Oxford Democrat. [volume] (Paris, Me.) 1833-1933, 1918-03-26
A Christmas Day In France.
Written by Miss Winifred G. Swift Of Mime
apolis. Minn., to her people at home)
1917.

the fervor with which set out to forget
you all at honey Mrs. Moore got her
Christmas bundle, and Mrs. Dawson
hers, but Miss Kuttun and haven't had
q bit OF mail from the last boat, and We
call ourselves "step children" and said
the only way to keep from being lone
some was to forget home conscientiously
during these holidays. Here's how We
did It.:
Saturday morning several OF the doc-
tors went with the camion ont to the
woods and brought back holly, mistle'oe
and green's to decorate the hospital. II
was great lark for them, and We girls
had to wait at the hospital. Miss Moore
found British colonel who wanted to
do something for the boys, 90 she took
him to the market and let him buy Eve
little trees for the wards which weren't
to have big ones. Miss N. bought red
crepe paper, tinsel and big box. Of
tangerines. Saturday we girls tied up
figs, cigarettes and pencils. with ribbons,
and wrapped box OF safety matches In
silver paper for each OF the boys in the
wards. You don't know how scarce
matches and tobacco are here. The
shops will only sell you ten little boxes
at q time, and We had great fun dis
guising ourselves and going back for
more on several occasions.
DR.. c.. came into the lab. when we
we're unloading our things and said he
had private on his floor who was con.
valescent and carpenter, and he'd send
him up to put bases on the trees. We
had him there saving and pounding all
morning, and the poor boy was glad
enough to have something to do in our
ever-cheerful atmosphere. STRUNG each
tangerine with a red ribbon and made
millions Of tinsel loops for the ends Of
the branches. We had such good time
trimming the trees and DR.. Taylor
brought everyo one in to see-he enjoyed
it as much as We. One of the orderlies
came up with message and said "No
one thinks we poor ginks will be lone
some-everyone Is working for the sick
fellows-they have it softl" At that we
had to get another tree for them and
steal little here and there from the
other trees to trim 1t.
Then We came to the question of how
many punches Of cigarettes, three In Q
bunch, sent out by the American Red
Cross, and how many pencils, 80 We sent
down to Lieutenant r. to ask how many
orderlies be had. In few minutes q
young chap came in, and clicking bis
heels together said, "Lieutenapt R. re-
ports that he had forty-four men, no
orderlies!' 1t seems that it is an awful
mistake to call our privates at the hos.
pital, orderlies.
Sunday, had planned to write letters,
but when got over to the hospital, Mr..
Lsrcher and Miss Moore were busy f1nish-
ing trees and making paper flowers,
poinsettias. We worked all day, and
about FIVE went out to buy last In.
stallment of trinkets. Sunday evening
had dinner at the J.'s, with Miss Couver,
q little English girl, who is quite dis
covery, and then We two went with Miss
Brawdby to the British Embassy church.
Monday afternoon had Q real treat:
Mrs. j. took Miss G. and me to French
hospital Christmas celebration. 1t was
by far the most touching side of the war
and Christmas season that have ex-
perienoed. The beds were all wheeled
down into the auditorium, and those
who could, were up tn chairs and on
crutches. One of the nurses played q
squeaky little organ and another led the
singing. Can you see what gives poor
fellow, whose leg Is amputated, and who
has been fat on, his back for nine
months, the courage to singP It's more
than I can understand. There were
several blesses in their beds and chairs.
who sang as though their throats would
burst. All the old folk songs, and then
the marching songs of the war and LA
Msrseillaise." There were several short
talks, two readings, and then the chill
dren of the nurses and blesses danced
around the big Christmas tree and gave
several little pantomime plays. French
children are too charming for words, so
graceful and vivacious. The blesses
clapped and clapped for them and they
gave q little dance, the smallest girl
dressed as q Red Cross nurse and the
smallest boy az wounded soldier.
After that the presents were dis.
tributed, and each man got package OF
tobacco, q handkerchief, and then some
got notebooks and others little pocket
pencils. It was all 30 pathetic to see
those brave boys just beaming over the
triflesi I made resolve to give away
everything "givable" as soon as my
boxes came. Do send cigarettes, q pack
age or two at time, whenever you can.
Henri's mother is an auxilisre there,
and after the entertainment she took us
around to talk to the soldiers. felt 30
choky, couldn't say much. One man
asked to shake hands with "the Amer
icap,". for 1t Was an American ambulance
that bad brought him In from the front.
We went from there to the other J.'s,
for tea, and then Henri helped me buy
some holly and mistletoe and opera
tickets for MADAME Butterfly" Wednes.
day night. Miss Couver and were 60.
ing, and bit on the idea Of taking Hen
ri's younger sister too. 1t pleased Mrs.
Jefford very much.
Christmas eve in Paris, even In war
time, is wonderful-all the streets down
town are lined with little bazaars and
stands, selling toys, Christmas decora.
lions and whst-not.
The air was sharp, and the smell OF
roasting chestnuts was everywhere. The
crowds are enormous, and such motley
collection, uniforms In the ascendency.
I had Christmas eve dinner with the
Us, and after that took Miss G. over to
help decorate the wards at the hospital.
She made the remark, after hearing us
girls and the patients laughing and talk.
ing together, that Americans were much
harder to understand than the French
The lab. girls spread out and helped the
nurses and orderlies tie up mistletoe and
holly In all the wards where the boys
were confined to their beds. I bad the
pneumonia wards, and the boys were &C
tickled to have some girl who bad time
(the nurses are 90 rushed) to talk to
Two of them helped make crepe paper
bows, and tried 20 hard to talk and could
only whisper. Then We ell went dowI
and trimmed the recreation room.
climbed Q table, chair and three books
to put holly around the globes and fol-
ouite ut home, climbing ar0und-"i
isn't done In Paris" The boys oil were
very grateful, but think Il was having
us Girls all there laughing and talking
moro than the decorations that theI
IT, ave minutes to six now and
must stop and dress for dinner. Mrs. j
has invited me to dinner with oil ho
family this evening, and after that Ais
K. 10 going with me to Hotel st. Anne
u. 8. Army headquarters, to help hant
ont presents TO our boys who are quar-
tered there. Will continue after So
back, II not too late.
Wednesday, TAO P. n.