New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1919-03-02
Club for Nurses
Is One of Brest's
Most CHEEKY Spots
\. W. c. A. Provides Recre.
alton for Hundreds of
Workers in French Port
Thronged With U. S. Men
By Grace Goulder
with the American Y. w. C, A. In
France.)

franCo.b
BREST, March Here in Brest neo-
pie walk in the middle of the street
OF course, this is the custom every
where in France but in prest IL is
more than The custom. It Is necessity.
Bfest is entertaining twice, and maybe
three times 81 many people as it was
evef meant TO hold ST ihere simply
isht feeM fot them al eh tbs side=
walks
II seems do II everF third pepseH
were an American, No ems hneWs The
American reputation for II changes
with each heat that gees out just as it
changed few months ago with every
beat that came IN.
And some way it appears that every
other American is nurse You Won
Ner II all the nurses in the world are
not living IN Brest
There are two big hospitals outside
the clty proper and two in the city.
But there is one spot in Brest where
the four hospitals meet daily.
The sign on the door ia a big white
and blue triangle and it says; 'Y. W.
c. A. Nurses Club"
Queen Victoria at the Door
You climb up dark truly French
stairs to get to it. And Queen Vic
tora opens the door to your ring!
Queen Victoria is a rencarnation of
the English ruler She wears the lit
tie white cap of Brittany. a placid
smile and the adequate avoirdupois of
the late queen.
There are two big rooms-the most
cheerful and quiet rooms in France.
they seem, as you come up out of the
turmoil and mud Of Brest. And every
chair and corner and cushion is occu-
pied with nurse.
An open fire cracklcs busily
behind the clattcr of talk and
tea cups. And out of some
where comes Marion Morrow to
Lemon or cream in France! You al
most forget to shake hands with her.
the Y. w. c. A.-the one person in the
room besides Queen Victoria who is
not a unrse.
1t is little difficult to talk with
Miss Morrow. Everyone else in the
room seems to be doing it. A few
nurses are always waiting on the out
SKIRTS of the group nearest her. Some
OF them are asking her if she would
mind finishing up their shopping for
them. They have to take the five
O'Clock bus back to the hospital. or
1t is nearly five now. and one or two
others have books in their hands that
they want to borrow. There is some
kind of a library tucked away back
of the big tea table. Somewav Won
learn that Miss Morrow comes from
Berkeley, Cal, and was studying music
IN New York "before the war" but has
not had time to play two songs on
the piano of her club rooms since
she came to Brest.
Nurses from Every State
The nurses are from every state in
the union. Some of them have been
over here long enough to wear three
gold service stripes, and others cele-
brated armistice day in Kansas City.
Vn the green chaise lounge is big
Fair haired girl who has been behind
practically every battle line of France
on hospital train. Next to her sits
Il girl who landed at Brest wear apo
and has not been outside it since.
And there are always The nurses
rom PohtHteseh, just outside Of Brest.
Pohthheaen Is probably the largest
camp ~ tho world. and there Is II hos
hlthl ~ connection with II that has
cared Tor ia many M 5000 patients at
one time.
fhe French remember ronipnesen
heenuHe Napoleon first made a eamn
OF It, Hut the Americans remember
1t Tor It's mud, There are all kinds
of tales about the mud of the place,
"nd "iler, you have been there YOU
believe all of them, There is, for
example, the story of one soldier who
sunk in mud over his rubber boots and
lost one, never to find it again
Barracks OF low, long sheds have
Dccn bullt for the nurses quarters.
There Is thin partition ten feet or so.
with an open space above it to the
ceiling between each room. A word
can be heard from one end to the other
OF the shed, but the partitions give
some privacy.
Boardwalks Over Mud
BoNrdwalks lead over the mud from
door to door and to each Of the wards.
which also are separate barracks, long
shedlikc structures, like the nurses
quarters.
There is, too. the old wall and the
low moss greened stone buildings of
Napoleon's army, covered with vines
IN some places and shaded with trees.
To-day this camp that has been so long
the cradle of history is over run with
horde of noisy, busy, lively men,
waiting impatiently but happily for
their ship TO come in" the harbor of
Brest.
The nurses there have had wound
cases from the front, medical cases
including the usual range of diseases,
and convalescents booked for home.
Miss Blanche Jones Of New York is
chief nurse with Miss Anna McCue
and Miss Leona Helm Of Seattle as as
sistnnts.
Brest is the only amusement spot
they have. Every day some of them
come in on the rough riding ambu-
lance bus.
There is not a great deal in Brest
when you get there. You can see it
all in half day. After you have
been IN day after day, you can only
spend certain time on errands. There
is bound to be quite a stretch between
the end of the shopping tour and the
time of the bus's departure. And there
IS usually rain along with it.
But the nurses club is always Open. |
There is always a fire and a cup of
tea-or chocolate, if preferred. Muddy
boots are no bar. Someway Queen |
Victoria and Miss Morroy can keep
their carpets clean.
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