Aug. 21. [1918]
Dear Family,
It has been some time since I wrote
you because I have been quite busy lately.
I don't know what you will say but as
we have had a terrible dearth of nurses
owing to sickness, vacations & a rush of
wounded I have been helping for the
last week with the nursing. I think it
is a very good Experience for me although
quite terrifying at times if I happen to
find myself alone with a very sick
man, & you may be sure that I
never do a thing to him before first
really a most interesting work but I
hate to be so ignorant. So much
depends upon the life of a man if
a nurse is a good judge of his
condition -- don't think for a minute
that I am put in responsible
positions because I am not, but I
would be much more useful as an aide
if I knew more. I don't think I
would like nursing as a steady diet but
the way I feel about it is that I ought to
know something so that in rush moments
I can be of use. There do come times
when Every hand helps & at those
times it is only right that Each person gives what assistance that
she can. I know that Pa disapproves
but if my having an auxiliaire's
knowledge of nursing is going to
save lives it does seem worth while
to go into it to that extent, doesn't it?
The first day I was on 3 American
ambulance boys came in, 2 pretty badly
wounded, & it made a great difference
to them having me there to interpret &
to see them under Ether. I saw their
operations & strange to say it did not
Effect me in the least -- one had a
finger amputated & a hole 13 centimeters
deep cut in his back in search of an
found. I do believe I am getting
hardened which rather pleases me.
I have not seen Leverett yet
but
we have had a certain amount of
correspondence. He is so vague about
where he is that I cannot just start
out and go to see him. I hope I get
more explicit directions & then in the
next lull I will go on a trip in
search of him.
disobedience caused by stress of
circumstances.