The Brattleboro daily reformer. (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1913-1955, 1918-05-20
RED CROSS NURSES
SPLENDID WOMEN
Rev. r. X. Marvin, Former Pastor Of
Universalist Church Here, Writes
from Hospital in France.


Rev X. K. Marvin, formerly pastor
of the Universalist church in Brattle-
boro, now of Franklin, Mass, who re.
Gently went to France to engage in
Y. NJ. G. A. work, is now in Red
Cross hospital in that country. A letter
from him touching upon hospital life
from a different angle than is usual in
letters from ''over there" is published
in the issue of the Universalist Leader
for May Is. IL is especially interest
ing and reads as follows:
"After some strenuous exertions to be
of service to our soldiers, over here, l
find myself patient in a Red Cross
hospital in France, The long hours have
proved too much, and my assistant has
also given way under the strain and
occupies the cot next to mine Four
new arrivals have been put into the hut
where only two of us, and sometimes /
alone, have been doing the work There
are not nearly enough of us to meet the
heavy demands on time and strength
A fairly short day 8 work has been one
of Is hours. No one can long keep this
pace, especially in hut that is DID,
damp, and possessing but one little
stove We both seem TO be the victims
of some infection that battles the doe
tors. SO we are to be sent back to the
states on sick leave. | am told to re-
turn TO France and my hut if / make
a good recovery. This pleases me very
much, for IL means that my services
have been satisfactory to the authorities
here. Otherwise they would not urge
me to resume my labors at an indefinite
period.
can / distinctly remember the first
night in this hospital, outside of much
pain and high fever, is the soft clean
illness of the suit of clothes they put
me into, with - ENc 49, ovev
the heart. And / dozed off blessing the
Red Cross and its host of loyal workers
on both sides of the sea. / also won
dered If my suit was made by the hands
or friends in Franklin, | have seen
many like II in our own Red Cross house
at home
Gin the room next TO ours, a crowd
of young soldiers are wrestling with the
humps. They are very jovial. Some one
has nailed sign ON their door with the
word humps upon it. Their door is
never allowed open, so they tease
the nurses by opening their door on the
SLY and sticking out their much en-.
larged heads. Then they organize
humps parties and in feminine voices
try to impersonate their female friends
and relatives at said party.
1.-THE Red Cross nurses are a splen-
did set of women. They are made for
big tasks and are meeting them in a
big way. OF course some of the de.
mands are beyond their strength. But
the hospital has enlisted men as order.
hes. They sweep, carry trays, build
fires, lift the heavy patients and record
the pulse and temperature of the fever,
ish Under the direction of the doctors
these young soldiers have done wonders
IN transforming an ancient Carmelitt
convent into fairly good modern hos
pital.
Invariably when one Is in a hospi
tai for the first time, and far from
home, he will think of the things that
are deepest in his mind and heart. Will
me, these hidden treasures are friend
ship and music. And what q consola
tion they are in the long days and long
or nightsi Again and again | run Over
the list of friends across the sea who's,
goodness TO me has been unfailinl
through the years. / feel them will
me now in spirit.
And then there is music. This hos
Pital has male quartet of young ap
prentices, who sing in the garden a
night to cheer US. IL helps nightly
IL helped especially the night j was be
ing thumped and kneaded on the tabl
by four doctors, while they searehe,
through me with x-rays. Suddenly, int
the pitch dark and silent examination
room came the familiar song of HON,
Then at other times have been cheere
by memory music--by the songs on
church choir used TO sing. Uppermos
in memory ia the ever-restful, Peac
leave with You, my peace give unit
you, which rises near the close to teno
solo of heroic power and assuranc,
Then there would recur that finest Q
all exile s songs of home, By the water
of Babylon we sat down and wept, whe
we remembered Zion.
81 have lived long enough to acceI
Gods will as the best and, kinde!
thing for each one Of His children. A
suffering of body or of mind at tn
time. should be looked upon as an hon,
and privilege, IL 1t be in any way Z,
the cause Of our country and Il
triumph Of liberty and justice. TIL
seems to be the prevailing spirit, at lea
In the hospitals in this part Of Franc
can say am glad to do my bit, eve
as a sufferer, for there are MANY SUITE
ing ever so much more for me and min
over here in France.
"There Is much more to write Of
different and pleasanter nature, but
must wait for better season.