
bed without saying word, paying no
attention when the meals arrived. Gray
and 7, seeing the effect on him ana
others. would attack him with pillows
Noodle would defend himself and
rough pillow fight would result. or
course, We had TO be very careful not
TO injure the arms or legs which were
In plaster. Heavy artillery in the shape
of bottles Of aerated lemonade would be
brought up, and the shower baths that
ensued would generally bring the party
TO an end with everybody laughing
and the desired result would have been
| accomplished.
Cards were diversion that offered
| great possibilities. We Canadians in-
! troduced the national game" of poker
and alsc, Polish Bank, and the English
men took a GREAT delight in using the
| slang poker terms on every possible
occasion. The Russians and Frenchmen
/ Cf t1nir Whnr-
ever one turned little groups could be
seen sitting cross-legged on the floor or
on the side of bed playing some game
with a pack of greasy and dog-eared
cards. In our ward bridge was the
NEST popular amusement. and almost the
whole of every afternoon was whiled
away at this game. When We had more
than four players the extra ones would
sit around and watch the game until
H. was their turn to cut in.
Reading also served to pass away
the time. Noodle and Gray. who had
been IN the hospital for long time
had n few books that had braved the
censors, We also had some books II
English such as "The Life of Curate.
which were provided by the German
pastor who buried our dead, and who
also at long intervals held a service foi
us in the chapel There was waiting
list for all these books. which were
passed round the hospital as fast al
they were read. II we had had a cop,
of websters Dictionary 1t would haV'
, been devoured from cover to cover.
As have said, certain men who wer'
fit were employed on permanent duties
such as working in the parcel room
Issuing timed food. ETC. Barclay. wit
, had recovered from his, wounds. beinl
a stretcher-bearer. was made sanitaire
=, Others were employed on week..
fatigues, cleaning the floors and peelin
potatoes. As this vegetable was ou
staple article of diet 1t took Let
potatoes every day TO feed five hundre
!, men. At any time in the courtyar
could be seen ten or fifteen men seate
around barrels and tubs into which tn
potatoes were tossed as they were peeled
/: Later on, owing &c, the scarcity OF foot
the peeling was dispensed with as bein
wasteful.
4 sThe study Of French was an occu
. patton which attracted many of tn
] Englishmen. There was a French car
= tain In the hospital-the only French OF
Q ficer there--and ] soon made arrange
: ments TO exchange lessons for instrue
] ton in French. We managed to hay
n textbooks bought for US in the cit
. and commenced work in earnest. ii
lived alone In a small room on the frs
: floor and here for two hours every da
he worked. Half the time was devote
to each language. He, went righ
{ through the grammar. taking one lesso
, at q time In the beginning all our ex
: plantations were made IN German. as thi
; was ths ianguage We both knew best. A
~ HeEe 81 ez{i2f ~ hour dsvoss