WOMAN'S WORLD

Dominion, Volume 10, Issue 3036, 24 March 1917, Page 5

WOMAN'S WORLD

..' (Continued from page 4.) VOLUNTEER SISTERS ABROAD 'AUCKLAND LADIES' EXPERT ... '■ '"'■'■'■■.'. ; ENCE.; "■-■.':'- Sister Kerr (from writes from an address'in Serbia and on a date, both-of which the Censor lias torn;off, as.follows:.".,",' /■'■-.■■■ "We have been evacuating our patients to the base'hospitals as fast as possible, and are half '.packed up •ready to niove.on at any .moment. We are dividing up, sending a'? small party to establish a dressing station, ana the main party a few miles' fafther;back. Miss Stephens is one,of the women orderlies picked to : go.. She;deserves her' good luck.' She is an excellent orderly, and the-N.ZIV'.S. may feel proud of her : : . : '■■:, '■■''.■" ./''-"'" •■ .-'•< -. -: V "December. 27—-We are all n'oping to get pur turn at the advanced station -While'.our hospital'is moving, six'sisters are' going to the; Serbian Hospital near here Things are in a sad .state ;here-7two:,patients, in one bed, no sisters, only Serbian orderlies. Nine of us hare volunteered, hut only

six can go. I do hope they send me. . . . Since I began this letter Christmas -is over and gone. Our Christmas supplies are still in Salonika, hut Colonel Withers sent .us six turkeys and our cook made us plum pudding and steamed cake (very good}. _ The morning began by some of the sisters getting' up early and singing carols all round the camp. The patients just loved- it. They enjoyed their dinner, too. In the afternoon-we gave our Serbian orderlies and camp helpers, also the officers' servants from the Serbian Camp (Medical Service), who are all old soldiers not fit for active service, an entertainment-tea. A lot of them nfo quite'old men, and most of them had never been into our mess tent. --They soon felt'at home, and enjoyed themselves thoroughly. We waited on them, and then some of the staff danced a ; Scotch, reel and an Irish jig, and sang'songs, 'eto. : They gob so warmed up that they all stood up and danced their national dance for us. They all stand round in a ring and sway from side to side to a dizzy tune. Then thev sang-their-national anthem to us, which is very beautiful. The officer. sent us two musicians for the day—travelling Romanies they are, but well known, as they have been with the army off and on since the war began. In the evening we hadl a fancy-dress ball, with Dr. Jessie Scott (of Auckland) as the sweetest shep-

herdess and Dr. Agnes Bennett (of Wellington) as a Serbian officer. She looked splendid." Miss Mildred Stephens (of Auckland) also writes,from "Somewhere in Serbia" :— "Our hospital (Scottish Women's Hospital-Unit) is moving forward. The staff ;is to consist of two doctors, four sisters, three orderlies, one chauffeur, and nine, Serbian orderlies. I am very pleased and proud to say that I have been ohosen as one of the orderlies. The equipment of the Serbian orderlies have gone on to-day, and Dr. Bennett. and two sisters have gone on up to choose a site, and the rest will be going to-morrow-or-the next day. There is already" a small dressing station there, and the men'are lying in straw, unattended to, for days, waiting for ambulances to take them away, so we shall, I hope, be able to save many lives and limbs." ■ Mrs. Long (of Auckland) writes firom the British Red Cross Hospital, near Cairo:— ' "The matron sent for Miss Phillips (of Auckland) ? and? myself this mornr ing, and told us the Montazzo Convalescent Home needed a sister for the staff there, and, as she had no sister available, offered me the position on account of my fairly long experience in the Wellington Hospital (two years). She said some very nice things to,, both of us, and we were glad to know she was satisfied with our-work here. She also said we could come back here at any time if we were not happy there. Miss Phillips is to go to another place in Alexandria, so we will bo fairly near together."