can woman in France dropped whatever
war work she was doing and rushed to the American hospitals to be of
whatever service she could. And it was not easy work these women
accomplished. There was very little "forehead-rubbing" or "moving
picture nursing." Much of it was tile corridor scrubbing and pan
cleaning. They stopped at no tasks they were called upon to perform.
Many of them worked themselves sick during the long hours of that rush
period.

Sometimes the willingness, eagerness and sympathy of some of the
visitors produced humourous little incidents in our hospital life.
Nearly all of the women entering our ward would stop at the foot of "Big
Boy's" bed. They would learn of his paralysed condition from the chart
attached to the foot of the bed. Then they would mournfully shake their
heads and slowly pronounce the words "Poor boy."

And above all things in the world distasteful to Big Boy was that one
expression "Poor boy" because as soon as the kindly intentioned women
would leave the room, the rest of the ward would take up the "Poor boy"
chorus until Big Boy got sick of it. Usually, however, before leaving
the ward the woman visitor would take from a cluster of flowers on her
arm, one large red rose and this she would solemnly deposit on Big Boy's
defenceless chest.

Big Boy would smile up to her a look which she would accept and
interpret as one of deep, undying gratitude. The kindly-intentioned one
surrounding herself with that benediction that is derived from a sacred
duty well performed, would walk slowly from the room and as the door
would close behind her, Big Boy's gruff drawling voice would sing out in
a call for the orderly.

"Dan, remove the funeral decorations," he would order.

Dan Sullivan, our orderly, was the busiest man in the hospital. Big Boy
liked to smoke, but, being paralysed, he required assistance. At regular
intervals during the day the ward room door, which was close to Big
Boy's bed, would open slowly and through the gap four or six inches wide
the rest of the ward would get a glimpse of Dan standing in the opening
with his arms piled high with pots and utensils, and a cigarette hanging
from the corner of his mouth.

[Illustration: THE NEWS FROM THE STATES]

[Illustration: SMILING WOUNDED AMERICAN SOLDIERS]

With one hand he would extract the cigarette, insert hand and arm
through the opening in the door until it hovered above Big Boy's face.
Then the hand would descend and the