The evening Caledonian. [volume] (St. Johnsbury, Vt.) 1918-1920, 1919-01-04
DESCRIBES TRIP
TO SCOTLAND
Letter Received by Mr.. and Mrs /.
6. Marshall From Their Daughter
A Nurse in England
Portsmouth,
x nocn.,,1ar Q s1118
December 2, 1913

Dear Folks:
It's quite long time since / wrote
YOU because have been having my
seven days leave, and as We have two
DAYS in which to travel it means I've
been away from the hospital for nine
days.
Two of the girls here went with
me. We went to London and stayed
overnight and Mrs. Lippman Joined
us there Then we went up to Edin-
burgh. We stayed there until We'd
nesday, came back to London and
stayed until Friday, then back to
the hospital. We really had a very
nice trip, chiefly because everybody
was. congenial. 1t was the wrong time
of the year TO go to Scotland, how
ever. because the weather was mis-
erable and we didn't Sc e as much as
we might have otherwise.
The first day we were in Edinburgh
we went out to see the famous Forth
Bridge, over the Firth of Forth. It's
mile and a quarter long, but we
could only see one span of it because
of the heavy fog. That is where the
English and American fleets are, but
again on account of the fog, we
could see nothing but the dim out
lines of two or three ships. At that
time the German fleet was IL miles
from there, but of course we couldn't
have seen that even if it had been
clear. We had thot we might pos
siblys see il and were awfully dis
appointed not to.
We stayed at the Nurses Club in
Edinburg, and one other day we
were invited to go aboard the u. S.
I s. Arkansas but: the day we were
supposed to go it rained hard and SO
we had to give up going.
On Sunday morning we went to St.
Giles Cathedral, where all the sold
iers from the garrison go,,. and that
was one Of the most interesting
things of ali There were four Oh,
! five hundred "Kilties'' there in full
regalia. After the service they march
rlopt of the church, form in the street
II front and march back to the gar
rison.. They played the bagpipes and
it was great. We tagged along with
them up to Edinburg Castle, which is
now a5etl zas the garrison. They
went through some more manocuvres
in the esplanade outside the Castle
An awfully amusing. thing happen
ed in church. Most of the Kilties''
had colds and ttheHkei,tt up a chorus
Of sneezing and coughing, SO that the
Dominic could hardly make hi11f-
self heard. There was an old Col
onel sat opposite us, evidently in
command, and every time anybody
conghed he would glare around at the
men asethoIgh he intended diseiplin-
ing every last one of them as soon as
he got Them outside. Finally the dom
mic could stand itno longer, and so
he made a little speech. He said, 81
do not propose to carry on this duet
between your voices and mine.
know you have colds, but about 80
per Gent of You can restrain your
selves. And good many of them
did subside. After the dominic had
spoken his mind the old colonel set
tied back il, his seat in a satisfied
way as though, the culprits having
been rebuked, he could now appreci-
ate the church service
Sunday afternoon we went through
the Castle. AS | said it is now used
for a garrison and SO inside it is a
little disappointing. But from be-
low in the city it is very imposing.
1t is built mp SO high that it over
looks, tn whole city. 1t must have
been almost impregnable in the old
days because on three sides of it
there is a sheer precipice ever so
many feet high. On the fourth side
there is a steep road that leads up
to it--it is now called High street.
When we were walking up to the
Castle, two little boys came along and
started to tell us about the things to
be seem. After minute we. realized
that they were both saying. exactly
the same things at exactly the same
time. When one would pause fol
breath the other would too. 1T was
awfully funny especially as they
both kept such straight faces. When
we asked them how they did it, they
said they. had to learn it in school
from the Guide Book Rather a good
idea, | think, because they know ali
about the history of the city. We
gave them some pennies which, OF
course, was the object of the little
spiel.
One day we went down to Ayr to
see the "Bobbie" Burns cottage We
had to go to Glasgow by train anc
then down to Ayr from there--it takes
about three hours and a half. We
were awfully glad we went For one
thing we ran into the first fine day
we had had in Scotland--in fact, tho
only one we had while there. A
good deal of the trip down from
Glasgow was right along the Firth
of Clyde and it was so clear We
could see a long way out. They told
US in Ayr that at this time of year
they usually have snow, but it was
almost likB early spring. The grass
was as green as could be and il
wasn't cold at all We saw the
Robbie Burns" cottage, the "aule
kirk, and the BRIG o'Doon' and il
was all awfully interesting.
don't know when we will be