The First Canadians in France: The Chronicle of a Military Hospital in the War Zone — John Shaqi
The First Canadians in France: The Chronicle of a Military Hospital in the War ZoneBell, F. McKelvey (Frederick McKelvey)
History
The First Canadians in France: The Chronicle of a Military Hospital in the War Zone
Bell, F. McKelvey (Frederick McKelvey)
World War, 1914-1918 -- Hospitals -- France; World War, 1914-1918 -- Personal narratives, Canadian
Honk returned to his Juliette. She had retired to her balcony and
refused to descend. Honk lifted his voice appealingly from the street:
"H’I say! Down’t ye’ be h’afeered—’e won’t come back, an’ ’e wouldn’t
’urt ye when h’I’m ’ere. Come h’on down!"
But Juliette was obdurate, and turned a deaf ear to his entreaties.
"_Merci—je ne descends point!_" she returned. This was about as
intelligible to Honk as Chinese script, but he understood the shake of
the head all too well.
"Blast ’im," he grumbled; "them bloomin’ blokes what drinks is goin’ to
’ave th’ ’ole bleedin’ town h’about our h’ears. Th’ gals won’t look at
a decent feller soon." And he forthwith went to drown his sorrow in a
mug of beer.
Honk’s complaint was soon verified by the facts. Jogman’s fame flew
from house to house with such infernal rapidity that in less than
twenty-four hours the French had learned an English phrase which it cost
our lads several months of good conduct to eradicate. It was simple and
to the point: "Canadians no good!" For weeks afterward it was shouted
at them every time they entered the village. The populace gathered in
little groups close to their own homes, while a few of the more timid
locked themselves in and shouted through the shutters these same
humiliating words.
As Jogman was brought in to the Guard Room, Barker caught a glimpse of
him.
"Well," Barker cried in scathing criticism; "the colonel said I wuz th’
first t’ disgrace th’ unit. By cripes; I wuzn’t th’ last. You sure
made a good job uv it!"
The colonel was a busy man. His day was as varied and colourful as
Job’s coat. When it wasn’t the vegetable woman who had to be bartered
with, it was the iceman who sought, with true French business acumen, to
show him why he wasn’t really overcharged, although the bill was three
times what the natives had to pay.
"Alvred" had been installed as "Interpreter," and throughout all these
ridiculous and unsatisfactory arguments maintained a face as impassive
as an English butler at a club dinner.
If the electric light bill to the former tenant was eighty francs per
month, and our bill was three hundred francs for the same period,
monsieur was assured, on word of honour, that the party of the first
part was undercharged, and would forthwith be requested to pay the
difference. But one thing was certain; the account against us was
_always_ correct.
When the colonel had finished these little business details he was
hurried away to the operating room. A serious case was awaiting his
skilled hand. The wounded man, whose thigh had been shattered with a
rifle bullet, was lying upon the table waiting patiently to be
etherised. The colonel stepped over to pass a kindly word with him
before he was put to sleep.
"And how are you this morning?" he enquired.
"Oh, verra weel in me’self," the poor fellow answered, with a ready
smile, "but ma leg is a bit troublesome. I hope ye won’t hae t’ cut it
off, sir?"
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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