S RAILWA

my soup-kitchen at the station, and it gives me a lot

my clothes at once; half dressed, I go to a little tap of cold water to wash, and then, and for ever, I forgive entirely those sections of society who do not tub. We brush our own boots here, and put on all the clothes we possess, and t

THE SOUP

"kitchener" which doesn't! With this equipment, and various huge "marmites," we make coffee and soup for hundreds of men every day. The first convoy gets into the station about 9.30 a.m., all the men frozen, the bl

t my pots and pans and stoves we are able to do soup, and much more. The Sisters do the coffee on one side of eight feet by eight, while I and my vegetables and the stove which goes out are on the other

t of the darkness and never look about them, but rouse themselves to get fed, and stretch out poor grimy hands for bread and steaming drinks. There is very little light-only one oil-lamp, which hangs from the roof, and burns dimly. Under this we place the "marmites," and all that I can see is one brown or black or wounded hand stretched out into the dim ring of light under the lamp, with a little tin mug hel

ts of liquid. Mrs. -- has been helping me with my work. It is good to see anyone so beautiful in the tiny k

one at midnight. When I get up in the morning I have to remember all I shall want during

a poor little band and some foggy instruments, and a bugler flouris

s Mary

s, Be

ovem

r M

TTER

f the night too, for the wounded are coming in all the time, and they are half frozen-especially the black troops. People are being so k

he would wish to have died-amongst his old troops, who loved him, and in the service of the Kin

ing dress and have a fire in one's room. I am promising myself, if all goes well, to get home about Ch

nd to all your people. Ta

s tr

cnaug

re is allowed on the outposts. Fortunately the weather has been milder lately, but soaking wet. Our three ladies walk about the trenches at night, and I come home at 1 a.m. from the station. The men of our party meanwhile do some house-work. They sit over the fire a good deal, clear away the

ngs have been quieter lately. The piteous list of casualties is not so long as it has been. A wounded German was brought in to-day. Both h

RV

ing is left but a blind stare. Hardly any of the church remains, and the churchyard is as if some devil had stalked through it, tearing up crosses and kicking down graves. Even the dead are not left

Charles

s, Be

ece

ing

we could have our yearly kiss. I will think of you a lot, my dear, on the 8th, and drink your health if I can raise the wherewithal

d generally comes into the station about 11 a.m. It may number anything. Then the men are put into the train, and there begins a weary wait for the poor fellows till more wounded arrive and the train is loaded up, and sometimes they are kep

mbulance, the stretchers belonging to it cannot go into the train, and the poor wounded man has to be lifted and "transferred," which causes him (in the case of broken legs or internal injuries especially) untold suffering

any sort of list or felt or even flannel slippers? I saw quite a good pattern the other day, and will try to send you one, in case Eastbourne should rise to the occasion. Of course, there must be hundreds of pairs, and heaps would get lost. I do believe other centres would join, and the cost of material for s

ING OF LA

Germans, who were twelve miles off, but they got the range to an inch, and sent shells straight into the church, killing and wounding nearly everyone in it, and leaving men under the ruins. We had som

plum jam, and perhaps a piece of bully beef, always three pieces of ginger from a paper bag he has of them. Last night when I got back I found I couldn't open the door leading into a sort of garage through which we have to enter this house. I pushed as hard as I could, and then found I was pushing against h

ally too tired, so I am writing to you instead. Now I

oo busy to write now, so would you min

oving

cnaug

ray apparatus at the hospital. Sir Bartle Frere is there as a guest. Miss Vaughan, of the Nursing Times, came

ried on their comrades' backs-heads and feet bandaged or poor hands maimed. When they have been carried or have stiffly and slowly marched through the entrance to the train, the "brancard" cases are brought in and laid on the floor. They are hastily examine

ON OF ST

n to go into this matter of the different-sized stretchers. It is agony to the men to be shifted. Dr. Wilson has promised to take up th

of amusement to the wounded. The trains are very long, and my small carriage is useful

but the thickly packed hay prevented the shrapnel scattering. The station-master was hit, and his watch saved him, but it was crumpled up like a rag. Two men were wounded, and one of them died. A whole crowd of refugees came in

rly. All the streets are dark, so are the houses, so is the sta

nly a blanket over him on the stretcher. I do not know why he was still alive. Everything was done for him that could be done, but as I passed through one of the wards this evening the n

in the number of wounded who come in. One day we had 280 extra men to feed-a batch of soldiers returning hung

e not only skilful, but they are men of education. We all get on well together, in spite of that curious form of temper which war always seems to bring. No one is affable here, except those who have just come o

ERS' DIF

from it. They are accustomed to work and to seeing suffering, but amateur workers are a bit headlong at times. I think the expectation of excitement (which is often frustrated) has a good deal

left to themselves. Afterwards, if there is any good in them, they settle down into their stride. They are only like young horses, pulling too hard at first and sweating o

south of the Yser lately, and an unusual number of wound

ere being brought in. He was quite a boy, and utterly shaken by what he had been through. He could only repeat, "It was horrible, horrible!" These are the men who t

and I had a great business getting down a long train, so Mrs. Logette has promised to come every evening. The kitchen is much nicer now, as we are in a larger passage, and we have three stoves, lamps, etc. Many things a

ke soup, and when I come back after lunch for a rest, "the family" are dressed and sitting round a stove, and this they continue to do till a meal has to be prepared. There is one lamp and one table, and o

arrel when Death is so near, and things are so big and often so tragic. Yet human nature has strict limitations. Mr. Ramsay MacDonald came out from the committee to see what all the complain

s away. The sound of constant rain on the window-panes is a little melancholy. Let u

ION TO

re was not a bed to be had in Dunkirk! After many vicissitudes I met Captain Whiting, who gave up his room in his own house to me, and slep

nded the occupants badly. I went to tell the Belgian Sisters not to go down to the station, and I lunched at their house, and then went home till the evening work began. People are always telling o

e ever knows what is going to happen. I don't quite know wh

rough the moonlit empty streets of Furnes. At 2 a.m. the guns began to

lay-from the altar linen to the white artificial flowers in the vases-all was as decent as could be and there were candles and a cross. We were quite a small congregation, but another service had been held earlier, and the wounded heard Mass in

MAS IN

il hospital, where there was a Christmas-tree for all the Belgian refugee children. Anything more touching I never saw, and to be with them made one blind with tears. One tiny mite,

nts, for their delight was almost too much for them. I have never seen such excitement! Poor mites! without homes or money, and with their relations often lost-yet little boys were gibbering over their toys, and little girls cl

to say "Maman" had had her arm blown off. The child herself was covered with dust and dirt, and in the streets people were sheltering in doorways, and taking little runs for safety as soon as a shell had finished bursting. The bombardment lasted about

er-soup, turkey, and plum-pudding, with crackers and speeches. I b

f nothing else, whereas shells should be forgotten directly. I got things in order as soon as I could and the wounded in the train got their hot soup and coffee as usual, which was a

re, so I came away, and had my first day at home. I got a little oil-stov

o the kitchen. A few shots were fired, but the Taube was far too high up to be hit. Max, the Joos' cousin, went out and "tirait," to the admiration of the women-kind, and then, of course, "Papa" had to have a try. The two men, with their litt

AN DINN

e doctor (I fancy he is a very small practitioner amongst the poor people); surely, never did a bird give more pleasure. I had known of its arrival days before by seeing Ferna

en a comic address on the parcels; but Yrma, the servant, carefully trained for the part, brought them in in fits of delight, and all the family laughed with joy till the tears ran down their cheeks. As they wiped their eyes, they admitted they

snowed. Always the wind blows, and something lashes itself against the panes. One can't leave the

ladies in knickerbockers and khaki and badges appeared at our soup-kitchen door and announced they were "on duty" the

sort of way. Not so Miss --. In more primitive times she would probably have gone for the visitors with a broom, but her tongue is just as rough as

UBLE WI

the station together, and they are all agreed on one thing, which is, that no one but an authorised and registered pers

and have been found to be Germans. Had we permitted itinerant worke

d her to do a little work rather than hurt her feelings. The following day Miss -- engaged in deadly conflict with the lady

has been something to look back upon all the time I have been here; the pergolas of pink roses, the sleepy fields

ore I had left home there was a shell in a street close by, and one heard that already these horrible birds of prey had been at work, and had thrown two bombs, which destroyed two houses in the Rue des Trèfles. The pigeons that circle round the old

was struck by the fact that the night before I had seen exactly this scene in a dream. Second sight always gives me much to think about. The inevitableness of things see

d come in half an hour, so I said I wouldn't wait, as he knew exactly where to find the men, and I came back to the Villa for my rest. As I walked home I heard that the station had been shelled, and I met one of the Belgian Sisters and told her not to go on duty till after dark, but I had no idea till even

this. If the bridges are destroyed it will be difficult to get away. The weather has turned very wet again this evening. We have only had two or three fine days in as many month

S AT

and there was one person killed and a good many more were wounded. A rumour

g merry in the kitchen. None of them would budge, and I was glad I had young Mr. Findlay with me, as he was in uniform, and helped to get things straight. But these French seem to have very little discipline, and even wh

afternoon in Miss Scott's room, she being ill, then went to Mr. Streatfield's service, dinner, and the station. A new officer was

ut the superiority of the British race to any other that I know is a matter

stove. We heard to-day that the station-master at Furnes has been signalling to the enemy, so that is why we have been shelled so punctually. His daughter is engaged to a German.

LLING G

two years is in our hospital with one leg blown off and the other broken. One only hears peo

f the "obus" that have arrived, and which have "s'éclaté," and which have not. One can see that she despises tho

nders, and there were hired plates and finger-bowls, and food galore! We felt real swells. An old General-the head of t

ome for a we

Mr. Morgan took me there. It was a fine day and

ing than most people. A doctor sees a hospital, and a nurse sees a ward of sick and wounded, but I see them by the hund

have been always alone. I have not once all this time exchanged a thought with anyone. I have lived in a very damp attic, and talked French to some kind middle-class peop