tna Green
near the Carlisle Junction, resulting in the loss of more than one hundred
lives. Some of those that required medical attention were sent to
Craigleith, and among the few that found themselves in our ward was a
very broad-spoken Scot. He was on seven days' leave, but being "full of
happiness," somehow or another got mixed in at Edinburgh station with the
lads of the wreck. He spied an empty cot which he immediately made for and
fell asleep upon it. Soon afterward, Colonel Sir Joseph Farrer, Commandant
of the hospital, came along to see the Gretna lads. When he came to this
cot he slowly uncovered the face of the presumed patient and asked: "How
are you?" The Scot, so rudely aroused, sat up, exclaiming: "Fine, mon;
hoo's yersel'?" The colonel was nonplussed for the moment, but hastily
recovered himself however, and shook the extended hand of the erstwhile
patient, much to the amusement of the rest of us.

Among the "padres" to visit the hospital was a Major Chaplain of the
Church of England. He seemed particularly interested in our ward (G ward)
and made as many as three visits a week.

Thursdays, after tea, was prayer meeting for us, as well as for a few of
the other wards. Of course, it was impossible for all the wards to have
the meeting on the same evening, owing to the large number of them and the
scarcity of clergymen, so many of whom were with the boys in France. On
one Thursday evening in particular, the Church of England chaplain I have
just mentioned was about to commence the service when the absence of the
organ (which was a little portable one, such as is used by the Salvation
Army) was discovered.

A couple of men who could walk volunteered to go in search of the organ,
but they couldn't find it. Then Sister Brian, a most accommodating nurse,
whose Cockney accent was an unmistakable mark of her early upbringing,
went out to locate the missing organ. After a few minutes she returned and
startled the ward by announcing, from the doorway: "You men 'ad hall
better go to 'Hell' (meaning _L_ ward). Th' horgan's in 'Hell,' an' th'
services habout to begin."

There was a general roar of laughter and the reverend gentleman
strenuously refused the invitation.

When the patients were well on the road to recovery, they would be sent to
one of the many mansions opened by the owners as homes for convalescents.
Here they would remain for a few weeks, perhaps a month, before being sent
to their homes. This st