Lett No. 36 Sunday 2 pm Feb 23, 1919
My dear Margaret,
I was made happy yesterday by receiving your letters of Jan 30th and Feb. 4th, and Alice's of Feb 1st. Am looking forward to a long epistle from mother telling of her Mpls. Visit.
Just come off duty. Feel like taking a walk but my rubbers are worn out and rubber boots in the bottom of my trunk. Hate to disturb them as it is so well packed for Germany!!!! Must make a visit to the village and invest in rubbers.
Am pleasantly located at Base 97. Have as a roommate Miss Sutter originally a Base 25 girl. She was in the red Cross in Vienna for nine months at the beginning of the war and is interesting. Miss Cooper and Miss le Gros of Base 26 are in the adjoining room.
Haven't heard yet from Miss Carlson, or any of the girls who went to Coblentz.
Base 26 is still with us and the nurses permitted away on three day passes. Half of them returned yesterday from a trip to Rheims and the rest are due back today. They say it is very interesting. They entered dugouts on the old Hindenburg line.
Two if Base 26 Majors-Staley from St. Paul and Lott from Texas-have just been made Lieutenant Colonels. Col. Staley has been the commanding officer since Col. Laws departure.
Several of the boys in Base 26-graduates of the U of Minn in medicine, whose year hear counts as internship-have been given commission in the Red Cross and expect to leave soon for Berlin. They are to work in the Russian prison camps in Germany. Believe the US and Germany have taken over twenty camps. They are boys who should have been given commissions in the army but did not get them for which they will always have a warm spot in their hearts for their CO.
I have cared for a woman patient this morning. A French woman of 78 years of Verdun fell last evening fracturing her humerous and radius or her right arm. She hasn't a tooth, is bright and talkative (one of our patients "parley vous" with her) and was the dirtiest patient I ever bathed. She likes us very much and the food we give her. Couldn't get over her "bonne petite dejuener" which consisted of oatmeal with sugar and condensed milk, buttered toast, and coffee. Our white bread appeals to all the French as does their darker bread to us. She will be taken on to the French civilian hospital at Beaune in a few days.
Clippings from Mpls. and St. Paul. Papers telling of work and etc. done by Base 26 have been received here causing great amusement. Hope you are sending me all you see.
I trust none of the Mosfords invested in Pan Motor stock. How unfortunate for St. Cloud always is in manufacturing concerns. Surely Charlie Schwab thought it a good thing when he went into it.
Well the fanatics are again busy with their revolvers. I was afraid an attempt would be made on Wilson while on this side. Hope Clemanceau recovers and so far reports are favorable.
Am just convalescing from my fifth and largest boil. They started last November on my right shoulder and are making a beeline down my back. They have not cause me much inconvenience but I am now ready to call "FINIS."
Attended the threatre last night-a show given by a traveling troupe of the Sunset Division. It was good-- the best of the three we gave had-vaudeville and farce. Monday night we see another "Eight of Us." They are here usually two nights for the enlisted men, and one for the nurses and officers.
Didn't get over to the nurses' and officers' Red Cross hut last week except to the three dancing classes. Expect to attend the regular Monday afternoon card party tomorrow for a change.
"Beaucoup la Pluie" is falling a good excuse for me to absent myself from the Vesper Services at 4 pm. Chaplain Foss is a very fine earnest young man-belongs to #97 and very good in the wards, but not interesting in the pulpit.
I enclose the Kodak pictures Miss Samuelson took of us while away. That is an orange blossom bouquet I am sporting-my first and very likely my last opportunity of wearing that flower. Did so enjoy the wonderful flower market in Nice.
The Mess Hall in Base 26 has been closed and the girls come here for chow. You know, nurses' mess allowance is 68 cents per day and with only 34 to serve they found it hard to keep within the allowance. We are less than a block away so the walk is good for them.
Is Celia Brown's sister continuing with the store?
Believe I told you I sold my chair to Mrs. Corsette, the dietitian. She was a few weeks later ordered to Commercy and I noticed the chair the other day in the nurses' Red Cross hut-a donation I presume.
Heard two lectures last week by Prof. Spring of Cornell-both very interesting. The first the story of Joan of Arc and the second "France and the city of Paris" with views of the latter. He is connected with the YMCA.
Miss Sherrill left us Wednesday. This paper is a YMCA donation-a parting gift. Two of the girls have just come in from walking wringing wet below the knees. Never heard rain harder in France than it has been this afternoon.
Is Otto now over his homesickness and enjoying life on the Rhine? I notice by the Stars and Stripes that the Red Cross in his city serves beaucoup ice cream and cake. Of course I know from experience you cannot believe all you read.
Wednesday 9 am
Enjoyed "The Eight of US" on Monday evening. A quartette-a violinist, a pianist, and an impersonator of a woman. Last evening attended Col. Ford's reception and dance. He is leaving this Center this week to be CO of Beaune where a college of some kind is to be established. Believe this place is to be used for storage purpose only.
All our bed patients left us Monday so we have very little to do. Have just left the ward for the rest of the day and will do a little washing.
Heard from Miss Carlson at Coblentz. She was returning the next morning to Treves.
Base 26 received orders of some kind and think they are leaving "tout de suite." We'll probably follow in a few weeks. Crossing the Atlantic in April would not be bad. It will soon be a year since we left Mpls. How quickly it has passed. I am getting very anxious to see you all again.
Affectionately, Jane