I wonder if this will reach you before Christmas, if so it brings you
all my love. It is just beastly not being able to send presents, but we
found so few things that were not dutiable and worth the trouble you’d
have to take, so hardly any one in the Unit is sending gifts. I have
been writing notes and letters as much as I could, but I have not sent
half on my list, for I have been feeling quite badly the past week and
for the past three days have been in bed. It’s just an inflammation or
infection in my trachea,--not really bronchitis but quite an acute
affair which has made me very sick. I have been having wonderful care
here in my own room and people are just spoiling me. Steam and benzoin
inhalations have done me the most good. Major Fischel and Lieut. Praetz,
the throat specialist, have been seeing me every day and I am about to
be well, and hope to be up to-morrow. It began with terrific hoarseness
and the trouble has stayed below my throat, and also there has been a
bad cold in my head,--but with chills and a little fever; it might have
been much worse if I had not had such good care. It has been very cold
and damp and many of my poor children have had very bad colds and
coughs. I was awfully embarrassed to have to go and do likewise. My
cough is much better, and I really don’t feel as sick to-day as I did
yesterday and before.
Ruth has been doing so much for me and looking after me and lots of
others too. Phil is here beside me now, reading. E.’s eiderdown jacket
came just in the nick of time, and I’ve looked very smart in it, my
Jaeger bag and darker brown blanket. My little oil stove has made the
room quite comfortable (for me in bed); not so much so for my callers,
as the floor is quite cold. Everything was frozen solid yesterday
morning,--I mean fire-buckets, etc., but to-day is milder and I’m not
needing the stove at all this afternoon. I have been showered with
flowers and books and all sorts of things, but I am keen to get up.
To-day Miss Taylor brought a lot of mail, a few letters, and packages of
all sorts. It’s being very hard to keep track of all the things that are
being sent to us. I am trying to keep a list. It is down in the office
now. But lots of strangers are sending things. Some day I’ll write you a
story about missionary barrels! But I’ll surely send you a list of
things that have been sent. We do appreciate gifts here, but, oh Mother,
some have been so funny, and never in the whole of our lives have we
seen so much candy and chocolate.
This is not a good preamble to say thanks for your dear things which
have been so thoughtful. The white cap and wristlets came to-day and are
wonderful, so soft and nice. I shall very probably wear the cap nights.
I have been using one of the khaki crocheted caps you sent Phil as a
sample and model for some dark blue ones for my nurses. I am having them
made in town. They must be dark blue to be uniform and to go with the
dark blue sweaters. My night nurses’ heads nearly freeze. Phil let me
have two of the brown caps right away till I can get blue ones made. I
am having my two night supervisors wear them. Just think, they are out
of doors these freezing nights practically the whole twelve hours. You
see they go from tent to tent and all over the place, looking after the
sickest and the dying patients and helping the nurses any way they can.
Often it is just comforting the nurses that is their main job. Night
before last on one line two men died suddenly almost at the same moment
and the poor little nurse could hardly stand it, but the supervisor just
had to comfort and brace, as well as help physically. These supervisors
have a hut to go into where all the night nurses have suppers and where
there is a little stove. They write their reports there, but it is
almost twelve solid hours out of doors every night for a month. We have
them all bundled up with gaiters and knickers and two or three sweaters
and caps and coats and mittens, but they do get chilled through. If you
want to knit us some regulation wristlets with a hole for the thumb,
please do. We need lots of them. They can be either gray or dark blue.
Our nurses are not wearing anything on duty that isn’t gray or dark
blue. The sweaters were too awful until this rule went out, lavender,
old rose, yellow, green, dirty white, etc.
Well, so much for caps,--you could send us more of those too, if you
want to, or mufflers, all gray or dark blue, preferably dark blue. The
wristlets with thumb holes can be worn working and the fingers are left
free. I’ve knitted several pairs here myself.
Well, to return to presents. The Cross handkerchief case with the beauty
handkerchiefs also came and I just love them. They are so dainty and
wonderful and so _unsuitable_ for active service that I know that is the
reason you sent them and I’m so glad. I shall use them too, and not let
them get lost and they’ll be so _inappropriate_ held in a gray-mittened
hand mopping a frozen nose, but so nice! I have a weenty bottle of rose
perfume that L. put in my medicine case,--I’m sure for just such a
contingency!
We love your letters so much. The Nov. 1st one with all its inclosures
was fine.
We are so glad people are sending us things for our men for Christmas.
Oh, they need them so badly, the poor, poor things, and we want them to
have a wonderful Christmas, and they are sure to. For many of our
friends are sending us things or money for them. The underwear I have
heard from, from Paris, and it ought to arrive soon. The _Outlook_ has
begun to come and is fine. We shall enjoy that tremendously, for it
condenses things for us in a way we need. I could use some more
bed-socks, high ones. We have to wear them in bed, and I find that by
putting the pajama leg inside the sock, my legs and feet are very
comfortable. I’d like them to come nearly to the knees; any color will
do.
We were so glad to know about your service flag. I wish we could have a
picture of it, as we don’t know what it is like. The cold cream you sent
I wanted very much. I have to use quantities of it to keep from
chapping, and we can’t get any glycerine over here. Some of my nurses
have such dreadfully chilblained hands and feet, and they are so
painful.
D.’s letters are very interesting. Please thank her for them. I just
can’t write and answer them all. You’ve no idea how many strangers I
have to write to,--in the States, I mean,--answering questions and
acknowledging gifts; but I just love to get the letters from the girls;
I can’t write them often. I’m snowed under now with letters that need to
be answered.
You must think of us over here as having one of the happiest Christmases
possible. Our work is pitiful, but we are at peace in our hearts and
very happy to be here. I never felt so at peace and quiet in my mind. We
have a very big and vital work to do right here and that is enough, and
we are blessed beyond all words to be here and able to do it.
I believe there is more real peace on earth in men’s and women’s hearts
now in the midst of this world turmoil than has ever been known before.
No one should be sorry for us, for any of us who are here in connection
with the army. You can’t be sorry enough for the wounded and sick, but
most of them too are very peaceful, undisturbed, and unafraid. Oh I wish
I could tell you what all this is meaning, as I see it. Maybe some day I
can, for every day I am seeing things more clearly, but as yet I can’t
write it all down,--after a while perhaps. We talk about it, from time
to time, some of us, every once in a while, and oh, dear people, no
greater thing can ever come into any one’s life than this chance of
ours,--to get away from little things and self and to know what the
things of the Spirit are, and what true values really are.
A happy Christmas to you all and oh, so much love. I can’t bear to stop
writing when I think that this will reach you at Christmas time. (Phil
is going to Paris to-morrow and may not be back by Christmas.) But
together or apart, we’ll be thinking of you all and praying to God to
spare you till we can see you again. But if it can’t be that way, it
won’t matter so much, for if any one of you goes on before, you will be
just so much nearer to us, for you will understand the end from the
beginning and be content as you watch how we fight our fight, and we’ll
feel your nearness and get strength and comfort from it, and there won’t
be anything but complete love and understanding between us. It is going
to be a long time before we come home, but it doesn’t matter, miles make
no difference. You are wonderful, and we, of course, must be wonderful
too.