The San Francisco call., 1898-04-22

boundaries as NOD Hill or south Gf Market-every one deplored the war.
 What's fame to a woman?"
 Her stake is too great. She cannot look upon the probabilities of loss with philosophy. She has hoped against hope that it was all a false alarm, and now that the months of restless anxiety have eliminated, now that Uncle Sam and the naughty little Don have given each other the cut direct, she wakes al, of a sudden to the fact that it wasn't make believe after all, and complains that it all happened so quickly she can not realize 1t.
 But though San Francisco women's hearts may be impractical, their heads and their hands are steady and skill ful. All day to-day inquiries have come in to The Call office Women have tel ephoned, they have written, they have come to offer their services personally Show us the way" the voices say and never was there a sweeter sym phony concert-'well follow"
 And what such following means may be understood when one remembers that California contributed $1,234 ,257 31 in three years during the Civil War
 Tt was just at this crisis when the commissions plans for tho .oughly national work were embarrassed with the practical difficulties of feeble and inadequate supply of money" says the OIUCldl Sanitary Commission, which there ap- peared to be no adequate means of in creasing; when a system of canvassing the country for money and supplies was hindered by the want of means to support canvassers in the nome field it was just at this point of time and at this crisis in it's history when three months more of such trials as had em- barrassed the commission fer the three months preceding, would have probably brought it to a premature death, that the news reached the public that the Mayor of San Francisco had telegraph ed the President of the United States that $100,000 had been raised in that city for the benefit of sick and wounded soldiers, and had asked his advice through what channel this magnificent contribution should be apple l. The President consulted the surgeon gen eral who immediately recommended that the Sanitary Commission should be se elected as the almoner ui CalifCr- nia'S Lol nty."
 This time San Francisco is going to take the lead. The State will follow. and then the nation will join the glori- OuS procession.
 Within a day or two now the com mission must be formed. The emotion of the non -combatants who saw those straight, steadily moving lines of blue
 
 toward the bay is fast crystallizing into power. It is feeling made action the most powerful weapon for effect ing miracles.
 Let us each be taxed to a certain amount weekly suggested a woman yesterday. There's no limit to the sum we could raise.'
 Let's sell another sack of flour for $40,000," said another.
 Let's inaugurate a monster fair" said a woman who is president of two societies, an officer of third and a member of two others.
 T haven't any strength to give" sighed a woman whose life is devoted to the unfortunate. I'm really so ill that I'll have to give up what I'm doing. But-but. oh. of course, you know, it's all nonsense! If war comes then it isn't question of what we can. but of what we must. It doesn't make any difference what I say I'll do. When the time comes I'll be in it-I know I will. Nothing could keep me cut not all the doctors threats in the world. This is the way we women fight, and the nurses cap and apron is our regalia. I'll wear the red cross with the rest of them. I'd feel like deserter if 1 didn't"
 All this energy of sympathy, all this altruism is not a hysterical emotion which will pass away when once the memory of those marching lines of blIe become dim. The women who have been first to volunteer, who have ear Hest recognized the needs of the situa- tion-this First Infantry of women is made up of the busiest women in San Francisco to-day. Those whose lives are devoted t0 helpfulness-wh they live in beautiful homes high upon the hill or in the most modest of Iodg- ings-women who serve the poor and the sick: women whose days are taken up with insistent calls upon their time, their patience, their purses; these are the ones who have time. They don't know what it is = shirk. These are the ones who will sign a call for meeting and who will attend and serve upon a commission with that same enthusi- asm that made Fasteners say envious- " Tn lS65, If the Sanitary Commission had adopted in all the loyal States the method it employed on the Pacific Coast twice the large revenues they en- joyed might have been realized"
 Up at the Pacific Heights School, where principal, teachers and pupils are one at heart-and that a big. hu- man. loyal heart-there's patriotism enough to equip sanitary commits sion single-handed. These boys and girls have plan which they don't in- tend to reveal till things are ripe. But the first gun fired will set these young patriots ablaze And 35.00O other boys and girls are waiting to be made aids de camp of the peaceful corps that fights only disease and suffering.
 Here's story that was told me yes terday: One of the belles of San Fran cisco Is weary of social triumphs. She has implored her people to permit her to follow the bent of a temperament which takes naturally to nursing. The rehabilitation of exhausted nature, the making we'll again. the sight of that convalescence which is the hygienic artists triumph in his skill, appeals more to this girl than ballroom vic tories and cotillion favors. So pro- nounced is her vocation that she made a friend of trained nurse, who starts shortly to the front. and asked per mission to accompany her. Her people and her friends are It yet aware of this determination. But to change it- now that men have suddenly been transformed into soldiers and women into nurses-they will find a harder task than it w;s before. So one of the prettiest of society's daughters will humbly place herself at the feet of this