A Nurse's Life in War and PeaceLaurence, E. C. (Eleanor Constance)
History
A Nurse's Life in War and Peace
Laurence, E. C. (Eleanor Constance)
Military nursing; Nursing -- Great Britain; South African War, 1899-1902 -- Medical care
Inchanga is the place where one always dines, whether going up or down,
and we were due there about 7 P.M., but about 8.30 P.M. we got stuck in
a siding about a mile from Inchanga; and there we had to remain nearly
an hour because Lord Milner was dining at Inchanga, and we had to wait
till he had passed; we did not bless him for taking so long over his
dinner while we starved! By this time I was feeling really ill, and
thought it might be partly from want of food, so I made myself eat some
soup and a little chicken; then I was establishing myself in the train
again (thankful to think that it was a "no stop" run to Durban), when
another wire was thrust into my hand from my brother saying, "No beds,
if possible sleep Pinetown; not leaving till following day." I groaned,
but bundled out again, with my kit-bag open, and my rugs, pillow, books,
&c., all loose, just as the train departed. I thrust my goods into the
hands of an astonished little Kaffir boy, who helped me to pack up my
kit-bag, and of course I had to leave my heavy baggage to take care of
itself.
I did not have to wait long for the "Kaffir Mail," which _does_ stop at
Pinetown, but I knew my friends would all have gone to bed as they were
not expecting me, and of course no one would meet the train, and their
house was some way from the station, and it was raining steadily! so I
felt pretty miserable. I was put in a carriage by myself, and after we
had started found there was no light in it, and I felt really ill, and
wished I had not made myself eat any dinner!
However, just as we ran into Pinetown I looked out, and some one hailed
me, and there was one of my best old Pinetown orderlies (now working on
the line). He seemed so pleased to see me that I felt inclined to
embrace him, but refrained! As soon as he had seen the train off and had
locked up the station, he shouldered my bag and escorted me to my
friend's house. They were all fast asleep, but soon let me in, and I
don't know when I have been so thankful to turn into a comfortable bed
as I was that night. It was a little over eight months since I had slept
in a house.
The next morning they brought me a delicious breakfast in bed--hot
scones, &c.; you don't know what it was like after camp feeding, to
have a pretty tray with a cloth on it, and everything dainty and nice;
and I was very loth to leave both my bed and my kind friends; but about
mid-day I again boarded the train for Durban, retrieved my baggage at
the station, and then found my brother at the Marine Hotel.
I had time to see a few friends and do a little very necessary shopping,
and then we went on board the _Arundel Castle_ to go down the coast to
Port Elizabeth.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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