Letter No. 12 France Aug 24th, 1918
My dear Family,
Have had no mail this week from you. None since I last wrote, except the weekly Mirror and the first Saturday Evening Post from Mrs. Pearce. If she is going to send it to me regularly Fanny need not, and later if we get copies through the Red Cross I will have her discontinue it, but I would like F to send me Life. To be sure I doubt if magazines come through regularly as I have had only three weekly magazines from Uncle. It may be thought that he went to West Virginia for several weeks as he spoke of doing and I will get several in a bundle.
This has been such a hot and dusty week. The sun is hotter than in Minnesota, but the nights are cooler. Our camp is built over an open field, one end of it (as yet unoccupied) extending into woods. It is not an attractive location, too hot in the summer and a good sweep for the winter winds. Thursday and Friday the dust blew terribly covering the beds and everything else in the wards. Today we have had an electrical storm, a good soaking rain and how the clay sticks.
I have the afternoon off-my first half day-and I shall spend it writing letters until Mrs. Barr gets the sewing machine then I will help her make Red Cross bags. Very few of the boys have them having left them on the field or in the Evacuation hospital, and they are among the first things they ask for. It is hard to get the proper material here. All cotton goods are so expensive.
Miss Gossman returned from Paris with five bicycles from the Red Cross for us-just what we have been longing for. I tried one last night, free wheel just like those Frances and I rode in England. I may have a day off this week if a convoy does not come in. If so Miss Lewis (a canteen worker) and I plan to ride to Beaune ten miles from here.
I have written to Little Buworth and to Fishpond this week.
A and F will return to school before this reaches you. How quickly the summer has gone.
The water in the wards will be turned on tonight. It has been carried in and out in big buckets. After the was I should think the French would take over the camp for village sites with their sewer and water systems.
Bishop Remington has arrived so undoubtedly we will have services tomorrow. The big Red Cross hut to be used as church, theatre, canteen, etc will be completed next week. Our barracks came from Switzerland in sections ready to put together so it doesn't take long to put one up.
Just heard we have had our salaries raised $15. It will come to me here as I know it is better to have too much than not enough on hand here.
I suppose Margaret and Mother will take turns attending the Dayton meetings. Please do not quote me. Isn't Mrs. Pearce getting a vacation? Did Clara go to Michigan as she planned to?
Minnesota Base Hospital equipment has finally arrived. We are not using the beds as they are too wide and we are not able to put as many in a ward as we are supposed to have, so will continue to use the black cots. I'm glad of it after the dust storms although they are rather hard on one's back. The rest of the equipment will be much appreciated, especially that for the operating room. You know how many bed we had when we first organized. Well our unit has exactly four times that number in wards and tents and almost three fourths of them were occupied at one time. All our patients have received very good care and are a happy lot. Hope to hear from you in a day or two.
Love to all, Jane.
Am sending William a copy of the Stars and Stripes.
Received Sept 27th, 1918
Emily J. Mosford A.N.C.
Am. Base Hospital No. 26
A.M.E. APO 185