The Brattleboro daily reformer. (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1913-1955, 1919-03-01
Christmas Packages Sent
from Here in 1917
Just Received
DELAY THOUGHT TO
BE DUE TO WAR
Tells of Need of More Women Doctors
for Hospital of Which She is in
Charge and Suggests that Some Come
from Brattleboro.

Charge and Suggests that Some Come
from Brattleboro.
Miss Florence H. Wells of High street
has lust received a letter from DIR. Har-
riet 4. Parker of Madura, South India,
written Jan. Z, acknowledging the recent
receipt of two packages sent to her by
young people of the Centre Congrega-
tional parish intended for Christmas
1917, but evidently delayed by the war
DR. Parker went from East Putney years
ago as medical missionary for the Ameri-
can Board, and she is in charge of the
womens hospital there, where she has
done notable work. She has many
friends in this county. Her letter fol
lows:
June %, 1913.
Dear Miss Hemenway-W ells:
The two parcels you sent came day be-
fore yesterday. Thank you and all who
helped prepare them. Miss Root was
spending a few days with me on arrival
from the hills and we unpacked one pack
age at noon and the other in tlle evening.
The contents gave particular pleasure IN
this time of limitations and scarcltles. |
was not expecting to see another doll or
anything in that line before the end OF
the war. 4eN
Jan. :, 1919.
This sheet Of paper is not very trim any
more 1t has travelled some hundreds OF
miles with me. | send it to show that
really did try to write letter six months
ago. 1ihen after it had been unfinished
for time it seemed as tho Christmas
would furnish further data as to the use
fitness of your gifts.
Miss Rogers, our new nursing supern-
tendent, who went to school at Mortified
and trained as nurse at the Massachusetts
General hospital, reached Madura Sept
%. Before her arrival We decided that
she ought to do no work in the hospital
now, but devote herself entirely TO the
study of Tamil She will need it for
teaching the nurses, some of whom under
stand English, but of whom that knowl-
edge is not required. So she has been
quite absorbed in her studies and has
had little TO do with her future pupils
On Monday evening Of Christmas week
(the odd she had all the nurses and com
Founders, medical assistant and matron.
for games on the roof and a Christmas
tree The next evening Gath the same
tree did duty down stairs for all the chill
dren of the establishment and then
seniors, too Eight. girls of the Bird
nest were home from boarding school
Several of the nurses had their children
home on leave, others had young chil
dren who are always with them IN tho
quarters Every employee living outside
brought his or her family along.
The tree was quite gay with little gifts
red, filled with cadli (parched pcas) anc
avail Cpressed rice) with a little candy
given us by friends in a sugar factory
and made from the juice of the palmyr'
palm Mr. Chinnasawsny, the BrahmiI
assistant, was there with his wife anC
three children--to the youngest. girl 0
two, gave a box of alphabet blocks from
your gifts. She liked it, but also like
"a rag doll which fell to the share of on
little Swornam, half a year her junior
Swornam defended her property witt
might and main, but the little visitor
carried it off. Our older girls were give
some of the pretty sewing bags you sen
out; also the fancy blocks of paper. TIL
severely practical ones in different size
/ took myself and was very glad to sc
them The pencils and rubbers are yer
useful. All the school children like t
get them. Various articles were thu
distributed and others are reserved 10
birthdays through the year. Liline wi
be eleven in three days and will get hanc
kerchiefs. A pretty frame will go
Grace Kenneth, my eldest Tamil girl an
(sinee Sept 27) my assistant She Ina
finished her course in the governmer
medical school and is an J.. NJ. p. Il
censed Medical Practitioner
Wednesday morning, Christmas day, W
arose at o'clock and went over th
other side of the compound kto sing ca
OILS; got on beautifully miss Roger
alto supporting the rest) till at the lal
house we pitched the tune too low. TT
girls promptly selected several 9th,
keys that suited them better, and IL
combination!
Later in the forenoon the little CHI
dren distributed cards and bags to Il
in patients.
/ am writing from an Indian house
town thirty miles from Madura: can
midday: can't get back till mdniggl
only three trains each way on account
the war. Considerable rolling stock h
been sent to Mesopotamia. / operat
this forenoon aud felt too tired to cor
Tor thought 7 did getting on all rigl
otter AIN But where, oh where. is t
other doctor to do stunts at NIadu
while / answer the distant calls w
don't some more girls study medicin
Vermont girls?S Brattleboro girls?
Katherine Scott wants to come back, I
we are not sure that she win be able
do so. Grace Kenneth is a great he
but we need another.
The war had delayed work on the n
hospital; it goes on always, but mont
will he needed to complete it. We
using the new medical block: no doors
wefds | sleep on the veranda to chap
one the patients and nurses
We are planning great things in ~
fare work" when Miss Rogers gets
Tamil
Thank you again for remembering