VOLUNTEER SISTERHOOD

Dominion, Volume 9, Issue 2741, 8 April 1916, Page 11

VOLUNTEER SISTERHOOD

AT WORK IN EGYPT

LETTER FROM MISS ROUT

The following letter from Miss Ettio Rout, of the Volunteer Sisterhood, who is 'now at Cairo-, indicates that the Volunteer are fulfilling their ■mission and receiving appreciative and kindly encouragement from the right quarter. - Miss Marion Higgens, mentioned in the letter, was formerly domestic science instructress at Gis'borne Technical School, Now Zealand. "I arrived at Port Said on February 9, stayed. there a day making arrangements to. get out of tho Canal Zone, and then passing through Cairo, went to Alexandria. Tliore wore some difficulties to overcome in landing and travelling,- but with the loyal support accorded me these wefe overcome. By good fortune ,1 arrived 'at Alexandria on the very'day Miss Marion Higgens' soldierstudents were cooking 'The Examination Dinner. 1 .It was a first-class, and all prepared 'and served by men who knew nothing of cooking a month be'fore. Miss Higgens' taught 53 men in the first month, and she begins the second month with 77. These. 130 men are from all sorts of regiments, and they will spread the knowledge of good cooking and good health broadcast. Miss: Higgens is ably assisted by Staff-Ser-geant Coop, who is an expert in field oookery,. and was most enthusiastic in showing us round the field ovens and cookery school buildings.

"Sister Agnes Kerr (Gisborne) and Miss Sale (Auckland) are working at present in Kasr-el-Ain Hospital, but been promised work in, the Caual zone shortly. Sister Kerr is also anxious to go to Salonika, but before deciding we are going to consult Lady Godley, to whom ' I have introductions, and whom I'hope to see in a few days. "I had luncheon yesterday with Mrs. Bapty (wife of ihe Surgeon-General of Hospitals'here), and she tells me Lady Godley. is doing a fine work at Helouan, Where there are some hot springs. These are being found very efficacious for the rheumatic 1 patients. ."Miss Sylvia Wilson, one of the Volunteer Sisters, is working at Helouan. Mrs. Knudsen and Miss Eileen Neilson are placed at- Giau Hospital. ■ ; | "Mrs. Bapty has been working from the beginning of the Y.M:C.A. canteen, serving out coffee and cakes to the men. It was largely through her advico that the Volunteer Sisters decided c on this work. / 'The volunteers aro fine, and. we could not. have done without them,' is , what many women connected with : the canteen have told me.

"There are many hundreds of women •unemployed in Egypt, but they cannot work and will not work like the Volunteer Sisters. Our women are sensible and oapable—the true: Australian type. Such women aro always at a premium when useful work is to be done. New Field of Labour. "The next ,'tumg i aiii nio'st anxious they should do; is nelpiwith a very large tjoioiers' llest aud- luOSDel thai ls'ibe'wg established. The schemo 'was to the i.M.C.A. by the n.ihui:y authorities, who are realising'lilore aiud more tne need for a clean' wholesome place' for the soldiers' to , stay during leave and holidays.

"Convalescent homes do not altogether bridge the gap between the hospital and fclie firing line; and there aio Thousands who are granted 24. biurs leave in Cairo, and --nave no siiituble place to st'ay:iii. "This resD hostel will accommoda:to" up' to' 100J ■ soldiers;- aud it would be a grand work for the Volun-teer-Sisters;'.to heip ro run this. "In case 'of urgency the volunteers would go to the ordinary hospitals, or they would not nj-sd to do that, for tlie hostel ;itself,i'iud the mvices «f the women would'do comaiaiifleercd by the military -authorities. . "I have boan asked by the Young Men's Christian Association to suggest on what terms the women should be engaged, and we are arranging these suitably. The Association is doing a great work here—work which is now being recognised as of the greatest possible value in conserving the health and discipline of the Army j and we all feel that it is an honoun aud a privilege to help in this work.

"Every afternoon and evening, but particularly on Saturdays and Sundays, this canteen at the Esbekiah Gardens is crowded with thousands of Soldiers., All the . boys appreciate the Volunteer Sisters, but the main body, men who came here just at Christmas—well, it brought tears to all eyes to seo how they greeted them. They were not simply respectful—they were almost reverential, v'Let us hear you talk,' they said; 'we've not seen a good woman for seven months.' Others said,. 'The

New Zealand people could not have sent us a better Christmas present.' If all those who have worked for us, and oncouraged us and contributed to us could have seen bronzed men turning away to hide a tear when our women offered them fresh hot scones, or striving with one Smother to get the pudding dish to scrapo as they did at home—well, they would know that theJr labours bad not been in vain.

"Time and time again men would say, 'My mother will bo glad when she hears about this!' And many and many a Inrl has como in,i munched his cako, a»d drank liis tea, apparently unthinking, and then just on leaving said half-ap-pcalingly: 'You will stop on here, will you not? ■ I can keep straight so long as there is this placo to come to —it is just like home.' " There is a lieap of work for our women to do here—women's work—but work that only tho best of all woman can do in a pkca like Cairo.

Tragic News of tha Fallen. "Reverting to myself, I have promised to help Mr. .Jainos Hay in uis inquiry work among Now Zealand soldiers. Evfery day. letters are being refrom heart-broken women who can get little or no information about their sons and husbands and brothers through the ordinary channels. . ''Now the Young Mai's Christian Association has tents and secretaries who do inquiry work >among Now -Zealand 'soldiers, and our New Zealand men are here now ; and will be gone shortly, per-, haps go into' action, and vanish in annihilation's waste, and thus all chance of getting particulars as to their comrades at the Dardanelles is lost for ever. "J am going to devote myself to the work of helping to gather from the lips of living witnesses the full stories of how our lads fell, and sending on the news to the men snd women back in our homeland who are imploring the Y.M.C.A. secretaries to send along auj% thing—anything—they can learn of our doar dead one's fate. "Perhaps not, always could we rescue much more than is known officially, but 'in hundreds and hundreds of cases we can and Will draw back the curtain of the past, and send home some personal details that would otherwise become a mero infinitesimal part of yesterday's ten thousand years." Mrs. Greenfield (Dunedin) is visiting Wellington. Mrs. W. Hume (Featherston) is visiting Wellingtoii, and is staying at the Royal Oak. ' The death is announced of Mrs. A. M. Smith, of Poukawa, at her residence on .Wednesday after a long illiiess. The deceased lady, who was a sister of Mr. H. M. Campbell, ex-M.P. for Hawke's Bay, was about 40 years of age, and. the youngest daughter of the late Mr. Hugh Campbell. She leaves a husband, son, and daughter. Mrs. Cecil Louisson.and Mrs. Ehrenfried (Christchurch) intend . leaving shortly on- a' visit to Canada. ./ Mrs. Lowry (Hawke's Bay) is visiting Wellington. ~ > The latest anil the mode of these everchanging times—Parisian Bloom (Fvaicheur, Paris, Keg.), as distributed by Miss Milsom.-sole agent. This beautiful, hygienic and novel preparation gives a natural bloom and healthy, fresh appearance to the complexion. Used by tho best and made of the best. Price, 3s. Gel. box. Sole Proprietors all "Cultene" skill 1 preparations—the Skin Food 35., the Balm 3s. Gd. Write for hair preparations, complete outfits for dry, greasy, grey and' faded hair. All hairwork. Perfect match and texture' guaranteed. Miss. Milsom, 9i Willis Street (4 doors past "Evening Post"). Telephone 814.—Advt.