A LETTER FROM PARIS.

Sun (Christchurch), Volume III, Issue 867, 20 November 1916, Page 4

A LETTER FROM PARIS.

MISS BEATRICE DAY'S IMPRESSIONS. Miss Bea'iice Day (Mrs Wall), who left New Zealand some time ago with Madame Boefve, writes from Paris saying that they arrived there on September 1, after a long and rather trying journey. After leaving Adelaide she says that Madame Boeufve was very ill, and her health was not improved by the boat soiug to Bombay, as the heat was trying. From there they took a number of passengers, "mostly soldiers from Mesopotamia, whose wives had gone to Bombay to be near them, and many wounded. Many, I fear, have seen the last of their fighting days, and they all had pretty gruesome tales to tell. Some were home ou special duty, and some of the women were returning, having left their soldier men either in India or Mesopotamia, and one was left a prisoner, but they were all very cheerful about, things." There were a number of Australian and New Zealand troops on board, and Miss Day says they all had the greatest respect and admiration for I lie officers, "who were the very best, and were so Rood to their men during the very trying period of hot weather.

Some wore very ill, and the officers took them to their own cabins and helped to nurse them, and the whole 500 odd troops on board were like brothers to each other. We tried to make their journey a little less trying, and when they left us at Suez a cheer rang out for both of us.

"We were four days late in reaching Marseilles, and Madame got letters from her son asking her to go to Paris, the first she had had since leaving New Zealand. At Marseilles we went into a shop with Anti-German League written up, and the shopwoman told us it was necessary in France. We left papers with her, and hope to make more inquiries. '' At Aden I got a letter from my son to say he was in the trenches. It was a shock, for I had hoped to see him before he saw fighting. Now we are in Paris, and it is heartbreaking to seethe difference —it is a most wonderful city, but, oh! the deadness —except for soldiers and shopkeepers.' Most of the big hotels arc hospitals, and every lady is working at the convalescent or Eed Cross depots. We are staying at a big hotel, ai.d there are only three or four people staying in it. We are looking for a flat with the hope of having our sons next month for a day or two, and we shall do our work for the Anti-Ger-man League from here."