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June 19, 1918
Maybe it was only four or five days ago that I heard from you, but somehow it seems an infinitely long time. And the last one was only a teeny weeny note that was like a glimpse of a sweet, and, familiar face looking out of a car window as the train goes by! How I wished that I could be with you, if only for an hour, to talk over with you your "prospects" and give advise that would agree with what you think about the matter yourself-for that's what my advice always would be--after we talked things over together. We are such reasonable creatures, you and I, that I can't imagine our seriously disagreeing on any subject--after we had talked it over together.
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Of course by now you have decided one way or the other about the nurse's training that you were contemplating in your note, so that it is futile for me to write about it at all. I think on the surface the [little?] []ppointment secretaray's advice was best, and if there is still any doubt in your mind about hospital work it may do some good to know that any menial job in a hospital corps - even tho it is in that glorious "somewhere in France" is mighty disagreeable and takes an infinite amount of patience and forebearance, and if there is any job in the work that will sap a person's strength and enthusiasm, a hospital menial job is that. The nurses that are in active work over here have had years of practice in the States. And it is only the experienced that will get anywhere near the front (except of course, for certain moneyed volunteers with a "pull" - and they are in the way, from the workers point of view. It is admirable to
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be self sacrificing, desirous of giving all regardless of what capacity one gives in, true.
And, of course, I don't know what supplementary con dition there might have been to your proposition. You see how futile it is, and the more I want to talk with you Kismet! -
I've some news! I have attained the first rung on the ladder. Last night I made seven flights and was lached before the assembled multitude, making four trips with our little moniteurs, one with the Chef de piste (French commanding officer) to inspect my flying, and then my first two flights alone. We had been delayed for several days on account
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of wind and rain - hadn't flown since Sunday morning - and last night was puffy. Some of the boys came down from double-control flight in perspiration saying it had taken all their strength and nervous energy keeping the plane straight! and there were several bad landings made (Hear me crow now!) and while I was telling them in my simple and unpretentious manner that it was glorious bouncing around at a hundred metres altitude, and they were accusing me of posing, our little Franco-Italian moniteur called for me to go up with the Chef, and they knew then that I was to have a trial at soloing (maybe I wasn't tickled to make my first flights alone in rough weather!) It went well. The sense of power a fellow has up there alone with his sensitive plane responding to every variation of wind, and to every move of the aerolons and elevators! On
