The Washington times., 1917-03-12
Girl, Who Looks Most Like a
Debutante, Moves Cathedral
School Youngsters.
RELATES PATHETIC STORY
Describes Conditions in Isolated
HoIlows Of Blue Ridge
Mountains.
She was not a debutante.

one was not deOutante.
But the boys at National Cathedral
School thought so this morning when
they caught their first glimpse Of
dainty, little, darked-eyed girl from
Virginia, scarcely out Of her teens,
who. they bad been told, was to make
q speech for their especial benefit.
She did make a speech But It was
SO different from the kind Of speech
they had expected. And when she
got through, the eyes OF many Of the
boys were moist, and so were those OF
some Of the faculty present. For In
stead Of talking about dances and
teas, and all manner of frivolous
things, which her dancing eyes said
50 plainly she could talk about, the
young visitor talked about missions.
Missionary, Not q Debutanfe.
Yes, missions. For she was . mis-
sionary and not a debutante. But
she was different from any other
missionary the boys had ever seen,
and she was 50 enthusiasts about her
work and 50 earnest in what she had
to say, that they listened eagerly,
with open mouths.
She told them OF thousands Of poor
children living in ignorance m iso-
lated holIows Of the Ragged and Blue
Ridge mountains OF Virginia, and Of
the work her organization has done
and hopes to do for their education
and uplift. And she asked the boys
at the school to help these unfortu-
nate children oy contributing toward
the funds for carrying on the mis-
sionary work.
Her name is Susan Preston. She has
lived much among the mountain folk
during the last three years, visited at
their little cabins, taught the chill
dren, and listened to the legends told
by the gray-haired moonshiners, who
talk but little to the stranger"
Private Secretary To Chief.
She Is private secretary to Arch
deacon Frederick W. Nevs, In charge
Of the mountain MISSION work. and
has been such an energetic and sue
cessful worker among the poor, and
knows the mountain life so well, that
she Is sent on trips at intervals to
tell people out in the big outside
world OF the mountain work and to
ask them to contribute the much
needed funds.
OF the forty or more mission sta
tions under Archdeacon Neve, Miss
Preston has chosen one for her very
own, and 1t Is her ambition to have
the young people" contribute suf-
ncient funds to support this mission.
It Il known as Pocoson Mission, and
Is away back up in what Is known as
Pocoson Hollow.
In washingtoa. Before.
She has been to Washington before.
having talked here before the girls
1t Gunston Hall, Bristol School. Ma
ttpnal Cathedral School, and other
and each Institution has
toward the little mis-
,ionary's cause.
She is now on her way back TO the
after a two months trip,
most of which has been spent in New
Fork, where she addressed scores Of
fashionable girls schools. and church
regarding the noun
ain mission work. She was in Phil
ldelphia last week, and made scores
II enthusiastic friends for the Vir-
yinia mountaineers.
Tomorrow morning Miss Preston Il
20 address the girls at the Misses
sastman's School, 1905 Seventeenth
Itreet, and tomorrow afternoon she
will talk to the Junior Auxiliary OF
II. Margaret's Episcopal Church.