is was the first time Belgians, French, and English had
collaborated.

Betty, who had been at Tree's School, was asked to recite, and I was
asked to play the violin. She also got up a one-act farce with
Lieutenant Raby. It is extremely hard to be a housekeeper for a hospital
and work up for a concert at the same time. The only place I could
practise in was the storeroom and there, surrounded by tins of McVitie's
biscuits and Crosse & Blackwell's jam, I resorted when I could snatch a
few minutes!

At last the day of the concert arrived and we rattled up to the Theatre
in "Flossie." A fairly big programme had been arranged, and the three
Allies were well represented. There was an opera singer from Paris
resplendent in a long red velvet dress, who interested me very much, she
behaved in such an extraordinary way behind the scenes. Before she was
due to go on, she walked up and down literally snorting like a
war-horse, occasionally bursting into a short scale, and then beating
her breast and saying, "_Mon Dieu, que j'ai le trac_," which, being
interpreted, means, approximately, "My God, but I have got the wind up!"
I sat in a corner with my violin and gazed at her in wonder. Everything
went off very well, and we received many be-ribboned bouquets and
baskets of flowers, which transformed the top room for days.

All lesser excitements were eclipsed when we heard further rumours that
the English Red Cross might take us over to replace the men driving for
them at that time.

MacDougal and Franklin, our two Lieutenants, were constantly attending
conferences on the subject.

At last an official requisition came through for sixteen ambulance
drivers to replace the men by January 1, 1916. You can imagine our
excitement at the prospect. The very first women to drive British
wounded officially! It was an epoch in women's work in France and the
forerunner of all the subsequent convoys.

Simultaneously an article appeared the 2nd December, 1915, headed
"'Yeowomen,' a triumph of hospital organisation," which I may be
pardoned for quoting:

"A complete unit with sixteen to twenty motor ambulances, organised,
worked, and driven by women, will next month be added to the British
Army.

"The women will drive their own cars and look after them in every way.
One single male mechanic, and that is all, is to be attached to the
whole unit. These ambulances may of course be summoned from their camp
to hurry over any type of winter-worn