New-York tribune., 1917-12-30
The Nectar of the Gods
By NANCY FITZHUGH RICHEY

rant upon chow main and other con-
coctions originally designed for chop
stick consumption. They had brought
healthy young appetites to Chinatown, and
the girl was hoping enthusiastically that the
flavor Of the tea would be as deliciously elu-
sive as its aroma-when the Oriental dis
penser Of it shuffied up and snatched away
her JOY. He bore upon the upturned palm
of one slim, yellow hand tiny saucer which
contained three lonesome little Jumps OF
sugar.
For moment the boy did not grasp the
significance of the thing. When he did, he
began TO protest vigorously, but the China
man was half way to the door of the room
He returned with reluctance and, blinking
rapidly, he repeated mechanically over and
over again:
"You To can have more sugar-we no can
get it now"
WHEN THE SUGAR FAMINE PINCHEs
Then he waved his hand deprecatingly and
faded from their sight. The boy looked help
lessly around at the other tables, to find the
same carefully measured little portion upon
each, and the occupants stirring the Jumps
disconsolately into the pots of tea instead Of
adding them to the cups, as usual. He looked
mournfully at his companion, who laughed
merrily as she remarked that anyway they
could have one cup of tea during war times
and added emphatically that she simply
couldn't enjoy it without sugar.
It was then that the sweet-faced little lady
who sat alone knitting at the next table
suddenly reached out a sympathetic hand and
touched the girl on the arm.
'My DEAR" she said. hesitatingly, twill you
mind if one who has known a previous sugar
shortage says a word? viii you promise
not to think her meddlesome old woman?"
Indeed l won't" replied the girl. "rd
love for you to tell us about it."
at was during the last year Of the Civil
War" said the old lady. II was a young
girl in Virginia, and we had no sugar at all.
no coffee. We thought at first, just as you
think now, that we could never do without
sugar. But we didn't think that way long
We had seen for four years the sacrifices our
men were making for u.s. and we knew that
we could do without anything for them"
She smiled reminiscently. "The best and
most expensive coffee before the war was
from Rio. Well when we had to do without
coffee altogether we drank a beverage made
of parched rye, and we women Of the South
merrily called it 'Rye-o.' We drank it, as II
it were the nectar of the gods. It gathered
its delicious flavor from the spirit in which it
was substituted. We considered ourselves
fortunate to be able to make sacrifice that
however small, would help our men. It was
wonderful
"And the sugar." the girl asked, half un-
consciously. She smiled through luminous
eyes at the little old lady, who sat with a
faraway expression that looked back over half
a century. She started, as she came back to
the present in the Chinese restaurant.
RYE-O COFFEE. AND SORGHUM
MOLAsSES
"Oh the sugar." she laugheL--as il sugar
had been the very smallest item in those days.
Sometimes, when we could get it, we used
sorghum molasses in our Rye-o coffee. Most
Of the time we did without. We wanted our
men TO have all they needed. After all, my
DEAR" she continued softly, "it is the women
who must insist upon making sacrifices The
men always want US to have everythng-they
would like TO go out and fight for even little
sugar for the women they love. Doing with
out is something the women must take into
their own hands-Im sure you will realize
the Importance Of it,"
The girl smiled az she replied softly: "In-
deed do. What you have told me is won
derful"
And with an expression Of supreme con
tLn 10 all f,I. 4
business Of counting stitches, just as though
she had not helped at all in relieving the
sugar shortage.
The girl laughed as she pushed the three
little Jumps of sugar away.
NO." she told her escort gayly, Il refuse
to drink ordinary tea after this. ! shall al
ways drink the nectar Of the godsS .