True Stories of the Great War, Volume 4 (of 6): Tales of Adventure--Heroic Deeds--Exploits Told by the Soldiers, Officers, Nurses, Diplomats, Eye Witnesses
History
True Stories of the Great War, Volume 4 (of 6): Tales of Adventure--Heroic Deeds--Exploits Told by the Soldiers, Officers, Nurses, Diplomats, Eye Witnesses
World War, 1914-1918 -- Personal narratives
Miss Spencer is an American girl who has been working heroically to
relieve suffering in France through various American Committees,
including the National Surgical Dressings Committee and also
the "Food For France Fund," of which she acted as chairman. She
recently collected her experiences under a little volume, the sale
of which is devoted to War Relief. "The scenes and occurrences
which are recorded in these pages," relates Miss Spencer, "made
such a deep impression upon me and remained so vivid that I hope
the recital of them may be found interesting to others. If any one
is interested in sending assistance to a particular class of war
sufferers suggested by the reading of these sketches, he or she
may communicate with me at 10 East 58th Street, New York City."
Copyrighted, 1916, by Carita Spencer.
I--AN AMERICAN WOMAN'S VISIT TO THE QUEEN OF BELGIUM
_Paris_, April, 1916.
"_La Légation de Belgique a l'honneur de faire connaître à Miss
Spencer que Sa Majesté la Reine la recevra Vendredi prochain, 28
avril, à La Panne, à 2 heures et demie. Miss Spencer est priée de
vouloir bien prevenir La Légation, du lieu et de l'heure ou on
pourrait la faire prendre à Dunkerque ou à Calais._"
For six weeks I had wondered where and how the door to the war zone
would open, and here at last came the answer. "The Belgian Legation has
the honour to inform Miss Spencer that Her Majesty, the Queen, will
receive her on Friday at La Panne at half past two."... It was midnight
when the letter came, too late to do anything until the morrow, when I
must find the way to break all rules for civilians and get out of Paris
in three hours instead of eight days.
My official invitation was certainly a wonderful gate-opener.
Legations, embassy and war office armed me with the necessary papers
in less time than it usually took to reach the sub-clerk in the
commissaire's office. Dressed in my khaki suit and my little brown hat
with the laurel leaves,--funny little hat, since become famous because
so many officers thought I wore the leaves as a presage of victory
in honour of the Allies,--with my small handbag, heavy coat and an
umbrella, I reached the Gare St. Lazare with twenty minutes to spare.
Ahead of me were two English officers, shiny and polished from head to
foot, with their elaborate hand luggage all neatly marked. One might
think they were running down for a week-end at the Casino. On all sides
crowded sky-blue coated _poilus_, the faded dull looking sky-blue which
blends into the horizon and helps to hide the French soldier from the
keen-sighted Boche.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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