Letter No 11 France Sun Eve Aug 18, 1918
My dear Mother,
Yours and F's letters of July 19th received after a week of no mail followed in a day or two by Alice's of the 13th and Margaret's of the 22nd from Minneapolis. I think I have received all of your letters. Possibly this last delay was caused by slow boat. So pleased to receive snapshots. I think those of you and Bernetter knitting and feeding the chickens very good, and have added them to my collection on the wall. Send on any more that you have. You did well with gooseberries but where do they get the sugar for them?
You should have received my May allotment by this. Heard some of the nurses say theirs had been received. Hope you get enough to pay my August Insurance and buy another Liberty bond as want one in each issue.
This last week has been hot and it is dusty again. The nights are always cool. Days are much shorter-lights now on about 8:15. Winter days will be short as we are farther north than you are.
Water was turned on in our barracks yesterday. They are from buildings with a corridor running the entire length on the side, three entrances into it, and rooms, usually ten, opening off it. The partitions of compo board (like cardboard) reaching within three feet of the ceiling so it is not necessary to go to you neighbors rooms in order to have a converse with them. Miss Carlson and I are in a two bed room (some are three bed). It is narrow, a high French window in the center, with room for a cot on either side. Our Red Cross blankets serve as cot covers and we each have three soft gray blankets. Our steamer trunks covered with our sleeping bags serve as chairs (we have loaned our walnut chairs), and have had a box for a wash stand, but can now discard it as there are three stationary bowls in the corridor and we will build in a wide shelf for a table in its place. A wide shelf with tan linen curtains forms a good closet. Two other shelves with curtains hide various articles, and our steamer rolls with all their pockets hung against the wall are the dresser drawers. Two small rugs complete our furniture. We are very comfortable but I fancy it will be "tres froid au l'hiver.." Have heard rumors it is only a summer camp and that we will be sent elsewhere for the winter, but I have my doubts.
Another base hospital came in ten miles from here. Hope to have a day off soon and ride a bicycle over as they are just outside an interesting old town. Some of their nurses have been over t his past week. We met them in Blois as they came there several days before we left.
Greatly enjoyed your letter from Minneapolis, Margaret. I'll write Mrs. Hurd as we cannot send pictures from here. Do not send me newspapers, just clippings as I see the European editions of the NY Herald, Daily Mail, and Chicago Tribune. The war seems to continue going our way. So the Hun is trying to gas the Atlantic coast cities. Haven't received the Post from Mrs. P so have asked Fanny to send it. Wonder if she addresses it correctly or attaches sufficient postage. If Frances wants to send it tell them not to do so.
Another Red Cross canteen worker has arrived-Miss Lewis a Bostonian who has been a nurses' aid with the Harvard Base Hospital this last year. They took over a British hospital so had British patients. She has two kilts of the Black Watch given her by patients. We dressed up in them last night 'a la Harry Lauder.' They are so heavy-45 yards I believe.
Red Cross supplies are now coming in for the boys-magazines, games tobacco, bags, etc. I helped distribute tobacco last night. Our German prisoner patients smiled and thanked me very nicely. The boys are so pleased with Red Cross packages or bags, especially if they find a bar of chocolate or candy. Tooth brushes and razors are also very gratefully received as most of the boys lost everything on the field or in the Evacuation Hospital. I suppose the latter will be issued to them eventually at the hospital but it takes time to get things in and everything running smoothly. Packages that arrived too late or were left over from last Christmas are being distributed. I spent my hours off duty today helping them, and the boys had a picnic going through them. They think everything the Red Cross and the Salvation Army, and the K of C are much more popular than the YMCA. Something must be wrong with the latter here. Do not believe the ladies need to make anything for the nurses. I fancy we are better equipped than the men in the Unit.
They boys at the front last winter were short of sox and warm clothing. The Red Cross will have to every minute to equip the army that is here now during the cold winter. Our bugle will soon blow. There are four in the camp and one is always blowing for something or other.
Mrs. W is not the only one to find CS all right when not ill and doctor when she is. Love to all,
Jane
Received in Clear Lake September 7th