Omaha daily bee., 1918-11-10
cSaroh KeUv
n ARTS, France, Sept. 10, 1913
Dearest Family; | believe

n ARTS, France, Sept. ~, 1918
Dearest Family: l believe |
promised to tell you more OF
my visit to Neuilly, which, as you
remember, is suburb of Paris,
reached in these days by the Metro.
At the station we got a taxi and
drove out to the American Red
Cross hospital. | am not quite
sure, but | believe it was a Lycee
connected with or a part of the Pas
teur institute.
The buildings are large, of fine
red brick with stone trimmings,
rather similar in style to Josselyn
hall at Vassar. being modern
adaptation of an old style. The place
is large, there are numerous porches
and grassy plo,s. where the conva-
lescents were out making the most
of the bright sunshine. We inquired
at the office for a friend of Nancy
and Agnes and for Louise Dining
None was there, Louise being away
on leave for a rest
The wide corridors are lined with
beds, most of them empty just then,
though some well looking patients
occupied few. The wards are
sustained by various cities and
organizations contributing to special
Red Cross funds. There are many
sectional wards. Most of them
filled with both American and
French wounded. | could have wept
because we had not brought out
candy, papers or something. Had
we done so | should have loved to
talk to the boys, but without any
of these things | could not bear to
do so. | am going to try and go
tomorrow and if | do will sure bring
flowers, sweets or something. They
were such nice looking lot of boys,
and some of them were fearfully
smashed up. Some had legs or arms
in casts and were harnessed up until
it seemed as if they were being made
part of a web in loom. We saw
no terrible wounds, all were band
aged beautifully. 1t is the first big
war hospital I've been in and some
how | feel most awfully cut up.
No Mourning In France.
1t made very real to me, as moth
ing else has, not even the evidence
of mourning in France, just what
war really means. Verify, it tears
men almost to shreds-men dying
seems very simple by contrast. And
mind you l realize that haven't
seen the really terrible cases at all.
It's at the first aid field dressing
stations and hospitals for facial
wounds, etc, that the real tragedies
are seen. After talking to that Eng
lish, or rather | found her to be a
Canadian, from Montreal, Miss
Baker. I feel l could drive an ambu-
lance, be a nurses aid. Il wonder if
could stand it?) OF do almost any
thing to help the poor, brave fell
lows. Nothing anywhere, that I've
seen, and nothing l have heard or
read has struck home, and made war
in all its frightful naked reality as
clear to me as that half hour in
what is an extremely comfortable,
clean and we'll equipped hospital. 1t
has made me long more intensely
than ever to give personal service
and before my return direct service
to 1.-The troops. l might not be able
to dress some of the wounds. but |
know that l should be happy Clean
ing fish in the cellar of Red Cross
hospital if those gallant lads were
to eat it. | envy Nancy and Agnes
going to hut for convalescents
near the front. lie Puy will help my
French, give me poise and adapta-
bility, and | trust, an opportunity
to render some real service to the
families of soldiers. Unless the war
is ended quickly, however, l shall
not be content without an experience
in ambulance driving or other work
near the front lines.
Meets Mrs. Duryea.
In the evening Nancy and Agnes
went out to dinner with a Cleveland
friend. l stayed at the hotel for
dinner. Afterwards in the reading
room sat near woman had seen
in a Secours Duryea motor. ]
thought | would venture the query
ural mother. To her, baby was pri,
mari1y a mechanism. and IL she did