The Mankato free press. [volume] (Mankato, Blue Earth County, Minn.) 1879-1924, 1918-12-20
GLAD THE war IS OVER
FRENCH PEOPLE ARE JOYFUL
WRITES MRS. VAN NESS
Kato Red Cross Worker Relates
In Letter Her Experiences
Across Water

Mrs. Edith Van Ness, formerly OF
the Mankato Red Cross Chapter, now
serving with the American Red Cross
at Paris, France, in recent letter
| dated November 20, to Miss Faith
Graham of this city, tells some inter-
esting incidents she has observed in
her work there.
"Of course it is too early yet to
know definitely what any of the Red
Cross work will be six months from
now" she wrote. Indications seem
to be that there will be a lot of So
cial service work among the refugees
and in the districts that are to be
reconstructed. and I believe they will
| start that when spring comes 1t will
be wasted effort during the cold
weather.
ITO say that we are happy that the
war is so nearly over is lazy way
OF telling what l cannot describe.
Newspapers will probably give more
details in the states of the perform
ance over here than I know myself.
AT one of the hospitals near Paris
| they sent out lot of boys last week
starting them back to the states.
The school has been closed and the
building used for hospital, but now
| the school is to be opened about the
first of the year. Probably the same
thing is being done at many of the
hospitals, but we do not have any,
| thing but gossip and that is not any
nearer apt to be correct here than at
home.
Very Touching Incident.
One very touching incident &C.
Cured at the hospital, where Miss
Poston, my hotel partner, was work
ing the day the armistice was signed
This used to be school, and was
run by the Catholic sisters. There
was also an American lady among the
corps OF teachers, and she has been in
the building for a number of wears
When the news came that the armis-
tlce was signed the Sisters rushed in
| ana carried the American lady out to
| tnelr wonderful old chapel and asked
her to ring the bell that announced
the victory. They were all laughing
and crying at once as she rang the
bell. Then the American rushed into
the kitchen and told the maids. THE
war is ended Tin French of course)
ana they were all hugging each other.
Laughing, crying and talking at once,
Ihen she came back to the hospital
wards, and all the boys who could
mobile around made procession and
marched through the hospital. singing
Ihe Marseillaise," and "The Star
Spangled Banner"
|. 1 IKE my work very much and that
is more than most of the girls work !.
ing at general headquarters can saw
VI .helr JOBS. l am secretary to
MAJOR w. H. Taylor of Mobile. Ala
Dama. The first day l came here be
was bald headed and had a bristlin o
gray mustasche. Now he has fine
head of silver grey hair and M mus
ess put ne is still man of about
ni1y-nve or sixty years, short and in /.
Clned 10 be stout. He is considerate
| .hougn' and wants the work to he
zone just right, and if the other fel
10" does not do it the way it should
De done you can be sure thew will be
| called. He always has time to vis;t
minute and help us with orr trouh :
les. Jul lrouD-
She Likes Paris.
III some ways l like Paris very
lnuch' put can hardly say why. for
inahy tnlngs are trying and uncom !.
iortaDle as can be. The weather ba :
oeen fair since the cannonading ston.
peo' and we have really had Some
sunshine, but those who have coIds.
cannot get rid of them. hecauso so
% many OF the buildings are cold. The
eat,ng is different from that at home
ana while | am hungry all the time
maybe IL is because of the difference
III uiet' and maybe the fact that 7 am
sdlhlng IN weight every dav h.. :
something to do with it. The univer'
sal breakfast is chocolate. bread and
coHlnture, (some kind of lam or
marmalade.) Some of the stuff ;s
sood out most of it would not he touch
Gu at nome. The noon meal usuo11,,
STARTS IN with fish and ends With
eheese or more 'comfiture.' I 90 ovar
oammles' restaurant and pe+ ~
oheiet' as they give us too much
meat at the hotel. We. aften nave
TWO kinds of meat, beans and ohaaae
is ~ az same meal. All of the bread
u, -, aark' and hard to describe. but j
ihe IT, although it is constipatine
ana some of the girls complain that
II gives them hives. get sumner ~
.he motel usually. 1t takes about an
! nour or more, and then we order bot
chocolate sent to our room as we oo
through the lobby. The meals start
III with meat, and the next course ;s
meat and some vegetable. beans lon
us parsnips, cooked celery, or spin
acn. Inc last course is English wal.
nuts, ripe figs, or chestnut pudding
we nave had the same thing for SIM.
per so many days that now I have
sworn OF, and sometimes eat at
restaurant before go home. In that
way +! can get variety. They serve
very little potatoes, no cooked gravy
butter or sugar, and we seldom bave
tea or coffee.
i French Have Their Wines
VI course the French have tbei,
wines, but / do not indulge if II can
De avoided. 1t is hard to avoid Il
sometimes for the French are hosnit
aDie people, and when you drop in f.
see 1olks they cannot serve coffee
candy or fruit as we would at home
ana naturally they have a supply OF
WINE on the shelf somewhere.
AT the hotel I have a COSY little
room, and Miss POston, the girl from
tennessee has the room next to mine
Tonight she leaves for Cannes. a towr
down on the Mediterranean, near the
Italian border. She has been having
lpleuriSy and goes into bosn;t,I -