Children's Day

Winter 1915-1916

Last year, on New Year's Day, we gave the children of the Royal Victoria Patriotic School a tea-party. I don't quite know whether the children enjoyed it most or we did; however that may be, we decided to give them another this year, so January 1st found us very busy getting the Recreation Room ready for a tea-fight. Tables were arranged all round the room, and we prepared for 300 little ones. Cakes of every description, crackers galore - never have I seen such a collection! Fruit and sweets were literally piled on the tables, where many willing hands were waiting to pour out tea and hand cakes when the time came.

At a quarter to three they arrived; a long crocodile, headed by tiny mites, with the senior girls last, wound in at the gates and marched up the drive to the front door, where the C.O. and Matron were waiting to welcome them. After taking off their coats they went straight to the Receiving Hall, which was ready for their entertainment. The little ones were packed in front, the bigger girls and their matrons behind, and, still further on, visitors of the staff and friends of the hospital. The children were very quiet when they first got in, but gradually they gained confidence, and by the time the curtain went up they were buzzing with excitement. The curtain rose on 'Trial by Jury.' I watched the children's faces all lit up and eager. They followed everything with great interest; even the babes in the front were interested, their eyes growing more round with excitement as time went on. After this the Minuet was danced by six of the nursing staff, and it really was most graceful, taking us back to the time when our great-grandmothers stayed at home and 'thought' things instead of doing them.

Then came tea. Another crocodile was formed, and the kiddies marched along the passage to the Recreation Room. They filed in and up the tables, filling up table after table until the whole place was packed with smiling and expectant faces. A perfect bombardment of crackers then began - food took a back seat, and we all pulled crackers as if our lives depended on it. The big cakes were at last cut into and handed round, and then, when all the crackers had been pulled, suddenly there appeared from space more and more crackers, armsful of them, as if there was no end - and we all started afresh. One could hear, "Oh, Nurse, pull this cracker with me," "Oh, Nurse, she had it last time," and "Ask that soldier to come here and pull my cracker, Nurse" - that soldier being the C.O. We were all Nurse, irrespective of rank, and felt very proud to be called so. Whistles were blown, caps worn, and everything was gay. A beautiful ship was sent down by the A.3 men for the children - it had decorated their ward for Christmas, and they had passed it on afterwards for the children. It was a wonderful thing made with cotton wool and frosted, with crackers for the sails.

The next thing was to get them once again into the Hall, where a conjuror was waiting for them. It seemed hopeless at first, but soon I found out that the magic words 'Get into church line' did the trick, and the little ones tumbled out to the front and took their original places, and once more we all marched back to the Receiving Hall. Then the crowning point was reached - the wounded soldiers came in and sat with the children. The competition was enormous; nothing mattered - tea, entertainment, the world itself vanished, and the call of the blood came out as one seldom sees it. The kiddies shouted and cheered and clapped and almost fought for the possession of these precious things in khaki. The fortunate ones who got a real live soldier to sit next them were the envy of the community, and never have the men felt such heroes as they did when they very shyly came up the room. One heard on all sides, "Oh, Nurse, give me a soldier," and one wished that the Hall had been big enough to give them each a soldier. One very small youngster right in the front wanted a soldier very badly; there wasn't one available, but at that moment in walked a very small Boy Scout, who was promptly seized and put to sit in the front row, to the unutterable joy of the small girl, who, I am sure, thought he was a hero of the future! I saw the C.O. with a small mite on each knee; there was great competition for his knees, and the many changes that took place were very amusing - the two in possession were only allowed to sit there for a very short time, when there were two more candidates clamouring to be nursed.

The conjuror then came on, and the way the children responded was wonderful. He asked them questions which they answered, and then we all sang 'Doh-Ray-Me,' and at last the figure was carried off the stage struggling in the most wonderful manner. After a few minutes the curtain went up again on the 'Pierrots,' who gave a splendid performance. One of the songs, 'Land of Hope and Glory,' was well known by the children, who sang the chorus by themselves beautifully. One small child, with a great future before her, I should say, judging from her remarks, wanted to know if the 'bobs' on the Pierrots' costumes grew there! In one of the songs she also remarked 'I don't think there is much time in that, do you?' The one who honoured me by coming to sit on my knee spotted an officer who was sitting the other side of me. By degrees she shuffled round and put her hand into his, much to his amusement, and eventually deliberately deserted me, and I saw her sitting on his one good leg - and chatting away quite happily. After 'God Save the King,' like a swarm of locusts the children were all over the footlights on the stage, dancing with the performers. It was a wonderful sight. I watched from the other end of the room. The colours dazzled me; the mauve and white of the troupe blended with the many coloured caps on the children's heads will never be forgotten by those who saw it.

After much sorting out, a flash-light photograph was taken, which is reproduced in this month's Gazette. Once more we formed out procession, and as each child left the Hall she was given a Christmas stocking simply packed with good things to take away with her. The 'elders' were also given a copy of the Christmas Gazette. Hats and cloaks were then found, and the kiddies all went home, shaking hands with us and saying 'Good-night, Nurse, give my love to the soldiers!' Our guest of honour that day was Miss Sidney Browne, our Matron-in-Chief. We were all very glad she found time in her very busy life to pay us a visit.

EDITH HOLDEN