Part 6 (2/2)

The hospital is alive; I feel it like a living being

The hospital is like a drea it co patients, the long passages, the sudden plunges into the brilliant wardstheir scenery hypnotizesone walks busily up and down the ward doing this and that, forgetting that there is anything beyond the drawn blinds, engrossed in the patients, one's tasks--bed-, one errand and another--and then suddenly a blind will blow out and alliht crossed with bladed searchlights, of aof the blind is a miracle; I do not believe in the wind

A new Sister on to-nightvery severe We had to make the beds like white cardboard I wonder what she thinks ofto-morroandered up into the ward and lian He _will_ call lanced at him and blinked

He was very persistent ”Sister,” he said again, ”do you think I can have a ith you?”

”Not now,” I whispered as I hurried past hih I hadbackwards at ood-bye

He sat beside Mr Wicks's bed (Mr Wicks who is paralysed) and looked at me from time to time with that stare of his which contains so little offence

It is curious to think that I once saw Mr Wicks on a tennis-laalking across the grass Mr Wicks, ill never put his foot on grass again, but, lying in his bed, continues to say, as all Tommies say, ”I feel well in meself”

So he does; he feels well in hi to live, all the saame of cards, he has his joke: ”Lemonade, please, nurse; but it's not froht I always say, ”Well, now I've got so at last!”

And he chuckles and answers, ”Thought you'd be pleased It's the others gets round eant: he got his coo

My ruined charms cry aloud for help

The cap wears awayboards; ht on the telephone to marry immediately before it was too late

A desperate remedy I will try cold cream and hair tonics first

There is a tuberculosis ward across the landing They call it the TB

ward

It is a den of coughs and harrowing noises

One night I saw a negro standing in the doorith his long hair done up in hairpins He is the pet of the TB ward; they call him Henry

Henry came in to help us with our Christmas decorations on Christmas Eve, and as he cleverlyin the ward!”