Letter No. 25 Allerey Tuesday 11 p.m. December 4th, 1918
My dear Family,
Haven't heard from you since my letter of last week. Suppose you were rather short of news and postponed writing a day or two. You certainly have been faithful. Don't think any other nurse has received letters more regularly from home. Yesterday had notes and cards from Mrs. Pearc and a letter from Marion Dow. Today's mail brought a letter of an earlier date from Marion D.
What a wildly exciting time in Minneapolis celebrating the signing of the Armistice. Think it must have been even wilder than in the cities here. Being in the country we missed everything except the hurrahing, marching and singing of about 18,000 soldiers.
The other night nurses came off duty Saturday but I stay on this week relieving a nurse who is at Nice on furlough. Have three wards. Not many very sick patients whish releases night nurses and gives us a chance to get in our week furlough. Hope we are not ordered home before my turn comes as I shall enjoy a week in the south of France. We are not permitted outside of France.
Had a very pleasant Thanksgiving. The mess hall was decorated with English ivy and flags, tables arranged in a square. I enclose the menu. Miss Sherril, the YMCA worker, took flash lights which I hope come out well.
St Barnabas Alumnae met this evening in Misses Reid and Angst's room. I wrote Misses Stevens, Manchester, and Paulson coming several months ago in Base 56 to this camp. Miss Stevens was sent up front. Miss Paulson in Base 26. we have always had nurses from the other units helping us as those taken from us at Blois have not returned though I should think they would be back soon unless they are following the army to Germany.
Our surgical team returned last week after a very interesting time in Belgium. They were quite near Rheims and the devastation is terrible and the condition of the civilians pitiful.
Between two and three hundred released American prisoners, mostly officers, arrived here a few days ago from Germany, coming through Switzerland. They look well and have no complaints to make of their treatment in Germany. The German food was not good but better than the German civilians were getting. After the American Red Cross was established in Berne they fared very well getting food supplies regularly from there.
According to the papers British prisoners are returning home in a frightful condition. French and Americans evidently were treated mush better than the British.
Our men were given a very cordial reception all along the line enroute through Switzerland.
No papers tonight and I miss them. We usually have all three Daily Mail, Chicago Tribune, and NY Herald. President and Mrs. Wilson will have a grand time. Miss Gossman has gone to Paris and will be there at the time of their arrival.
Do not know why my letters to Uncle should be clipped and your not. Evidently yours fell into more lenient hands. I now send mine to the Base censor. We are permitted one blue envelope a week and can put in several letters. It may delay them somewhat but it insures their being read by strangers.
Hope Mabel has heard from Carlos. Mrs. Pearce said seven weeks had elapsed since the last letter.
No, I do not see the list of patients in the various hospitals no even our own. There are four Base Hospitals here and several units without nurses. We are a 2,000 bed camp but now being reduced. Was told we had treated more cases here than any other American camp in France.
The ambulance is taking the nurses out again several afternoons this week. Have not as yet been to Chalon. Hope to go when I get off duty. I sent you post cards of the interesting old French hospital at Beaune. It was built in 1445 and is one of the most beautiful in France. There is an American camp just outside of the city. Base 49 from California was there when I visited it but believe others have come in. They are in barracks built of stone and cement and I believe are to be taken over by the French government when we are through with them.
The boys are all so eager to get home but expect it will be some time before they all get there. I hear the Meamington has been taken by the government. What a comfortable place it will be for the boys. I wonder what all the guests will do though. Has another big apartment house gone up in Minneapolis?
I fancy we will sail from French ports. No chance of getting into England on furlough. Mrs. Barr, our former Red Cross searcher, thought she had permission to visit her old home in Scotland but got no farther than the channel port and Miss Gossman has failed in her attempt to get passports for two of our nurses to spend Christmas with their parents in Ireland.
The orderly is busy poking at the fires tonight trying to get a little heat. We seem to have gotten an unusually poor batch of coal on tonight. I am told it is from Metz. Surely it is not $100 per ton now!
We are very comfortable in our barracks. Am looking forward to getting off night duty and having my evenings free. I owe se many letters. Thought I would catch up while on night duty but have found it too cold most of the time in the office.
We have been having rain again but it is not so cold as in October or else I am getting used to it. Hope William sold his pigs before the bottom dropped out of the market. Did Crick de Booy get over? Hope they have a chance of getting into Holland.
Just had a bar of French candy a gift from one of the patients. Awful gue-tastes like licorice, nuts and cereal. We can buy chocolate not but it is not particularly good. Have still some of the candy Mrs. Whitelaw sent me. The weekly allowance of candy to the soldiers has not as yet reached Allerey.
I hope you had a pleasant Christmas and that a happy and prosperous New Year is ahead of us.
Love to all, Jane.
Received NY Times and Life from Margaret today.