Manchester Democrat. [volume] (Manchester, Iowa) 1875-1930, 1915-05-12
MRS. RALPH. NORTON
ADDRESS !; ! WOMEN
DESCRIBES TERRIBLE cohol-
rlons IS II WARNING ~, 3 'l,s NATIONS
OF EUROPE.
.EVAN6ELIsTIC SERVICES in CAMPS

Mr.. and Mrs. Norton Will Return
TO Europe And Work Among Sol
oilers While, War Continues.
AT the Methodist church on Sat
urday5 afternoon Mrs. Ralph Norton
gave a very interesting address, tell
ing Of the work carried on by. her
self and her husband among the sol
fdiers in Great Britain. %>:', y
5ss Mrs Norton says that England
lis one great camp, in which thou
sands OF volunteer recruits are be-
Y ing drilled for service on the field.
Many of these are from the best
families some of them being person
al friends OF Mr.. and Mrs. Morton,
who have been in that country SO
many times Il that they have made
many friends both in England and
s Scotland $yss s
s Many hundreds. of these soldiers,
however, come from the slums OF
Y the great cities, pasty-faced, hollow
chested, and totally unfit for use as
soldiers until they. have been through
course OF physical training and
made robust and able to endure the
hardships Of a soldiefs life s'."s :
Mr.. and Mrs. Norton visited these
camps holding evangelistic services,
their work meeting with much sue
cess and appreciation among those
who were so soon to leave. never to
return. It is well understood by
them that at least one In thirty will
lie under foreign soil. N .a. .is.
Testaments were distributed among
them, one being given to each sol
der who would promise to read it,
and many touching stories have
come back to the workers Of the
good done by these <testaments, read
by the boys In the trenches.
In all the different places visited
there were many evidences Of prep7.
arations for war, and ;defences in
case OF invasion. In London Mrs.
Norton said it was especially impress
siye to have to-pick ones way along
the streets in utter darkness at at
night, and notices were everywhere.
posted stps pull down shades in hsus7s us
ses as soon as lights are lighted, on on
account Of danger from aerial at
;tacks. 7. u ~ 53s, II %s!.
After some time Mr.. and Mrs
Norton decided to get closer to the !. s5
war zone, and went to France. Trav-s J:
cling was uncertain thing at best,
as one never could tell at what time m /.
a train would leave or would reach
its destination, but they reached fuetl
Paris in safety, finding many chang,
es there, as everywhere, CONSEQUENT
upon the demands of war. Stores
closed, banks open only two hours
a day, business very much changed
.because Of the numbers who were
absent. fighting under the colors.
Leaving Paris they, travelled north I m.
ward, finding there the real ravages
OF war, in dismantled towns, ruined
homes, and newly made graves. one
cemetery they, visited where there !:
we're between three and four hun
dred new graves OF French soldiers,
and one English soldier was buried
there, each grave being marked with with
a rude cross bearing the name.
Sometimes tive or three crosses at
one grave showed that several were
buried together But the most I'M I'M
pressive part OF this sight was three i'e'E
hundred new open graves, waiting
for those who would soon be brougnt
to fill them. All day and night
could be heard the sound OF guns
carrying on the work Of desola1lllooenl. l,l'oe !.
SKI Many times as they travelled q
woman in black would be seen car
rying a black cross, to mark 1ne
resting place ! Of some dear one
There were also graves of. the Ger
man soldiers, buried in rude haste'
without even the care given 10 the
others. as Of course the task OF Dury-
ing SO many was a great one. :
They visited an improvised hospi-
tal5 in an immense, cold, stone Du1lu'
ing, formerly a convent, where nun
dreds Of French soldiers were pe-
ing cared for, with perhaps one
nurse to five hundred men. me
peasant women came in each day
and helped what they couid, Du'
at best it was evident that the
wounded sol6iers were suffering ter
ribly, though all were very brave we
and philosophical about it. Some,
who must go through life horribly
manned and crippled, yet seemed
cheerful, and willing to give all LOT
their country. :.
III Two American boys were: there'
who had left this country IN Q
search for adventure, and cast IN
their lot with the allied forces, meet
ing adventure enough to sat1siy
even them.
Mr.. and Mrs. Norton were so ln-
nressed with the need for Christian
work among the soldiers botn N
training and at the front that they
have severed their connection Win
Dr.. Chapman's Evangeistdc parry
and intend to give themselves ~
this work while the war Lasts.
They are fitting themselves w
studying the French language 1of
work in that country also.
Many people who wish to ald this
work are contributing money 70 pe
used in the purchase of ,testamee'ntts' NJ