HAVEN OF PEACE

Thames Star, Volume LVIII, Issue 16207, 22 September 1916, Page 2

HAVEN OF PEACE

AN EGYPTIAN OASIS.

Somewhere in Egypt. When the British Army strolled across the sea and prepared to make itself at home in Egypt, the Sisters of the Sacred Heart decided that war makes a lot of queer differences and that they must march with the times. And that is why very many hundreds of us will remember' Saba Paclia- for ever, writes/Supernumerary" in the Daily Mail. • For very many years they had led their quiet, sacred life there in the convent In' the sea. And then the Army arrived. .Camp.life in Egypt is not quite all that the heart of man can desire. It i« largely compounded of sand and flies n-nd creosol. There t came the memories of green meadows, pf the dear, deep lanes of our own land, of the dusky, secret woods with their little streams. It is not good to have exchanged these' for a. vista- of sand-.swept • palms, and I suppose the

Sisters of the Sacred Heart realised j what we should be feeling. ' i There they were, with their big, cool house and the wonderful garden, , where, toiling, year., by year, they had made ,a home for the shadows and a restimj place for the'little breezes., from, the sea. Outside the high walls to the garden were the thou- ■ sands of dusty soldiers for whom there was no shade nor any shelter from the heat. Perhaps they discussed the matter in their quick, delightful French, or perhaps it is . simply an order of the quiet little Mother Superior. Whether it came by agreement or by command I cannot tell, but the gates were opened •and the Army was told that it might

come in. ENGLISH ROSES. But first there Avere preparations to be made. A room was set apart, and the little French nuns made it ready with thoughtful thoroughness. They laid in a stock of English books and magazines. Somehow or other they organised a supply of English newspapers, which is equal"to that of any of the clubs in Alexandria. They provided paper and pens and ink, and somehow or other copies of the latest musical comedies. And I am inclined to ""think that some at ( least of the sisters procured little; books of Anglo-French phrases, j When all things were made ready j the intimation was sent out that all soldiers were most welcome, that the Army was at liberty to make use of the garden and the room all day long. On the afternoon of my third day in Egypt, when I was beginning to curse the land, a man I had met suggested that 1 had better -go to Saba Pacha first. In that garden, in the J .shelter of bamboo, oleander, hibis- j ens, and palm, I found roses whose . names I luiew and a great bed of ut- j terly English violets. ' There in the cool shadows were all •sorts of friendly familiar plants. Even the kitchen' garden had a word of welcome, and all the strange growths seemed more friendly. And tins idea of mine seemed to bo shared by a considerable company of ; assorted soldiers . ! Later there was a service for those who were of the faith, and for any of the others who might care to attend. The chapel of the convent was crowded to the door, till there was scarcely any room left for the , nuns themselves, "but- one saw them | through door or window, flitting to: and fro, smiling .so ■■happily, running ■ sometimes to fetch an extra chair, ' arranging rows of seats outside a great French window for those who could not get into the chapel itself. ' Through the windows came the little ■ breeze of evening and the murmur of the cjiiiet sea-.,. Presently it was dark and there were stars in the distant sky. The men were singing very lustily one of those hymns Avhich we' have all known all through our livps. jphl I w;i.« watching the face of the Mother Superior.

I She stood there, that gracious lit- j tie lady, so pleased and happy. It was all very strange to her, 1 suppose, that crowd of men, that chorus 'of the great, rough vod'ees, but she I understood, and was well satisfied. A ! little later she was shaking hands with all of us, her guests of the evening, as we passed out, bidding us to , come again, to come whenever "we j ; liked. i So we who have found the way j to the quiet garden go to and fro : about our business in this "warm and i dusty country, from north to south, from east, to west. But sooner or later we return, to note once more the progress of the French beans,,! to pay one more visit to the violets j and to call the vdses- by. name. ' I