The Daily Missoulian. [volume] (Missoula, Mont.) 1904-1961, 1918-04-04

Every morning, except Sunday, is
dispensary day at Grccourt. The dis
pcnsary, however, no longer shares its
space with gasoline tanks and tools in
the Orangerie, but is well installed, as
the peasants would say, in a portable
house. Perhaps the shelves are rough,
but that is immaterial, as the neatly
labelled bottles and the piles of dress
ings ranged upon them, testify. These
very shelves were the work of the
nurses, and the whole dispensary is
their pride. Outside the door during
the office hours, Is usually to be seen
IA baby carriage or two wheeled over
from Homblcux, a mile away There
are sure 10 be four or five urchins with
fingers which have become infected.
Occasionally II soldier presents himself
for treatment. one daY, during the
doctors absence, we had to turn away
Il whole ambulance load OF them VINO
had been sent to us with the mistaken
idea that we were a military hospital.
Fortunately these men were sick. not
wounded, ana could he taken to their
proper destinations.
After office hours, with much hurry
ing up OF stragglers who still continue
TO come for treatment-~-fur what can
be the difference between nine and half
past with the loading OF bags and
bottles into the jitney. the doctors are
off for Canizy, on Nerlaines to make
from there n circuit of perhaps half q
dozen villages, from which they return
usually long after dark. a lunch Is
slowed away for them in the jitney,
and a social service visitor or shop
per- charged with many errands for the
housekeeping department, completes
the load Not always, however, On
my last trip with the doctors, thrust
"a crib upon them, and on another mem
orable occasion we were literally
buried beneath a hundred loaves of
military bread, destined for one of our
villages 1t was the tri- weekly supply
for Canizy in which we judged rightly
the doctors would take an interest. In
fact nothing seems to dampen the good
cheer of the medical department, which
sings it's way along the roads, the pass
ing soldiers turning to look and listen
and salute.
We are overjoyed at having a trunk
of toys from the Chicago club which
Just heard today that Christmas stock
ings are also on the way. When l see
all that the Smith alumnae and under
graduates are doing at home, l burst
with pride at being one of you. And
do feel so deeply that there is big
work to be done here that do not hes
itate to urge all my friends to give to
this cause. ] wish you could see the
IA al, hn oh n pIJ1
know we really should have some "be-
fore and after taking" pictures. In
Cani2y, for example. when we came
the children were all so forlorn and
desolate. so very far from normal.
While there is still much to be done
with them, it would do you good to see
them run out to meet our cars, beam
ing with smiles and chattering gaily.
BY the way, | must tell you about
one little eighty year old who came to
the dispensary this morning. Just as
she was leaving we were starting In
the car for Nesle, a distance of about
, five miles. We took her with us and
she was too funny for words. She had
never been in a car before, and she was
so thrilled she just chuckled to her
| self all the way, and though she treid
hard TO keep a serious and proper face,
she would break into smiles with ev-
cry jolt. II seems she had never been
in Nesle before, either. Now Nesle is
, about one fourth the size of North
| ampton but to her is was New York.
She was afraid to leave the car be-
cause of the big city. 1t was such a
little thing really, and yet big one to
her. | think perhaps the opening mp
Of possibilities of seeing and doing and
thinking new things may be one of the
big things we can do.