The Leader, enterprise and press. (Fitzgerald, Ga.) 1915-1921, 1917-07-09
WHAT ABOUT THIS?
lContributedl

wednesday, when the Red Cross
campaign was at its height, little
girl was heard to remark: DO YOU
know, we read one day at school that
a Blue Gross society was being or
gained to take care of the sick and
wounded from the battlefeids. Don't
you wish we could help them some,
too?"
Now, think of that kind, sympa-
thetic little heart remembering, in
this week devoted to mercy and the
unfolding of Fitzgerald's good name,
even the dumb animals in their suffer-
ing!
Yes, Fitzgerald's Red Cross week is
nearing its close, ami we feel that we
have done the best we could by the
khaki line who are about to go into
the trenches. But, merchant, business
man, shopper, hadn't we almost for
gotten something? What about the
great army of women and girls here at
home in the trenches of the depart
ment stores, the shops, and the Off
ces, with aching limbs, tagged brain,
and the WEAKNESS that comes from
routine and excessive heat. How
about few hours of recreation for
them?
Last month when the Epworth Lea
que convention assembled such an
army of bright, energetic young peo-
pie in Fitzgerald, little girls from our
neighboring towns, Douglas, Valdos-
ia, Dublin, Thomasville, and else
where, were heard to remark: "It
seems strange that you do not close
your stores Thursday afternoon at
one o'clock and let the clerks go out
to the swimming pools and other
places and have a good time, like we
do at home. why" they said, "we
close everything but our drug stores,
and they work half force and shift
around the next week.
Now, this is the proposition in a
nutshell: At ten hours per day, not
counting the late hours Saturday
night, there are 260 working hours in
July. A part holiday was enjoyed
the Fourth, which leaves three after
Moons, only IS hours out of 200. How
much fuller, happier, and more profit
able would these remaining PAS hours
be for us all if only these three after
moons were granted, then, if not salts
factory to everyone concerned, we
could go back in August to our form
er plans.
Many of these women and young
girls go home at the close of a busy
day only to take up the burden of the
Ehousehold. They could not visit our
pleasure resorts on the Sabbath and
1du!ge in the pleasures they afford
without adverse criticism, so it re-
mains thus, not one hour of recreat-
ion for them during the scorchine
month of July.
Will our week of mercy be COM
plete if we meet what we consider our
rightful share of the Red Cross fund
and fail in our duty to this shop
weary, din-sick army at our very
door? Suppose we do miss few dol
lars, and some enraged citizen, finding
shop closed, goes home, and beats
his horse, kicks his dog, and curses
his wife and children, whom he ought
to take for an occasional outing? THIS
is the customary manner of the man
who does not believe in some recreat-
ion for every living creature.
Let us, then, shut up shop three af-
ternoons this month, get out and min
gle with each other and be refresh
ed in mind and body for the remain
der of the weeks battle of life. some
where along the highways, through
f1ower-dotted meadow, on the bosom
of the lake, under the lofty trees, rid
ing, swimming boating, resting, away
from the din and dust of the city,
Come, let's away to the shadows so
cool,
The forests invite us, the lake and the
pool"