Weekly Caledonian. (St. Johnsbury, Vt.) 1919-1920, 1919-04-09

MISS ANNE v. PECK
Writes an Interesting Letter While
Homeward Bound on Steamer in
Mid-Ocean

The CaledOnian is favored with per-
mission to reprint letter received
from Miss Anne V. Peck by her sis
ter, Miss Kate ID. Peck, written in
mid-ocean on the United States ship
George Washington, "The Presidents
Ship" Miss Peck landed in New
York, March 25, and expects to re-
main there about a month before de-
mobilization. She has been "across"
twice in the capacity of nurse sail
ing the first time from New York as
Il Red Cross nurse, and was at Pau
for about six months. Returning she
was in New York and California for
about year and on her second trip
"across" as an Army Nurse she
spent some time at Base hospital No.
8, going from there to the front, was
i'll with scarlet fever and in the
Roosevelt Hospital for some time, re-
turning to Base Hospital, No. 8 until
her recovery. Since March 1913, she
has been on Hospital Train No. So,
which goes to the front daily to bring
wounded soldiers to hospitals.
"March 21, 10.
Hello Kathleen dear: They tell me
it's the first day of Spring and that
we are in mid-ocean. / can smell
the maple honey just running out of
the trees to meet me and I'm sure l
heard a robin chirping this morning,
or it may have been the call for life
boat drill in event of floating mines.
Now if they would give us poor suf-
ferers from floating minds some good
treatment we would be less trouble to
our families when we return. l nev-
cr dreamed there was so much enter
tainment in u. S., as we are having
on the return trip-on President
Wilson's boat. I am quite convinced
my head is turned-that I babble in
childish glee all day long. To begin
with-instead of army prunes we
have grape fruit for breakfast and
after that I don't know, for 1 drift
into delicious comatose state where
l rest until bugle call the next morn
ing.
Knowing you would be interested
in what really goes on around me l
have asked one who is hardened to a
civilized life to prompt me. A real
civilian in civilian clothes, the first
l have seen in almost two years. The
day goes on something like this: At
ter breakfast one may tour the COM
plete deck nine times and call it a
mile. A mile is quite sufficient at a
time. Then read, or pretend to,-in-
stead you gaze at the sea and count
the white caps to New York. At ten
there is life boat drill where you go
and answer present and account for
your absent room mates. It's more
polite to say they are asleep. Then
we have band concert-a real poppy
band-for an hour. Some dance,
most of them, the dancers, do aero
batics-trying to touch deck before
deck touches them on the alternating
three counts. Then you sit down and
discuss the causes of sea sickness.
Some say it's the eyes, some the ears,
no one seems to give any credit to
the sea itself. Then you go to lunch.
There you find marry any army food
and oh me, oh my, you really don't
know what you eat, for this time the
magician appears in the form of an
orchestra instead of grape fruit.
After lunch-I don't know what the
others do, but I can account for N.Y.
self. l go straight to my stateroom
and relax-have real sweet nap to
prepare myself for the horrible thrills
of the movies at 2.9O p. m. I sit in
a trance from 2.30 to 4.30 travelling
through realms of romance with
Geraldine Farrar in "The Woman
God Forgot" then cavorting with
Charlie Chaplin in "The Adventure"
A walk on deck until dinner brings
me out of my trance and adds anoth-
er mile or so to my record for the
day. Dinner is as bad as lunch. just
heaps of delicious music served with
the turkey and ice cream. Primp for
the dance at seven. Primping in the
army uniform means putting on a
waist that looks military before your
chief nurse and later when she rests
at safe distance-and the coat is
thrown back-reveals dainty filet col
lar and suggestion of bright colored
tie, even if it's only colored hand
kerchief. Yo u have your choice of
dancing from z to 10, going to the
understanding in a luxurious lounge
listening to CALI Curci, or going to
bed. I usually follow the above rou-
tine and not make a choice, it's less Of
a strain.
We are about six thousand on boat
about two hundred nurses, and so
glad to find two on board who were
with me in Paris in 1915; several
hundred wounded men-great many
blind, and facial wounds. They have
the same entertainment and good
treatment that we have, including
boat drill. There are nurses and r.
c. workers who are assigned to the
care of these soldiers on return trips.
They are as cheerful and happy as
can be-all so glad the war is over