Beyond the Marne: Quincy, Huiry, Voisins before and during the battle — John Shaqi
Beyond the Marne: Quincy, Huiry, Voisins before and during the battleCuvru-Magot, Henriette
History
Beyond the Marne: Quincy, Huiry, Voisins before and during the battle
Cuvru-Magot, Henriette
Marne, 1st Battle of the, France, 1914; World War, 1914-1918 -- Personal narratives
TRAIN loads of wounded keep passing through Esbly. We all flock to the
station, in the hope of bringing back good news. Alas, nothing comes
but great numbers of refugees and wounded. The hospital installed in
the waiting-room of the station is not large enough to care for all the
wounded and provide comforts for the refugees. There are many young
girls, but not enough to attend to all these unfortunates. While some
of us are busy dressing wounds, others hasten to carry sandwiches and
drink to the refugees on the trains, many of whom have had nothing to
eat or drink for twenty hours.
Trains do not stop long enough at the station to allow the women of the
Red Cross to go through all the cars. Even though it is against the
rules, we reach the platform from the railroad-crossing and distribute
fruit, bread, and chocolate to the children.
Our brave soldiers, for all their wounds and their weariness, look
confident, and the ones we are able to approach assure us that they do
not doubt our victory for a single instant. They have seen it. I can
read it in their eyes.
How I long to be useful in these tragic hours! It is the duty of
everyone to the full measure of his strength. No effort to help,
however small, is unimportant.
Unfortunately, the hospital at Quincy is not yet completely organized,
but meanwhile a branch has been fitted up at the railroad station. I am
assigned to the Quincy hospital, and so am obliged to wait until it is
opened.
There are moments when I could weep at not being able to do as much as
I should like to relieve all this suffering--to give of my strength
since I cannot give of my purse. I want to start for the hospitals near
the front, but my mother absolutely forbids it.
I wrote to Bishop Marbeau asking to be allowed to work in one of his
hospitals. He answers that Meaux has no hospital as yet, but that he
will let me know in case there is any way I can be of use. He sends
with his letter several packages containing warm clothing and various
useful articles for needy soldiers of the neighborhood. I am deeply
touched.
Quincy possesses a dispensary installed by Madame Bruneau, mistress of
the château. This dispensary, directed by a Sister of Mercy, Sister
Jules, is of great service to the civilian population in time of peace.
Since war was declared, it has been transformed into a hospital for
wounded or sick soldiers, and the management entrusted to Madame René
Benoist, wife of the mayor of the commune.
This hospital has two branches--one at Pont-aux-Dames, in the Home
for Aged Actors founded by Coquelin, the other at the Esbly railroad
station. From here the wounded who arrive on the trains will be taken
to Quincy or Pont-aux-Dames.
Doctor Pigornet of Crécy is in charge of the medical service.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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