Oxford Democrat. [volume] (Paris, Me.) 1833-1933, 1918-03-26

VI tty ouu Ouosomoky Msobs8ns ~ AseAs'
The Metro had stopped running, 30 we
three girls walked home, singing "Oh
Little Town of Bethlehem" and 90 on.
Not ono bit like . Christmas eve in
America, but it wss interesting. Anps
came here and stayed oil might've slept
on single bed and such time. OF
course We were dead tired In the morn
log but We got up In time to 60 over for
the Santa Claus and trees st the hos
pital.
One of the boys on Duret 4 I've have
two divisions and PiccinD was
up and feeling gay, 80 the head nurse on
his floor dressed him up - Saint Mich
olas In an avistor's suit turned inside
out. The suit was just the thing, with
lots Of cotton for trimming, whiskers,
and 90 on. The fur 10 on the inside, and
ell through the suit, shoes and all, is
wiring, 30 that by connecting up two
little screws In the leg OF the suit to q
battery, the whole system is heated.
The French wards had their trees In
the morning. Each blesse got a handksr-
chief with tobacco, cigarettes, Q trinket
of some kind and pipe, tied up In 1t.
The wards did look beautiful-the
blinds drawn and the candles lighted.
All the French boys took the affair 80
seriously, didn't see anything humorous
in Santa Claus ct al, and the American
boys were lugubrious-one big husky
who would have scorned tree at home
said, "The only home like thing here is
the Christmas treer' And they sat
around waiting to be entertained, and
consequently felt the distance from home
much more than We girls who did the
entertaining. About P. NJ, friend OF
Larcher's came up to the laboratory and
said there was to be . race In the Seine
-swimming-two Australians, two
Welshmen and two Frenchmen; 80 Anne,
Miss Herford and walked down to the
pont Alexandra III. and saw the excite
ment. The Frenchmsn beat and he was
blesse at that-had terrible leg. wound
but It had healed we'll. We looked At
all the flower shops and candy shops
beginning tomorrow We have no candy
whatever! All the chocolate makers are
to confine their production to cooking
chocolate, and the days OF French pastry
are long past, go you see we're really
feeling the war.
To revert to Christmas day, our din
uer was fine, except for the conse-
quencss. We had turkey, sausage,
potatoes, and then the nearest thing to
an English plum pudding that could be
concocted. The holly, burning alcohol
and all,-then we toasted DR.. Blake, the
staff, the nurses. The tables were all 80
jovial, and every doctor just bubbllng
with fun. One Of them had been given
q tiger (mechanica) that would shake
it's head, crawl forwards, crouch, and
then jump forward. The nurses and
auxiliares and laboratory staff were ell
seated before single doctor appeared.
Then they all came to the door and
pushed this tiger In on serving table.
When the tiger jumped forward, the
boys ell yelled and 1t made quite sen.
sation. Whenever any nurse or docter
would get up to leave, tho rest would
give three cheers for the college or
state they had come from. We had
doctors from Texas, Montana, Alabama,
Virginia, Massachusetts, Scotland, and
Larcher, from Mauritius. The nurses
were just 40 representative OF oil states
and conditions.
Christmas evening, Anne and I went
down to Hotel st. Anne and tried to
cheer up four hundred army boys who
are either here on leave, or detailed for
work. There we're only dozen women
to that raft Of boys, and We bad to dis
tribute presents. Mr.. Skoloff, Russian
violinist from the San Francisco Syn
phopy Orchestra gave several numbers,
and tenor from the Boston Opera sang.
Then We relspsed into plain American
rag.time and sang "Where do We 60
from hereP" etc. WINNIE.
W1NIFRED G. SWIFT, Chemist,
American Red Gross Hospital Q,
Paris (XvD 8 rue Picoini, France.