AUSTRALIAN GIRL IN FRANCE

Dominion, Volume 9, Issue 2612, 6 November 1915, Page 11

AUSTRALIAN GIRL IN FRANCE

WORK IN A CANTEEN. Miss Tat ham, an honorary worker at the Jumblo Depot of the Girls' Realm Guild, returned to Sydney by the Niagara after spending about twelve months in Europe, states a writer in the Sydney "Morning Herald." Soon after her arrival in Loudon she went to France, /where she worked in a soldiers and saitors' canteen, which was under the direction of the Bishop of London. Miss Nan Osborne, a Sydney girl who left hero as a child, was in charge of the oanteen, and Miss Janet Drummond, a relative of our prosent i Governor's family, was one of the assistants there.

Girls, it seoms, with no previous experience of domestic- work and who had been accustomed to ladies' maids, are now doing tho work of general servants in tho'canteens, and doing it well. What particularly struck Miss Tatliam avas tho manner in which women of all classes -worked so well together. "They seem," she says, "to lose all potty jealousies and to work as one woman. . Tho organisation, too, is simply splendid, and young girls used to plenty of money have learned to buy foodstuffs in the most. economical way."

Speaking of her work in the canteen, Miss Tatliam mentioned that sho cook-, ed 100 eggs, besides rashes of bacon for the soldiers each morning. For tho modest sum of fourpence they wero supplied with eggs and bacon and tea; and a ton was used weekly in that particular oanteen. All the milk and water used has to be sterilised, and this was a morning's work for one person. . ! .

While in Franoe Miss Tatliam: was also engaged censoring letters, and she visited the various [military, -hospitals. As . relics of her visit she has'brought back two German rifles and two- bayonets.

Another memento of her., visit to France is a canary' -winch she has loft .in England; with her sister. It was found hanging on tho solo remaining wall of a terrace of houses that had been demolished at Ypres, and was singing away as though no great battle had been fought close to its cage. The soldiers kept this bird in . the trenches with them for two months, feeding it on bully beef and biscuits, as no seed was available. Whenever, as thie soldiers expressed it, "any business was doing they covered up tho bird with their coats, and no matter how fierce and hot the fight was, they never forgot the safety of "tho baby" as they called the canary. While in London, Miss Tatham drove the wounded soldiers in a motor-car from the trains to tho hospitals. At Hcndon she experienced the sensation of going up in an aeroplane. She also went to Epsom Convalescent Camp to see' Mr. Dave Souter, a son of the Sydney artist, who had been shot, through both arms, but is now well again and back in the fighting line. Miss Tatham had the valuable experience of working in a settlement in tho East End. . Queen' Mary's Work for Women Fund was in operation there, as in other parts, and workrooms had been established where women of all ages made clothes at the rate of 10s. per week. These clothes were never allowed to bo sold, but had to bo given away. Most of theso women were eventually placed in situations. There was also a club there for the wives of soldiers and sailors.; ' Among the many interesting people Miss Tatham met in London was Miss Fraser Tytler,. wlio does so much in the causo of The whole of that lady's malo relatives, numbering •J9, are serving iu the war.

Queen of Belgians Under Fire. A telegram from Lo Havre published by the "Petit Parisien" says: "Queen Elizabeth of the Belgians the other day visited the first line trenches 'Tiip' soldiers gave Her Majesty'an enthusiastic welcome. The Queen eonversed with several of them, showing interest in all details of life in the trenches. Sho walked over six miles along the froiit.

"At 0110 point, a lively cannonade ■carao from tlio German lines. The Queen, without losing for a moment her sang-froid, was conducted by officers and men to a shelter covered with earth and fagots, • where alio ivaited, chatting gaily, until the rain of shells had ceased. Several of tho shells burst not far from the fragile casemate.",

Yesterday. the committee at Belcher's Buildings received word from Mrs. Arthur Budge, hou. secretary to the Stratford Ladies' Patriotic Committee, that that body is sending five bed equipments to tho St. John Ambulance quota for the Second Hospital Ship.

A party of soldieTs from the Victoria Military Hospital was taken out to' Mason's Gardens on Friday afternoon in . motors supplied by Messrs. J. A. Plimmer, J. Kirkcaldie, R. Hannah, and G. Hi Scales. ; They appeared to thoroughly enjoy the outing, and the picnic luncheon in tho beautiful surroundings of the Gardens.