plunged into total darkness while a crowd of men was clamouring for
food and drink at the counter. A supply of candles was kept ready to
hand. They were placed in mugs (candlesticks were lacking of course)
and set on the counter. By the aid of their feeble gleam the ladies
groped their way into the kitchen for tea, filled cups, and counted
out change. The scene always reminded me of Gideon's attack on the
Midianites when his soldiers carried lamps in pitchers. Occasionally
some one knocked over a mug. There was a crash and a blaze, a very
fair imitation of the battle in the Book of Judges.

It was worse when a whist drive or a singing competition in the
Church Army hut was interrupted by one of these Egyptian plagues of
darkness. But even then we did not allow ourselves to be seriously
embarrassed. The men, responsive to the instinct of discipline, sat
quiet at the whist tables with their cards in their hands. The glow
of burning cigarettes could be seen, faint spots of light; nothing
else.

Miss L. hurried to the canteen for candles. They were set in pools of
their own grease on the tables and the games went on. A singing
competition scarcely even paused. The competitors sang on. The
pianist managed to play. The audience applauded with extra vigour
until candles were brought and set in rows, like footlights, in front
of the stage.

Our worst experience of light failure occurred one evening when we
had a visit from a very superior concert party. We had secured it
only after much "wangling." We made every possible preparation for
its reception. One of Miss L.'s assistants drew out a most attractive
advertisement of the performance with a picture of a beautiful lady
in a red dress at the top of it. We posted this up in various parts
of the camp; but we were not really anxious about the audience. It
always "rolled up."

We set up a stage in the dining-room, a large high stage made out of
dining-tables, a little rickety, but considered by good judges to be
fairly safe. We spread a carpet, or something which looked like a
carpet, on it. Only Miss L. could have got a carpet in the camp, and
I do not know how she did it. We hung up a large Union Jack, Miss
L.'s private property, which was used on all festive occasions and
served as an altar cloth on Sundays. The E.F. Canteen authorities
were worried for a week beforehand, and, lest they should be worried
more, promised us a new piano, "same," so they put it, "to be
del