Ellsworth American. [volume] (Ellsworth, Me.) 1855-current, 1919-02-26

the kitchen.
81 could have cried with the sight
/ saw. The kitchen was, or had been,
covered with glass. A bomb had been
dropped on that glass and our kitchen.
which we had scrubbed to almost
snowy whiteness, was now a mass of
broken glass and splintered wood.
"The day after we are promised a
canvas roof for our kitchen. The de-
bris is cleared away. Two of our
men have arrived with a truckload of
supplies. At last we are at our real
work of baking pies and doughnuts.
The men have carried gallons Of wa
ter from a nearby well and have
helped us to prepare the coffee.
81 have seen enough things on
wheels today to encircle the globe.
They ell pass through here on their
way to the front. Huge, numbering
wagons, carrying tons and tons of
ammunition, others carrying tons of
food and other supplies; scores of
rolling kitchens, ambulances too nu-
merous to count, and several cars
carrying both French and American
officers.
1--WE are ready TO serve. We. too,
are now a part of this big program
of warfare. l am eager to meet the
boys. One feels queer little thrill
Of excitement as they come marching
up the road. one big picture of NOV
ing khaki.
"Our captain has gone down the
road a way to inform the command
ing officer that we are ready to serve
the boys with hot coffee and dough
nuts If he would permit them to stop
long enough en- route to accept this
truly American refreshment. He gives
his consent.
Douehnuts Surprise Boys.
"our big tank of coffee is placed on
a wooden box outside the canteen.
1t is boiling hot. Hundreds of fresh
ly baked doughnuts furnish a surprise
to the boys as they tilt their tin hats
backwards to get better view of the
refreshment cOunter-a bit of curl
osity in this place, it seems.
"A youth from New York observed
this big attack on the doughnuts.
Gee? he said, you girls must have
begun baking when we started from
the States
How did you ever get up here?'
one asked. Aren't you afraid of the
Boche bombs? When did you leave
the States? and dozens of other ques-
tons.
They liked our coffee. They praised
our apple pie. Their enthusiasm is in
fectious. Everybody Is cheered by
their presence. and as everyone says,
their self-confident manner insures
victory.
1.-THE roof of our dugout is covered
with sandbags. but the enemy is de-
termined to wreck the town. Our men
have news to that effect. We have
been told by the authorities that we
must leave, as the danger is too great.
This has been a busy center for
many weeks and we give 1t up reluct-
antly.
Two weeks later: thought It was
quite an event when I distributed
doughnuts to the boys in the trenches,
but here we are In the thick of the
battle itself. Travelling since six
o'clock in the morning, at two we
reached a small town from which the
Germans had been driven only few
hours before. The earth at times
seems to tremble with the vibration
OF the guns as we stand before the
improvised evacuation hospital.
while our men unload the big sup
ply Of oranges. lemons and sugar we
nave brought with us, sister and I re-
port to the doctors. A continuous
moving line of ambulances is bringing
In the wounded-Americans, French
and Germans alike. AS their wounds
are treated and dressed they are
placed in other ambulances and sent
to the special trains waiting, and
thence to the base hospitals.
Doctors Work Like Mad.
''The doctors are working like mad.
The chief surgeon scarcely looked at
me. Yes he said, get them some
thing cold to drink, and get it quick
1--WE have lemons and sugar. said
we can make Lemonade
"Do it quick he snapped. And
have it cold
while we squeezed lemons into a
bucket Billy Hale hustled of in the
cannon in search of water. II didn't
take him long to find spring with
water clear and cold as ice. He filled
the huge tank and sped back to us.
We soon had gallons of lemonade
ready to serve TO. the boys, hot and
feverish from the fight.
They are wonderful. these boys Of
ours. Being an American, this mo-
ment thrills one with pride. Battered
and broken in the fight, and surely
suffering terribly from the awful
wounds that war has inflicted, these
boys are marvelously brave. Lying