BOOKS AND MAGAZINES FOR THE SICK AND WOUNDED.
rTo THY EDITOR OP THE " SPECTATOR.") SIR,—The following is the text of a letter received by the Secretary of the War Library from the Chaplain at a Casualty Clearing Station in France. It is hoped that the public will not cease to send books and periodicals through the Post Office :— "I wish that you could have seen the joy that your parcel caused here. It was a pouring wet day with a high S.W. wind. The mud outside the tents was ankle deep, the men naturally depressed. The camp was full of wounded and sink, with practically nothing to do, trying to pass the day away by reading bits of the few novels we had. I took the magazines to the orderlies in the tents. All the men sat up at once, filled with joy because there was some- thing to read and look at. It was a sight not qniokly to be forgotten. When you know this, I need hardly say Thank you' for the splendid gift. You tell me not to hesitate to ask you for further consignments. Please send me more and more. Many get torn, many are lost in one way or another, many are carried into the trenches, and we really can do with any amount. We give the id. books to the isolation cases, of which there are hundreds, and, of course, they have to be burnt. The actual bound books are most valuable, but the real joy is magazines like the 'Red, 'Royal,' London,' and illustrated papers of all kinds. Thanks, indeed, very much indeed, and please forgive a short and hurried scrawl, but every minute of one's time is taken up with these splendid brave fellows."
The War Library, Surrey House, Marble Arch, W.
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