k" is the only
other I can do, except "Peace, Perfect Peace"! A fine sermon by an
exceptionally good Padre, mainly on Patience and Preparation!

_Sunday Evening, September 13th, La Baule, Nantes._--Orders at last. M.
and I, an Army Sister, and two Army Staff Nurses are to go to Le Mans;
what for, remains to be seen; anyway, it will be work. It seems too good
to be by any possibility true. We may be for Railway Station duty,
feeding and dressings in trains or for a Stationary Hospital, or
anything, or to join No. 5 General at Le Mans.

_Monday, September 14th, Angers_, 8 P.M.--_in the train._--We five got
into the train at La Baule with kit-bags and holdalls, with the
farewells of Matron and our friends, at 9.30 this morning. We are still
in the same train, and shall not reach Le Mans till 11 P.M. Then what?
Perhaps Station Duty, perhaps Hospital. There is said to be any amount
of work at Le Mans. We have an R.H.A. Battery on this train with guns,
horses, five officers, and trucks full of shouting and yelling men all
very fit, straight from home. One big officer said savagely, "The first
man not carrying out orders will be sent down to the base," to one of
his juniors, as the worst threat. The spirits of the men are
irrepressible. The French people rush up wherever we stop (which is
extremely often and long) and give them grapes and pears and cigarettes.
We have had cider, coffee, fruit, chocolate, and biscuits-and-cheese at
intervals. It is difficult to get anything, because no one, French or
English, ever seems to know when the train is going on.

We have been reading in 'The Times' of September 3, 4, 5, and 7, all
day, and re-reading last night's mail from home.

What a marvellous spirit has been growing in all ranks of the Army (and
Navy) these last dozen years, to show as it is doing now. And the
technical perfection of all one saw at the Military Tournament this year
must have meant a good deal--for this War.

(We are still shunting madly in and out of Angers.)

II.

Le Mans

WOUNDED FROM THE AISNE

_September 15, 1914, to October 11, 1914_

"No easy hopes or lies
Shall bring us to our goal,
But iron sacrifice
Of body, will, and soul.
There is but one task for all--
For each one life to give,
Who stands if freedom fall?
Who dies if England live?"

--RUDYARD KIPLING.

II.

Le Mans.

WOUNDE