Last Christmas Eve

Winter 1915-1916

The Assistant Matron has specially written for The Gazette the following short account of last Christmas Eve's charming festivities at the 3rd L.G.H.

The exciting time of year had dawned again; the time which sees everyone enthusiastic, hurrying to and fro with that look of pleasure which always comes when one is thinking out means of giving pleasure to others. This was the dawn of Christmas Eve. Each member of our nursing staff had her own part to play. First the patients were attended to, as usual - for not even on December 24th can the routine of a hospital be interrupted. Then some of us hurried forth and returned presently with armfuls of flowers; these were followed later by cases of plants. These, with the flags of all the Allies, made the wards festive and bright - each ward keeping its own character, though so similarly decorated. It must have been interesting, and a source of keen pleasure to any onlooker, to observe how the differences in the aspect of the various wards indicated the varying tastes of the respective Sisters.

Christmas Eve is always a hard day in every hospital, and ours was no exception. But, heavy though the work had been, it had not damped the ardour of our nursing staff. When nine o'clock struck a procession appeared. The sisters, nurses, and some orderlies, each with a lighted Chinese lantern suspended from a cane, toured the wards singing carols. It was a most effective sight as the stream of variegated lights wound in and out of the darkened wards and corridors, and the refrain from the carols was very appealing - one caught wafts of the music as the procession wended round corners, and in and out of doors, loud at first, and growing softer and softer as the singers withdrew to the more distant parts of the hospital. The patients were all very interested, and many joined in the carols. It was striking to watch the varied expressions on the faces as the procession proceeded through each ward. A good many of the wounded had never been in a hospital before, and thought it very lovely; others were thinking of home and their loved ones far away; they wore a look of thankfulness that they were spending Christmas in England again - albeit wounded - surrounded by comfort and consideration on every side.

The carol singers' procession returned in due course to the front entrance and lined up on either side of the corridor which leads to the C.O.'s office. Raising their lanterns, they formed an illuminated archway, under which the C.O. and the Matron passed. The C.O. then gave us his good wishes and expressed the hope that we should all have a happy time in spite of the severe strain which our work involved. After giving a hearty cheer both for him and for the Matron, we all proceeded to the Recreation Room, where steaming hot soup and mince pies were distributed - and taken with alacrity. The company then dispersed, to rest before the toils of Christmas Day, though all seemed to forget that they had any cause for weariness in the extra work which they had been doing, and only wished to make sure that they would be fresh enough on the morrow to give the patients a happy time.

E. M. NORTHOVER