The L'Anse sentinel., 1907-05-11

of war and the surgeon-general
of the army-work that should be rec
ognized as the best and finest ever
done in its especial line.
The women who we're not members
of organizations before the outbreak
formed themselves with wonderful
promptness and efficiency into aid so
cieties under various titles and did
faithful and valuable work. They
sewed through the long hours of hot
summer weather; they wrote letters;
they offered themselves as nurses.
some of them first qualifying them
selves for the latter work by severe
courses of hospital training-severe
because hurried, the usual instruction
being crowded into few weeks with
no allowance, such as Ia usually made.
for rest and recreation.
One of the loveliest of their many
gracious deeds was the visiting, COM
,forting, providing for the families OF
the men who were gone to the front"
Hot and cold. dust and rain they re-
garded as trifles-or not at all.
As was then living near one OF tho
hospital centers, at Fort Monroe, the
letters that came to me were number
less. They came from all parts of
the country, their writer's asking only
a place to work in.
Some of the women were trained
nurses, some had the training of home
care of the sick, some were wholly
inexperienced, all would give them
selves freely to the work II only a
place might be found where they could
serve. Young women of the highest
social position, descendants OF royal
ancestors, volunteered to me to do
kitchen work II diet kitchen were
established here by volunteers, as at
one time seemed not unlikely to be-
come necessary. From the far north.
from our farthest south, from Califor-
MIA, from our eastern coast, the offers
came to me, and so ! am sure there
must have been many others in other
quarters.
A noble example Of womanly pat
riotism was shown Sy the wives OF
the officers and men Of the regular
service. The women CT the navy fam
lilies live In constant expectation OF
being left with all the care and re-
sponsibility of those families when
the men are ordered to sea" and
were in a measure prepared. their
courage and patience seem unfailing
and their spirit was we'll expressed by
the words of the wife Of our great
naval commander, who wrote to me at
the outbreak of the war: How shall
we live that we may be worthy to be
the wives of these brave men!" That
seemed their only thought. Tho
weak, the selfish, the craven were so
few that we need not count them.
and in the face Of such trials we may
surely forgive them.
But too much cannot be said In
praise of the women Of the army fam
lilies, upon whom the terrible order to
their men to go beyond the seas fell
like a thunderbolt from a clear sky.
The heats and droughts of Arizona
and New Mexico, the desolation OF the
Bad Lands" the biting cold at the far
northern forts, the isolation Of "one
company" posts, the separations from
home and friends, they had borne un.
complainingly. but this was the un-
known. The tropical and pagan lands
were to those poor women regions Of
mystery and dread which swallowed
up their protectors in forests and
jungles. leaving women and children
bereft of the comfort and support OF
their strong and devoted companion
ship. Small wonder II they blenched
and shrank back appalled, at the pros
pect!
Yet complaint was rare and courage
and patience almost unfailing. Usu-
ally semblance OF hope and conf
dence was maintained that sent the
men out to their hard duty, cheered
with the thought of the women's
bravery and their ability to bear tho
burdens suddenly thrust upon their
unaccustomed shoulders