The Mankato free press. [volume] (Mankato, Blue Earth County, Minn.) 1879-1924, 1919-07-04

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their supply trains and were about
famished. The train came II. slowly,
carrying 100 American boys, and
only about twenty m:autes were al
lowed at the station before their
train pulled out again, but they went
TO the front singing and cheerful
Miss Nelson stat d that all troops
she had ever watched going into
action went singing and cheering,
The hospital to which the American
nurses were assigned was an evacu-
alton hospital and as soon as a
wounded man was cared for he was
sent back to the base hospital, as
there must also be supply Of beds
FOR the wounded coming oack from
the front. The Germans planned an
advance on this sector, anc on the
night OF July Il, the French day #
Independence; the big guns Of the
enemy luomed forth and the nlrses
copgresaiedd on a hill, and watched
the glare of TIC battle and bursiing
shrlls. knowing that the Ame. lcans
We're getting ,Eeir baptism OF fire.
The nurses were ready for the wound
cd as they were sent back but Miss
Nielsen stated that they would not
have been SO well prepared had it
not been for the supplies sent over
by the women at home, the carefully
made bandages and other supplies
which were so badly needed as the
wounded came in. Time was. the
vital factor. The tired men, so badly
wounded, must have surgical atten-
ton ahead of infection, and the sur
gical department was crowded with
the wounded, waiting to be operated
upon. Nurses, trained as machines
worked ceaselessly, not stopping to
think, and only occasionally having
a moment of weakness when some
particularly heart breaking case
came under their care.
Tobacco Great Solace.
Tobacco was a great solace to
these wounded men. and Miss Nelson
scored the people who had qualms of
conscience about furnishing tobacco
to the soldiers. She described a
morning scene, when the wounded
men, tired and suffering as they
we're, had to be sent from the evac-
uation hospital back to the base
hospital. On trip to her office she
discovered that large package OF
tobacco had come, and was so over
joyed that she ran down to the room
where the wounded lay on their cots,
waving 1t in the air, and crying out !:
Boys, see what l have got! Tobac-
min A chnrrf IF inv
the wounded and they forgot their
pains in the comfort of a good
smoke, there being a package of
cigarettes for each one, enough to
last until they reached the base hos
pital. The rule of the hospital was
that everyone should be cheerful,
but it was indeed hard rule, al
though all tried to live up to it.
There was great rejoicing when the
tolling of bells announced that the
war was over, but the little village
near the hospital was quiet and
showed no exuberance- in their joy,
as every family had suffered the
loss of someone in the war; 1t. was
two days before the town aroused
sufficiently to have a band concert
0AA& fLAkC&l tLk4C 0140 kak4xQ ~ bA4C nus
pital, first and played The Star
Spangled Banner" as a tribute to
the Americans.
Described Return Home.
Miss Nelson eloquently described
her return home on transport ship.
The band started to play Home,
Sweet Home" but no one could stand
the thought brought by the music,
and the band was asked to cease
playing. Thinking to play some
thing lively and cheerful the band
then started playing Hail, Hail, the
Gangs All Here" but were almost
Immediately stopped by a captain,
who begged them not to play that
tune. saying that he had taken over
full company and only five were
brought wildly to the minds of all
the Americans who would never re.
turn, and the music was stopped
again A little soldier high up in the
rigging shouted out "Give us 'Smiles!' :"
and this proved to be J a happy
thought, for as the band played the
popular air everyone Joined in the
song.
Work Not Ended.
"The war is ended said Miss
Nelson, "but your work is not ended
There will be more garments to be
made to send across the sea, and
there is work right here at home.
The Red Cross has sent overseas
nurses out on chautauqua speaking
tours to tell the public of the health
program which is to be followed in
this country. While in France thou,
sands of American soldiers gave
their lives for their country, $50, 900
little children died unnecessary deaths
here at home. Our nation needs
these children. We must save. them.
care must be given. them in child
hood to make them physically fit.
Thirty three million children are to
be taken care of this year which has
been named "Children's Year." The
mothers must be strong, and the
children must be well cared for.
There is much work for the women
to do, and Red Cross nurses are COM
ing to teach the women and daugh-
tiers, so they can work in co-opera-
tion in the big health campaign. Miss
Nelson told of tuberculosis, and
other preventable diseases, which
will be guarded against in the health
campaign, and of the great good
that will result in the community
through the agency of the Red Cross
health work
r.,