before he reached the hospital--three
of tetanus. I haven't heard how many at the other hospital at the Jesuit
school--tetanus there too. Some of the amputations die of septic
absorption and shock, and you wouldn't wonder if you saw them. I went to
the 9 o'clock Choral High Mass this morning at that glorious and
beautiful Cathedral--all gorgeous old glass and white and grey stone,
slender Gothic and fat Norman. It was very fine and comforting.

The sick officers are frightfully pleased to see 'The Times,' no matter
how old; so are we. I've asked M. to collect their 1/2d. picture daily
papers once a week for the men.

_Wednesday, September 23rd._--Have been helping in the wards at
No.-- to-day. The Sisters and orderlies there have all about twice what
they can get through--the big dressings are so appalling and new cases
have been coming in--all stretcher cases. As soon as they begin to
recover at all they are sent down to the base to make room for worse
ones off the trains. To-morrow I am on station duty again--possibly for
another train.

There is a rumour that three British cruisers have been sunk by a
submarine--it can't be true.

I don't see why this battle along the French frontier should ever come
to an end, at any rate till both armies are exhausted, and decide to go
to bed. The men say we can't spot their guns--they are too well hidden
in these concrete entrenchments.

The weather is absolutely glorious all day, and the stars all night.
Orion, with his shining bodyguard, from Sirius to Capella, is blazing
every morning at 4.

_Thursday, September 24th_, 3 P.M.--Taking 480 sick and wounded down to
St Nazaire, with a junior staff nurse, one M.O., and two orderlies. Just
been feeding them all at Angers; it is a stupendous business. The train
is miles long--not corridor or ambulance; they have straw to lie on the
floors and stretchers. The M.O. has been two nights in the train already
on his way down from the front (four miles from the guns), and we joined
on to him with a lot of hospital cases sent down to the base. I've been
collecting the worst ones into carriages near ours all the way down
when we stop; but of course you miss a good many. Got my haversack lined
with jaconet and filled with cut-dressings, very convenient, as you have
both hands free. We continually stop at little stations, so you can get
to a good many of them, and we get quite expert at clawing along the
footboards; some of the men,