There was a charm and fascination about meeting that incoming boat; the rattle of chains, the clang as the gangway was fixed, the strange cries of the French sailors, the clicking of the bayonets as the cordon formed round the fussy pa.s.sport officer, and lastly the excitement of watching to see if there was a spy on board. The _Walmer Castle_ and the _Canterbury_ were the two little packets employed, and they have certainly seen life since the war began. Great was our excitement if we caught sight of Field Marshal French on his way to G.H.Q., or King Albert, his tall form stooping slightly under the cares of State, as he stepped into his waiting car to be whirled northwards to _La Panne_.
The big Englishman (accompanied by a little man disguised in very plain clothes as a private Detective) also scanned every pa.s.senger closely as he stepped on French soil, and we turned away disgustedly as each was able to furnish the necessary proof that he was on lawful business.
"Come, Struttie, we must fly," and back we hurried over the bridge, past the lighthouse, across the Place d"Armes, up the Rue de la Riviere and so to Hospital once more.
When things became more settled, definite off times were arranged. Up to then sisters and nurses had worked practically all day and every day, so great was the rush. We experienced some difficulty in having baths, as there were none up at the "Shop." Dr. Cools from the Gare Centrale told us some had been fitted in a train down there, and permission was obtained for us to use them. But first we were obliged to present ourselves to the Commandant (for the Railway shed there had been turned into an _Hopital de Pa.s.sage_, where the men waited on stretchers till they were collected each morning by ambulances for the different Hospitals), and ask him to be kind enough to furnish a _Bon pour un bain_ (a bath pa.s.s)! When I first went to the Bureau at the gare and saw this Commandant in his elegant tight-fitting navy blue uniform, with pointed grey beard and general air of importance, I felt that to ask him for a "bath ticket" was quite the last thing on earth! He saw my hesitation, and in the most natural manner in the world said with a bow, "Mademoiselle has probably come for _un bon_?" I a.s.sented gratefully, was handed the pa.s.s and fled. It requires some courage to face four officials in order to have a bath.
Arrived at the said train, one climbed up a step-ladder in to a truck divided into four part.i.tions, and Ziske, a deaf old Flamand, carried buckets of boiling water from the engine and we added what cold we wanted ourselves. You will therefore see that when anyone asked you what you were doing in your free time that day and you said you were "going to have a bath," it was understood that it meant the whole afternoon would be taken up.
At first we noticed the French people seemed a little stiff in their manner and rather on the defensive. We wondered for some time what could be the reason, and chatting one day with Madame at the dug-out I mentioned the fact to her.
"See you, Mademoiselle, it is like this," she explained, "you others, the English, had this town many years ago, and these unlettered ones, who read never the papers and know nothing, think you will take possession of the town once again." Needless to say in time this impression wore off and they became most friendly.
The Place d"Armes was a typical French marketplace and very picturesque.
At one corner of the square stood the town hall with a turret and a very pretty Carillon called "Jolie Annette," since smashed by a sh.e.l.l. I asked an old shopkeeper why the Carillon should be called by that name and he told me that in 1600 a well-to-do _commercant_ of the town had built the turret and promised a Carillon only on the condition that it should be a line from a song sung by a fair lady called "Jolie Annette,"
performing at a music hall or Cafe Chantant in the town at that time.
The inhabitants protested, but he refused to give the Carillon unless he could have his own way, which he ultimately did. Can"t you imagine the outraged feelings of the good burghers? "_Que voulez-vous, Mademoiselle_," the old man continued, shrugging his shoulders, "_Jolie Annette ne chante pas mal, hein?_" and I agreed with him.
I thought it was rather a nice story, and I often wondered, when I heard that little song tinkling out, exactly what "Jolie Annette" really looked like, and I quite made up my mind on the subject. Of course she had long side curls, a slim waist, lots of ribbons, a very full skirt, white stockings, and a pair of little black shoes, and last but not least, a very bewitching smile. It is sad to think that a sh.e.l.l has silenced her after all these years, and I hope so much that someone will restore the Carillon so that she can sing her little song once again.
In one corner of the square was a house (now turned into a furniture shop) where one of the F.A.N.Y."s great-grandmothers had stayed when fleeing with the Huguenots to England. They had finally set off across the Channel in rowing boats. Some sportsmen!
Market days on Sat.u.r.days were great events, and little booths filled up the whole _place_, and what bargains one could make! We bought all the available flowers to make the wards as bright as possible. In the afternoons when there was not much to do except cut dressings, I often sat quietly at my table and listened to the discussions which went on in the ward. The Belgian soldier loves an argument.
One day half in French, and half in Flemish, they were discussing what course they would pursue if they found a wounded German on the battlefield. "_Tuez-le comme un lapin_," cried one. "_Faut les zigouiller tous_," cried another (almost untranslatable slang, but meaning more or less "choke the lot"). "_Ba, non, sauvez-le p"is qu"il est blesse_," cried a third to which several agreed. This discussion waxed furious till finally I was called on to arbitrate. One boy was rapidly working himself into a fever over the question. He was out to kill any Boche under any conditions, and I don"t blame him. This was his story:
In the little village where he came from, the Germans on entering had treated the inhabitants most brutally. He was with his old father and mother and young brother of eight--(It was August 1914 and his cla.s.s had not yet been called up). Some Germans marched into the little cottage and shaking the old woman roughly by the arm demanded something to drink. His mother was very deaf and slow in her movements and took some time to understand. "Ha," cried one brute, "we will teach you to walk more quickly," and without more ado he ran his sword through her poor old body. The old man sprang forward, too late to save her, and met with the same fate. The little brother had been hastily hidden in an empty cistern as they came in. "Thus, Mademoiselle," the boy ended, "I have seen killed before my eyes my own father and mother; my little brother for all I know is also dead. I have yet to find out. I myself was taken prisoner, but luckily three days later managed to escape and join our army; do you therefore blame me, _Miske_, if I wish to kill as many of the swine as possible?" He sank back literally purple in the face with rage, and a murmur of sympathy went round the Ward. His wound was not a serious one, for which I was thankful, or he might have done some harm.
One evening I was wandering through the "Place d"Armes" when some violins in a music shop caught my eye. I went in and thus became acquainted with the family Tetar, consisting of an old father and his two daughters. They were exceedingly friendly and allowed me to try all the violins they had. At last I chose a little "Mirecourt" with a very nice tone, which I hired and subsequently bought.
In time Monsieur Tetar became very talkative, and even offered to play accompaniments for me. He had an organ in a large room above the shop cram full of old instruments, but in the end he seemed to think it might show a want of respect to Madame his late wife (now dead two years), so the accompanying never came off. For the same reason his daughter, who he said "in the times" had played the violin well, had never touched her instrument since the funeral.
There was one special song we heard very often rising up from the Cafe Chantant, in the room at the dug-out. When I went round there to have supper with them we listened to it entranced. It was a priceless tune, very catching and with lots of go; I can hear it now. I was determined to try and get a copy, and went to see Monsieur Tetar about it one day.
I told him we did not know the name, but this was the tune and hummed it accordingly. A French Officer looking over some music in a corner became convulsed and hurriedly ducked his head into the pages, and I began to wonder if it was quite the thing to ask for.
Monsieur Tetar appeared to be somewhat scandalized, and exclaimed, "I know it, Mademoiselle, that song calls itself _Marie-Margot la Cantiniere_, but it is, let me a.s.sure you, of a certainty not for the young girls!" No persuasion on my part could produce it, so our acquaintance with the fair _Marie-Margot_ went no further than the tune.
The extreme grat.i.tude of the patients was very touching. When they left for Convalescent homes, other Hospitals, or to return to the trenches, we received shoals of post cards and letters of thanks. When they came on leave they never failed to come back and look up the particular _Miske_ who had tended them, and as often as not brought a souvenir of some sort from _la bas_.
One man to whom I had sent a parcel wrote me the following letter. I might add that in Hospital he knew no English at all and had taught himself in the trenches from a dictionary. This was his letter:
"My lady" (Madame), "The beautiful package is safely arrived. I thank you profoundly from all my heart. The shawl (m.u.f.fler) is at my neck and the good socks are at my feet as I write. Like that one has well warmth.
"We go to make some cafe also out of the package, this evening in our house in the trenches, for which I thank you again one thousand times.
"Receive, my lady, the most distinguished sentiments on the part of your devoted
"JEAN PROMPLER, "1st Batt. Infanterie, "12th line Regiment."
I remember my first joy-ride so well. "Uncle" took Porter and myself up to St. Inglevert with some stores for our small convalescent home, of which more anon.
Before proceeding further, I must here explain who "Uncle" was. He joined the Corps in 1914 in response to an advertis.e.m.e.nt from us in the _Times_ for a driver and ambulance, and was accepted immediately. He was over military age, and had had his Mors car converted into an ambulance for work at the front, and went up to Headquarters one day to make final arrangements. There, to his intense surprise, he discovered that the "First Aid Nursing Yeomanry" was a woman"s, and not a man"s show as he had at first supposed.
He was so amused he laughed all the way down the Earls Court Road!
He bought his own petrol from the Belgian _Parc d"Automobiles_, and, when he was not driving wounded, took as many of the staff for joy-rides as he could.
The blow in the fresh air was appreciated by us perhaps more than he knew, especially after a hard morning in the typhoid wards.
The day in question was bright and fine and the air, when once we had left the town and pa.s.sed the inevitable barriers, was clear and invigorating, like champagne. We soon arrived at St. Inglevert, which consisted of a little Church, an _Estaminet_, one or two cottages, the _cure"s_ house, and a little farm with parish room attached. The latter was now used as a convalescent home for our typhoid patients until they were strong enough to take the long journey to the big camp in the South of France. The home was run by two of the F.A.N.Y.s for a fortnight at a time. It was no uncommon sight to see them on the roads taking the patients out "in crocodile" for their daily walk! Many were the curious glances cast from the occupants of pa.s.sing cars at the two khaki-clad English girls, walking behind a string of sick-looking men in uniform.
Probably they drove on feeling it was another of the unsolved mysteries of the war!
We found Bunny struggling with the stove in the tiny kitchen, where she soon coaxed the kettle to boil and gave us a cup of tea. Before our return journey to Hospital we were introduced to the Cure of St.
Inglevert, who was half Irish and half French. He spoke English well and gave a great deal of a.s.sistance in running the home, besides being both witty and amusing.
We visited the men who were having tea in their "refectory" under Cicely"s supervision, and once more returned to work at Lamarck.
CHAPTER IX
TYPHOIDS AGAIN, AND PARIS IN 1915
I was on night duty once more in the typhoid wards with Sister Moring when we had our third bad Zeppelin raid, which was described in the papers as "the biggest attempted since the beginning of the war." It certainly was a wonderful sight.
The tocsin was rung in the _Place d"Armes_ about 11.30 p.m. followed by heavy gunfire from our now more numerous defences. Almost simultaneously bomb explosions could be heard. We hastily wrapped up what patients were well enough to move, and the orderlies carried them to the "cave."
Returning across the yard one of them called out that there were three Zeppelins this time, but though the searchlights were playing, we saw no sign of them, and presently the "all clear" was sounded.
We had just got the patients from the _cave_ back into bed again when half an hour later a second alarm was heard. Our feelings on hearing this could only be described as "terse," a favourite F.A.N.Y.
expression. If only the brutes would leave Hospitals alone instead of upsetting the patients like this.
The sky presented a wonderful spectacle. Half a dozen searchlights were playing, and sh.e.l.ls were continually bursting in mid-air with a dull roar. On our way back from the _cave_ where we had again deposited the patients, the searchlights suddenly focussed all three Zeppelins. There they were like huge silver cigars gleaming against the stars. They looked so splendid I couldn"t help wishing I was up in one. It seemed impossible to connect death-dealing bombs with those floating silver shapes. Shrapnel burst all round them, and then the Zepps. seemed suddenly to become alive, and they answered with machine guns, and the patter of bullets and shrapnel could be heard all around. The Commander of one of the Zepps. apparently fearing his airship might be hit, must have given the order for all the bombs to be heaved overboard at once, for suddenly twenty-one fell simultaneously! You can imagine what a sight it was to see those golden b.a.l.l.s of fire falling through the air from the silver airship. They fell in a field just outside the town near a little village called _Les Barraques_, the total bag being five cows!
In spite of the three Zeppelins the Huns only succeeded in killing a baby and an old lady. At last they were successfully driven off, and we settled down hoping our excitements were over for the night, but no, at 3.30 a.m. the tocsin again rang out a third alarm! This was getting beyond a joke. The air duel recommenced, bombs were dropped, but fortunately no serious casualties occurred. Luckily at that time none of the patients were in a serious condition, so we felt that for once the Hun had been fairly considerate. It was surprising to find the comparatively little damage the town had suffered. We had several others after this, but they are not worth recording here.
One patient we had at that time was a Dutchman who had joined the Belgian Army in 1914. He was a very droll fellow, and told me he was the clown at one of the Antwerp Theatres and kept the people amused while the scenes were being changed. I can quite believe this, for shouts of laughter could always be heard in his vicinity. He was very good at imitating animals, and I discovered later that among other accomplishments he was also a ventriloquist. Sister and I, when the necessary feeds had been given, used to sit in two deck chairs with a screen shading the light, near the stove in the middle ward, until the next were due. One night I heard a cat mewing. It seemed to be almost under my chair, I got up and looked everywhere. Yes, there it was again, but this time coming from under one of the men"s beds. It was a piteous mew, and I was determined to find it. I spent a quarter of an hour on tiptoe looking everywhere. It was not till I heard a stifled chuckle from the bed next the Dutchman"s that I suspected anything, and then, determined they should get no rise out of me, sat down quietly in my chair again. Though that cat mewed for the next ten minutes I never turned an eyelash!
I liked night duty very much, there was something exhilarating about it, probably because I was new to it, and probably also because I slept like a top in the daytime (when I didn"t get up, breathe it quietly, to steal out for rides on the sands!). I liked the walk across the yard with the gaunt old Cathedral showing black against the purple sky, its poor East window now tied up with sacking.
One night about 1 a.m. I came in from supper in my flat soft felt slippers, and from sheer joy of living executed, quite noiselessly, a few steps for Sister"s benefit down the middle of the Ward! It was a great temptation, and needless to say not appreciated by Sister as much as I had hoped. I heard subdued clapping from the clown"s bed, and there was the wretch wide awake (he was not unlike Morton to look at), sitting up in bed and grinning with joy!
The next morning as I was going off duty he called me over to him. "_He, Miske Kinike_," he said, in his funny half Dutch, half Flemish, "if after the war you desire something to do I will arrange that you appear with me before the curtain goes up, at the Antwerp Theatre!" He made the offer in all seriousness, and realizing this, I replied I would certainly think the proposition over, and fled across to have breakfast and tell them my future had been arranged for most suitably.
The rolls, the long French kind, were brought each morning in "Flossie,"
by the day staff on their way up from the "shop" referred to in a F.A.N.Y. alphabet as