The Brattleboro daily reformer. (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1913-1955, 1918-11-05
MRS. GILMAN TELLS
MORE OF HER WORK
Serves Hot Cocoa to Wounded Men
Coming on Trains at All Hours of
Night-Letter to Mother. -

Following are extracts from "a letter
sent by Mrs. Clara Hovey Gilman, who
is in the Red Cross hospital hut service
in France, TO her mother, Mrs. Henry
w. Hovey:
Vichy, France, Oct. 10.
am dreadfully sorry to have left such
gap in your letters, but it Just couldn't
be helped.
Now things are different and / expect
to have more time. | am perfectly well
and everything is all right, but never
did | imagine working so MANY hours
of the "a. 1t is really true | have had
only Is or 20 minutes off at time,-not
enough for letter and | have to 90 for
walk TO get warm.
The men keep pouring into our place
and all the rooms are now open; this
means lots OF work to Keep il running
in spite of French servants. who. bv the
way, will not work if you don't keep an
eye right on them.
Then the trains! They have to be met
with cocoa and the cocoa must be
made! All under difficulties at the pres
ent
1t consumes an appalling amount of
time waiting for trains for they are al
ways late; sometimes four or five hours
And as they may pop into the station
at one minutes notice we Just sit, wait
ing for the ambulance which takes US and
the hot cocoa down.
But il is about the most worth while
work we do. The men may have been
travelling two days. and always, now
they are cold
| was up this morning for a train due
at ). 1t came shortly after 6, which was
wonderful had made the cocoa last
night and left the night Waterman to
keep the fire going He did not do il to
suit me. and I'm much hampered by lack
of fluent French Still ! think he gath
cred my meaning.
The "blesses" were SO cold and tired /!
They greeted us with cheers would
be glad to do it every morning OF the
world Three DAYS ago saw the worst
lot of men that have met They were
simply hcartbreaking. whole train OF
strctcher cases No use telling YOU about
them for it's part of the days work here
and would merely distress YOU
| Now we have two morn workers and a
new "directricc." She has been reorgan-
! past - tth EtIttDE StDtuulp
under way which provides some leisure
for all of us.
| have several hours in the morning
/ now. 50 ! can get some exercise, also
write and do any odd Jobs, cite All these
things have been quite impossible
/ | go on at l2,30 and work till ). have
my dinner at $50 and 90 on for tbs
evening at J. After two weeks | shift
with Miss Nj. working from to
1880, from ) to I. On the latter hour,
] do not take train service. Four of us
arc always on call for that and have il
when can rest in the morning if want
! to. =.
Some OF the trains come at midnight
and others at 3 or 1 pm.
Miss Nj and | arc really the two
housekcepers- being responsible for til,
cleanliness of the whole place, for tn,
cocoa for daily home use and for thu
trains. c
At present the kitchen * chaos, but or
der il emerging and II have faith ant
much hope. 1t viii be so much easiel
when our tools are together where W,
want them. The French idea of cookin.
il so vastly different.
The "Elysce Palace" was formerly
swcllsomc cafe, but, believe me. I'm glaC
| never ate anything out of that kitchen
c. would die OF despair after on
glance at il. It is so awful we can
fret about it. But the walls and ceilin.
and floor have been scraped and white
washed not the floor, and it begins t,
look decent.
We have twos enormous recreatio,
rooms. each fully the size of the hall il
the Odd Fellows building, also the can
teen. the movie" hall. large as the Prin
cess think, and really beautiful littl
theatre, seating about 700.
! We have all sorts of shows there man,
times week. which the men arc quit
crazy about They get them up them
selves and the talent is amazing. Eve
SO many professionals of every kind
musicians, dancers, singers, comedians
vaudeville sketch artists, ANYTHING vo,
: want is to be had in this marvelou
army have enjoyed the shows w
seen immensely.
The great problem is heating. Their
is no furnace for the place, for it wa
tor summer visitors and closed early i,
October. We have three stoves going an,
they are most popular The cold i
really hard to stand; damp, gets int
your bones The men feel il badly. 70
most of them aren't i'll good condition
Many arc crippled SO that exercise is i'm
possible But we will probably liy
through it, and |. darcsay YOU all are n
warmer. =
am glad of my warm clothes. an
shall put On heavy underwear very soor
r Evidently I'll need more wool stocking
g for IN wear them continually as tn
Il floors are very cold marble and no hea
underneath -
l The shopping here is fair. but cxpen
) sivc as everywhere. don't think of
thing for YOU to send me. I'm so afrai
packages will be lost.
< We. are to be allowed packages 70
. Christmas just like the soldiers, on