The Belding banner-news. (Belding, Mich.) 1918-1973, 1918-11-20
NURSES WRITE
OF WORK AMONG
WOUNDED SOLDIERS
FORMER LOCAL GIRLS NOW IN
FRANCE AS RED CROSS NURS-
ES SEE MUCH SUFFERING.

cannon recently received from her
daughter, Mrs. Clara Widdicomb, q
former local girl. who for more than
year past has been engaged as .
Red Cross nurse in France:
August IL.
My Dear Mama:
As usual these days I'm tired and
it's getting late but I'll send on q
little word of love anyway.
We are very busy and have very
little time outside of duty. We evac-
uated number of patients this week
and thought I'd get
August 18.-Don't know what had
started to write when / had to stop
and now | have little time I'll be-
gin all over. Today we are evacuat-
ing nearly all patients preparatory to
another big convoy. We hate to see
the boys go out. The last convoy was
a week ago and we were just getting
our breath and getting to know them
all, but from now on it will be con-
tinuous rush and we will hardly know
any of them for we are now an evac-
uation hospital and the patients will
be brought in, fixed up and set farther
back. You will never be able to read
this. It's bad enough any time but
I'm writing with no place to rest my
arm. Jean is on night duty so /
can't go in my room when she is try
ing to sleep.
The shoes finally arrived and I was
certainly glad to have them. Such a
comfort to have some that fit. Miss
Porter has gone to Paris and will try
and find me some high shoes. When
l find what luck she has I'll send an
other signed request for some things
Am going to need my old high over
shoes this winter ana we can get no
good rubber heels here so Ill ask you
to send them on.
Am sorry if you have gone ahead
and tried to send things without an
order. When asked you to try the
express i thought it would be the
only way but since then another de-
cision has been reached and now we
may send signed requests for neces-
sary things. 1t keeps one busy to
be posted about things, so many
changes.
Back on duty tonight until ten and
have every one fixed up-still have an
hour or so will improve them. In the
morning we are sending out more
boys and are apt to get orders to re-
ceive more any time. Everything
seems TO be so quiet tonight, I feel
almost lonesome. Have mad such a
time OF late dreaming of home night
after night I've dreamed me there
Rather a jolt to waken and find I'm
not. How we dread the cold winter.
put we ought not mind it as mue.
last. We get such good war news
all the time and we hope this will be
the last one. / doubt if l shall ever
see Hugo or any Of the boys / know.
So far no one I've seen has been in.
Often see the name of some Grand
Rapids boys in the casualty list, Ralph
M. Mueller in last nights paper.
There isn't much to write and I
want to send note to one of my Tom
mics who was sent to another hospit-
al He wrote me he was SO disap-
pointed not to get across to England
for furlough. Is only 10 and been
in service for three years. Just a
sweet English boy with rosy cheeks,
bit faded now.
With love for ali, FA
Susan Mary.
France, Aug. 20.
NY Dear Mama: M
Well. my Paris trip is off for the
present and l won't be much surpris-
ed if l don't get there at all.
Will soon be working over time 1
imagine, though things are very
quiet for the present. Was told this
morning Gen. Pershig was to be here
today but he didn't arrive. One
hears all kinds of rumors in the army.
Haven't had any mail from home
for some time now.
Aug. 80. AS usual / only got a
start on my letter now have d little
time and I've come out in the woods
all by myself and will finish writing.
It's so quiet cut here and enjoy get
ting. off by myself. One gets so tired
of charte and confusion.
The wind begins to have the sound
of autumn and the mornings and eve
nings are chilly which reminds us that
the winter is not far away. How
dread the cold and rain and mud, but
it's the boys in the trenches who will
suffer and we must not complain.
am very well and that means much
Have had quite a bit of trouble with
my feet but that's only to be expect
ed for you have no idea how hard we
work when we are really busy. The
guns are making a good bit of noise
just now but it's the first time I've
heard them today.
Jean and / were talking yesterday
Of how environment affects one. We
pay no more attention now to hearing
the guns and seeing "flock" of air.
planes going over than we do at home
when an auto passes the house and vet
we never have been really in the thick
of things.
Had a good letter from Ellis RAN
ney this week and ought to write to
him while we are not rushed but I've
done absolutely no writing Of late ex-
cept the family. I'm sending two
signed requests for I'm sure the things
will weigh too much to put in one
package.
hope we will be home before wo
need many more things. Will soon
be wearing two instead Of one service
Continued on Page Eight
Cheer In