The Birmingham age-herald., 1905-06-14
SOME BRANCHES OFYOUNG
 WOMEN'S CHRISTIAN ASSN

The southern conference of the Young Womens Christian association held tbis week at BiItmore. N. C., calls snec,al attention to the work of the varions as sociations which have now been estab- lished all over the world. The Birminp- ham association. one of the younpest in be organized in the gulf states has after many struggles continued to exIst and the past year has been the most successful since it's organization The present home of the association is in the Watts building, where rest rooms and reading rooms have been opened and where monday luncheons are served daily The little cafe where hot luncheons are served la carte to over a hundred women and girls Is thronged during the luncheon hour with members of the as- soeiatlon from the stores and offices and the big rest room is really over-crowd- ed because it is lacking in facilities There are probably dozen cots. perhaps not that many, and there are a hundred weary women who have but few min utes for rest, Some of them look long ingly at the rest room, find every cot occupied and turn away too worn out sometimes to even care. As fast as a cot is vacated there Is another woman who is waiting her turn to rest and thus it is day after day, the rest room, cool and inviting the one spot in Birmingham where the busy young woman in the shops and down town offices may come for a moments rest.
 l sometimes wonder if women who can rest at all hours of the day and who do not know what 1t is to be tired would feel if they were to occasionally get a glimpse of the rest rooms at the asso- citations where so many women go for just a little relaxation to their tired nerves and bodies.
 Just what this feature of the association has meant to the army of young bus mess women in Birmingham cannot really be appreciated unless one comes in con tact with it and sees how eagerly it's ad- vantages have been seized upon, and then it seem surprising that there Is only one rest room so far provided, or rather that the funds at the command of the association are not large enough to war rant the addition of more adequate facili- ties.
 As soon as 1t is practical to do so larger and more comfortable rooms will be pro- vided. Every day shows the need of these facilities and with the work of the association becoming better known, it is believed that it will not always be handi- capped for want of funds.
 Some of the present needs are books and magazines for the reading room. Magazines are sometimes sent to the rooms and while they are generally old ones they have afforded much pleasure. If those who are interested especially in the library feature of the association would subscribe to several magazines and order them sent direct to the association rooms, it would be a continual source of interest to the many young women who have only a short time during the day for reading
 In the luncheon room, which is now self-supporting, the menu is wholesome and well prepared. For a nominal sum a girl is able to have a hot luncheon, which includes a soup, meat course and vegetables, a salad and a dessert, with tea, coffee and milk. She can dine on seventeen cents and on much less if she Is satisfied with slice of bread and a glass of milk. good cook is employed, sometimes two, and the kitchen arrangements are very much better and more convenient than they have ever been. There Is a big gas range, but the bread is bought from the bakery, so that the chef has ample time to prepare the meats and vegetables In an adjoin- | ing room is what any housekeeper would call the buffers pantry. It is a large room where all the breads and salads are 1 arranged In the most orderly way and the tea and coffee and milk each on sep arate tables, while the desserts are over in a corner apart from everything else. A little partition separates this big but lers pantry from the kitchen and no one Is allowed beyond it. 1Ae girls who as- sist in serving the luncheon call out their [ orders over this partition and there is no confusion. By the systematic arrange f