828 Ten Years of my Life. 



and all the welcome gifts from the central committee ot 

 Cologne. "• 



I was lucky enough not to be detained anywhere long, and 

 we arrived after eight days at Jouy, for all the stations were 

 extremely crowded and the rails stopped by trains with 

 wounded or provisions for the army. Those who before 

 never learnt patience did so in travelling that time to the 

 army. 



Requiring, first, quarters for men and horses, which care 

 my brother-in-law kindly left over to me as I had brought 

 them along, I called the morning after my arrival on the privy 

 councillor, Sulzer, who stood at the head of the commissariat 

 or quartermaster's staff. He was an extremely able and prac- 

 tical man, whose services have been highly acknowledged by 

 the Government. He very readily answered to my request ; 

 I was billeted with Miss Runkel, Mr. Frank, and August and 

 four horses, in the large house where Dr. Busch was quartered ; 

 and my brother-in-law was lodged there also, as well as dear 

 Jimmy, whom I had taken with me. The poor dog had so 

 pined for me and his master that he had become quite lean 

 and nearly blind. When he was again with me he recovered 

 soon, and the film covering his eyes disappeared also. 



I urged on Dr. Busch the necessity for work, and asked 

 him what there was to do and what was wanted. ' We have 

 here 'five hospitals,' he said, 'crowded v/ith men severely 

 wounded, and everything is wanting.' The poor wounded had 

 no properly cooked food, and it was my first care to establish 

 kitchens for them. The difficulty was to find proper female 

 assistance, for though there were plenty of voluntary nurses, 

 they were for the greater part mere voluntary nuisances, with 

 their crinolines, plumed bonnets, and mincing manners. They 

 were, I might say, female knights of St. John, for what I have 

 said of these was still more applicable to most of those female 

 ScJilachten biuiwiler^ who never forgot that they ' volunteered ' 

 a duty, and despised rules and orders ; and above all discipline 

 and punctuality. Instead of arriving at seven o'clock in the 

 morning, they came at ten or eleven, or remained away, just 

 as they pleased, making earnest doctors wish that they had 

 remained at home altogether, though ethers flirted with and 

 protected them. 



These fine ladies, amongst whom were some with a 'von' 



