We Did Not Dream That So Many Invitations Would Be Accepted At
Far-Away Posts, That Parties Would Come From Fort Leavenworth, Fort
Riley, Fort Dodge, And Fort Wallace, For A Long Ambulance Ride Was
Necessary From Each Place.
But we knew of their coming in time to make
preparations for all, so there was no confusion or embarrassment.
Every house on the officers' line was filled to overflowing and
scarcely a corner left vacant.
The new hospital was simply perfect for an elaborate entertainment.
The large ward made a grand ballroom, the corridors were charming for
promenading, and, yes, flirting, the dining room and kitchen perfect
for the supper, and the office and other small rooms were a nice size
for cloak rooms. Of course each one of these rooms, big and small, had
to be furnished. In each dressing room was a toilet table fitted out
with every little article that might possibly be needed during the
evening, both before and after the removal of masks. All this
necessitated much planning, an immense amount of work, and the
stripping of our own houses. But there were a good many of us, and the
soldiers were cheerful assistants. I was on the supper committee,
which really dwindled down to a committee of one at the very last, for
I was left alone to put the finishing touches to the tables and to
attend to other things. The vain creatures seemed more interested in
their own toilets, and went home to beautify themselves.
The commanding officer kept one eye, and the quartermaster about a
dozen eyes upon us while we were decorating, to see that no injury was
done to the new building. But that watchfulness was unnecessary, for
the many high windows made the fastening of flags an easy matter, as
we draped them from the casing of one window to the casing of the
next, which covered much of the cold, white walls and gave an air of
warmth and cheeriness to the rooms. Accoutrements were hung
everywhere, every bit of brass shining as only an enlisted man can
make it shine, and the long infantry rifles with fixed bayonets were
"stacked" whereever they would not interfere with the dancing.
Much of the supper came from Kansas City - that is, the celery, fowls,
and material for little cakes, ices, and so on - and the orchestra
consisted of six musicians from the regimental band at Fort Riley. The
floor of the ballroom was waxed perfectly, but it is hoped by some of
us that much of the lightning will be taken from it before the
hospital cots and attendants are moved in that ward.
Everybody was en masque and almost everyone wore fancy dress and some
of the costumes were beautiful. The most striking figure in the rooms,
perhaps, was Lieutenant Alden, who represented Death! He is very tall
and very slender, and he had on a skintight suit of dark-brown
drilling, painted from crown to toe with thick white paint to
represent the skeleton of a human being; even the mask that covered
the entire head was perfect as a skull. The illusion was a great
success, but it made one shiver to see the awful thing walking about,
the grinning skull towering over the heads of the tallest. And ever at
its side was a red devil, also tall, and so thin one wondered what
held the bones together. This red thing had a long tail. The devil was
Lieutenant Perkins, of course.
Faye and Doctor Dent were dressed precisely alike, as sailors, the
doctor even wearing a pair of Faye's shoes. They had been very sly
about the twin arrangement, which was really splendid, for they are
just about the same size and have hair very much the same color. But
smart as they were, I recognized Faye at once. The idea of anyone
thinking I would not know him!
We had queens and milkmaids and flower girls galore, and black starry
nights and silvery days, and all sorts of things, many of them very
elegant. My old yellow silk, the two black lace flounces you gave me,
and a real Spanish mantilla that Mrs. Rae happened to have with her,
made a handsome costume for me as a Spanish lady. I wore almost all
the jewelry in the house; every piece of my own small amount and much
of Mrs. Rae's, the nicest of all having been a pair of very large
old-fashioned "hoop" earrings, set all around with brilliants. My comb
was a home product, very showy, but better left to the imagination.
The dancing commenced at nine o'clock, and at twelve supper was
served, when we unmasked, and after supper we danced again and kept on
dancing until five o'clock! Even then a few of us would have been
willing to begin all over, for when again could we have such a
ballroom with perfect floor and such excellent music to dance by? But
with the new day came a new light and all was changed, much like the
change of a ballet with a new calcium light, only ours was not
beautifying, but most trying to tired, painted faces; and seeing each
other we decided that we could not get home too fast. In a few days
the hospital will be turned over to the post-surgeon, and the
beautiful ward will be filled with iron cots and sick soldiers, and
instead of delicate perfumes, the odor of nauseous drugs will pervade
every place.
I have been too busy to ride during the past week, but am going out
this afternoon with the chaplain's young daughter, who is a fearless
rider, although only fourteen. King is very handsome now and his gait
delightful, but he still requires most careful management. He ran away
with me the other day, starting with those three tremendous strides,
but we were out on a level and straight road, so nothing went wrong.
All there was for me to do was to keep my seat.
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