Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1916-09-16
Women Volunteers
In France
Continued from Page J.,

Continued from Page ~
last year and now my younger one.
having Just reached his majority, has
enlisted for France"
How hard It Is for us mothers"
eyes. but I have two hundred chill
dren here. you see; I call them my
children" and the light Of that Angel Of
her face.
This is n Of three hospitals in Pau
given by Americans, one Of the other
two by American women. Their sym
pathy, their generosity, their services
poured out for suffering France.
Godmothsrs Wanted.
But when we cannot give a hospital
we content ourselves with being god
mothers. Is there not some one in the
great state of Iowa, for I am sure the
Times Republican Is read all v the
state, who wants to be a godmother to
a wonderful farmer soldier of France?
I shall give you a godson. II you will
only let me, who has no father. moth
er. brother or sister to do the least
thing for him, for he comes from that
invaded district Of France where a
silence as Of death reigns. so far as
communication with the outer world is
concerned.
Try fully to realize this situation.
II we, any of us, are separated from
loved mes, we e messages and re-
ceive them at frequent intervals -
cards, letters, even kilograms when we
are impatient or there is any delay in
the mails-this in ordinary times. Then
reflect that added to the horrors Of the
trenches and every f1endish device OF
gas end liquid fire that a barbaric
genius can invent is the great anxiety
n uncertainty as to the welfare of
the dear ones left behind in their lit
tie homes.
Advertisement From Home.
We have just talked with a Serbian
colonel sent here from Salonique on
business and oh! so sad, so sad he is!
His country ruined, his army all but
annihilated and not one word of COM
munication with his wife and four lit
tie children! No amount of thinking
or planning could dc any more than
result in a small advertisement in a
stating that his family were we'll and
AASAAS III lIC odiIO AAOuSS-kkdL III q
years absence.
In making visits to one Of sons
friends. an aviator in a hospital, l
found a young Frenchman from that
region; he looked boyish and his blue
~ es wistf:ii and nov he is one Of my
godsons, who will have packages and
letters as soon as he gets pack to the
front.
There are plenty of others to be
handed over to any mother heart who
would rather do this personal work
than to give to general Red Cross
funds.
To write letters, to knit socks. how
many they can use (and that is entire
~ out of my line) and to send pack
age of timed meats, just a few at a
time SO they will not spoil. say once a
month, Is not too much trouble or ex-
pense.
II you write in English. / wager a
translator will be found and the letter
will also be answered in English and
you can ask You particular godson
wha he would most like to have. We
often send Preparations of cocoa, but
some men have livers and cannot use
cocoa!
A plea has just come from a Gus
toms officer. who receives the munii-
cent salary of twenty five francs (not
equal to five dollars of our money! a
month. He asks if we a take on two
Of his ~,snephews, now at the Verdun
front, as godsons, as he finds it difficult
to a much for them out of his
earnings. Needless to say, jellied
chicken and ham we're at once dis
patched.
esIoium's Hsroism.
On the high Pic du Jer in the shadow
Of the giant cross erected there, look
ing down on Lourdes OF miracle far:e,
! said to a man Of God, a Belgian
priest:
You were in Belgium when the war
broke out?"
Eyes, madame, at my home in Lou
vain"
And how did your people, the COM
mon people. take the decision of your
king to resist the Germans?"
Madame" very earnestly. there
was no a man, not a peasant, who
did not say, Never let them pass, new
er let them pass It was beautiful"
Then the country is in full accord
VIII IAiuS AiDcII, WHOll 1 dOIulTc very
much. and the principles of honor. jus
tice. liberty for which he stands?"
20, yes, madame" adding: Before
the war we did not admire our king
so much; Leopold had been a great
statesman and had made our country
great In many ways and King Albert
was not showing such qualities, but
now. now, we cannot admire enough,
his character and nobility"
This Of n who might have been
blamed for bringing such cruel suffer
ing on his people-if the people had
had a different spirit and If they had
not realized from the first moment just
what this war meant.
It is the spirit of Plymouth Rock
and Of rs which is moving all these
farmer soldiers in all these countries
and which enables all these govern
ments to determine to carry on the
war to a lasting peace.
Is there any reason why every wo-