Wauwatosa news. [volume] (Wauwatosa, Wis.) 1900-1948, 1919-02-28
NEWS FROM ACROSS THE SEAS.

TO Marseilles, thus having the oppor-
tunity to enjoy the beauties of the
latter city before she took up her
active work. She is now in Paris,
where she has been since just before
Christmas. and where she expects to
stay for at least three months. She is
located at the Hotel Pavilion, which
accommodates about 1900, which ho-
tel has been turned over especially
for the use of our soldiers as they
come and go. Miss Hougatcyl's work
is in connection with the canteens To-
Gated at this hotel, and probably one
thousand soldier boys pass through
there each day. They have what is
called the dry canteen, which has
for sale magazines, stationery, cigars,
etc Then there is the wet" canteen
which sells the chocolate, coffee, sand
witches, etc. Tea and little cookies or
cakes are served every afternoon, free
of charge. The workers at the hotel
and canteens endeavor to make the
hours pass as pleasantly as possible
for the men. They have sightseeing
trips through Paris, for the boys
really come just to see the city. They
are so tired of the life in the trenches
and on the fields of action and so
anxious to get home that it is some
times pretty hard on the workers to
keep them contented and happy En-
tertainments of some sort are given
every evening, such as movies, dane
ing parties, ETC., and every one is sup
posed to help make it as pleasant as
possible for every one else.
Only the women in uniform-either
workers of the w. c. A., the Y. NJ. C.
A. or the nurses are allowed to
dance, thus safeguarding the boys.
Naturally there are not nearly enough
girls to go around so they have to
take turns. A certain length of time
is allowed each couple, then bell
rings and the scene changes, new
boys taking their turn on the floor.
The Y M. c. A. has charge of the
canteens and recreations. These
workers also meet all trains, endeav-
oring to direct the soldiers where to
go, a very helpful service in a strange
city.
Miss Houghton likes her work very
much, and likes Paris and the spirit
of the people, She has to be on duty
certain hours on six days of the week,
Sunday included, but has one free day
every week She saw the big parade
for President Wilson when he first
reached Paris, and says that the peo-
pie over there are really very fond of
him.
Miss Helen Kinney, our own nurse
"oyer there has been moved to Cam
mes, France, and quotations
from some of her letters and
cards tell their own story. She sent
her family two postals showing the
most luxuriant growths of palms,
ferns, shrubbery ard flowers, and
writes, under date of Jan. rs: Can
you imagine me on duty in a place
like this? 1t isn't a dream but it
tropole) is large hotel right in the
side of the mountain and dense shrub
berry all around. Roses as large as
cups and all colors, large bushes of
heliotrope and geraniums the size of
our large peony bush. Real oranges
on trees, and palms of all sorts" On
the next morning, Jan. 26, she went
on duty for the first time in her new
locations That evening she again
wrote her home folks" I'VE left the
camp on Wednesday, a. M, staying
over night at Lyon and over Thurs
day night at MaTseilles, then getting
here at 2:30 Friday. We thought we
had struck heaven for things surely
are beautiful Yesterday my pal and
walked down town, about one and one
half miles; all along the Mediterran-
can shore, past the most beautiful
places you ever saw. There are just
banks of large roses of all colors and
every other flower imaginable. The
hotel or hospital we are in is right
on the side of a mountain and the
palms, evergreens and shrubs are
so dense that you can only go on the
paths that have been made. Thurs
day morning in my hours off, we went
for walk and picked oranges and
ate them. OF course. they tasted es-
pecially good because we have had no
fruit until now. The hospital is just
about as far from the banks of the
Mediterranean as ST. Mays is from
Lake Michigan, so you see we have
a grand view of the sea and 1t is
about the bluest, prettiest thing l
ever saw. We have about 500 pa
tients here, but, with the exception Of
few pneumonias there are no sick
ones here, just convalescents. We
stay right. here in the + tel and six
of us in room and have real bread
and iell My, but it is good. Even
with all this grandness, wouldn't
change for our good cold Wisconsin
weather right tonight. but I'm afraid
the roses will be in bloom there be-
fore l get home. / Just can't mag
inc it is / who am here and would
give anv8hfro IL va, folks could only