Photograph by courtesy of the Italian Military Mission 

 SI' A OE CLOUDS FROM MONTE CRISTALLO : THE CADORE DISTRICT, DOLOMITE ALPS 



This view, taken from above the clouds on Monte Cristallo, which is over 10,000 feet 

 high, shows the peaks of two other famous mountains known to Alpinists all over the world — 

 Monte Pelmo and Monte Civetta, both over 10.000 feet. 



very door. Lately two hand grenades fell 

 30 meters away from the hospital : but 

 we are all calm and think that God will 

 protect us in this mission of love. Our 

 splendid soldiers give us such a great ex- 

 ample of courage and sacrifice, patience 

 and faith, that one near them feels un- 

 worthy. 



Our hospital is the must advanced in 

 this zone, and therefore we receive the 

 most gravely wounded. Naturally we 

 cannot do everything that we want to: 

 but I think it would be worse if we were 

 not here, and with the moral part, coupled 

 with the help at the bedside, we can com- 

 fort so many stricken bodies, so many 

 poor lacerated hearts. 



I have not written so frequently of late 

 because I am dead tired when 1 at last 

 get to my room. I fall asleep quickly, 

 but we are often awakened at night by 

 gas attacks and must go down to safety 

 with our gas masks on. So one sleeps 

 when one can. My soul has been obliged 

 to go through a process of adaptation to 

 the surroundings, to the visions, to the 

 continual surprises ; but little by little one 

 acquires the courage to face it all. 



RECEIVES ONLY THE GRAVEST CASES 



Since arriving here I have never had 

 time to write any letters except to B. and 

 to Mother, because the work and suffer- 

 ing we face are so overwhelming and de- 

 mand every waking moment. 



I cannot even begin to tell you what I 

 suiter every day, for my poor wounded 

 are all the gravest cases. It seems this 

 is the most advanced hospital where there 

 are women nurses working, so you can 

 imagine the amount we found to be done 

 and which, little by little, we are accom- 

 plishing, according to the means we have 

 at our disposal. And then every day we 

 have visits from enemy, shells, which 

 prove indeed that we are in the War 

 Zone. 



But who thinks of danger when work- 

 ing for stricken brothers? 



I write in the hall of the hospital : it is 

 the first day I have had a moment's res- 

 pite, for here it is a continual coming and 

 going of wounded men, who arrive either 

 to die after a very short time, or after a 

 few days to be transported to hospitals 

 farther from the front. One needs a 



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