VOLUNTEER SISTERS.

Hawera & Normanby Star, Volume LXXI, Issue LXXI, 22 February 1916, Page 5

VOLUNTEER SISTERS.

HAWERA YOUN£ LADY'S LETTER

Miss Dora Murch, of Hawera, who went to Egypt as a volunteer sister, in a letter dated Cairo, January 7, write® interestingly to the Mayor (Mr E. Dixon). . "We have been in this city five weeks now, so thought I- would just write a few lines to let you know how we were received by the' military authorities," says Miss Murch. "Col. Saunders, who came to Port Said to meet us, advised our matron to come on here, instead of Alexandria, as intended, for several reasons, chiefly as the base had been moved here, and the military men to whom we had letters of introduction were in Cairo, so here we all are and hard at work, too. As boarding was" rather expensive fov "volunteer sisters," we decided to take a flat, and here we all batch. Two of our number are working at the Karis-el-aine Hospital, an old Egyptian one, used in Napoleon's time. They work there all day and return at night. Another sister starts duty to-day at a convalescent hospital, and Miss Higgins (cooking mistress) goes, at Lady Godley's request., at the end of the week, so that's eight out of the twelve disposed of. "The gardens (Esbekia), in which all the remainder of us are working are situated in the centre of Cairo, and quite close to the worst part. On one side of the gardens some Cairo ladies opened a 'British soldiers' cafe,' run by natives, and on the other side the V.M.C.A. have a place where soldiers can go to read, write letters, play games, good skating rink and picture theatre. (Am enclosing programme to save writing.) For seme time tea, coffee and cocoa of a sort could be obtained there at a...small stall. This was runby natives. Some wealthy English ladies, who had been helping at one of the camps, wished to take "over the management of this cafe, not as a money-making concern, but to give the soldiers good food and to make the place more attractive, so that- they

would go there, instead oi wasting their Uioucy in eni pieces oi aiauswueut. as long as it just pays expenses mat's au tJa.iiL'& necessary. Tiie^y •set- caipeuters to worii and spared i.o e.vpeii^e, and now luive qau u a tip-top |jiace. j\..s tney needed a iiiim^; oi y,oou workers the I.Ji.C.A. allied us n we would join tiiem, wnicii v c aeciußu io uu, until sucn tune as we couict get nursing to do. And, oh, >uu srumid just have heard the e^pi-eo^i^.., OJ u^pitviu- • turn irom the meu—it was grand, and Iwe felt it was worth while, some had just returned Irom vie .peninsula and naau't tpoKen to a lady tor months and months. Pso one has any idea of what it means to the boys nere to have somewhere decent to go and to Keep them ' off the streets. We at home can't . realise it. We opened the Wednesday before Christmas, and oh! didn't we work, especially 'Saturdays and Sundays. They are are busiest days. On Christmas and New \ear's i7ays we ,; didn't even have time to have our tea • |we were tired, but we didn't mind! I \Ve came out to work, and we certainly are at it. We now have a number of officers' wives, who ccme every day and help; it's just splendid how the J ladies turn out to work for the men i I worked side by side with Lady ; Graham all the afternoon. We turned lon tea, coffee and cocoa, and, as she I said, we could do with many more such » places, and we all feel we are doing good ■work. "Things here are very quiet, although there has been fighting at Is- ! malia just lately, but great prepara- ! tions are being made, so the rush* may | come any time now. j "Most of our Hawera boys who went with the 6th have returned from Gallipon. and are now at Ism alia; such crowds there!. Tom Williams Ts in the ; N.Z General Hospital. I went out to see him on Tuesday, and he is getting on splendidly now. I have seen the btrack boys several times. It's so nice to see a familiar face when one is far away. 'It's such an interesting place here, and the scenes one sees every day remind one of the Biblical picture* I have been familiar with from a child, it s a strange mingling of ancient and modern, the natives on camels and their long flowing robes, with motor cars, bit-voles and ambulances whizzing past. I have seen the place where Mose-5 was found " in i^a bullmshep. Well. T must .cf.op scribbling or you'll be getting tired rf thQ rf,,mHe. * Give n^ love to fll the' T>ible class p-irls and "11 enquiring frW<ls. I of+°n +Hnk of them all, e^riecifillv on Sund^TS. when we work harder than any ot-bp'-day. Bnt it's worth it, ptk! I fWI it a privilege to do my small share."