The Birmingham age-herald., 1917-11-18
From Gloomy London
 to Brilliant NeW York
Lady Mary Noted English Woman, Looking On Contrasts Life Amid War Within Sounds of Guns With
 the Metropols
the Metropolis

New York. November H.-(Special) London seems distance, dim, dream city. A place of ominous fears borne with brave composure. A city of nights unlighted save by a moon that brings with it horrid fluttering shapes that drop grim burdens on spots that are 'of no military importance" but which often house and home women and old men, children and defenseless creatures. And now I sit at mine ease amidst light and luxury; in city truly of colossal splen- dor.
 To eyes worn with the weariness of constant watching and waiting all this glitter and glory seems strange. During that eventful voyage from Liverpool upon which I embarked few short weeks ago, still heard and felt the echoes and the stress of war.
 | The way was made easy for us, and I don't think anyone on board our west bound ship felt nervous or anxious, but still, war was on the waters, and in the l air.
 l Little children with lifebelts strapped round their dimpled bodies played on the decks. Women paced vigorously or sat comfortably in the sunshine of the gold en salt-scented days; they wore life belts, also, but did not seem to see ol feel in them the grim reminder of what might come to us all.
 We ate and slept and laughed the days and nights away, and the war was slip ping away from us as we pressed oul way against the waters towards the west. ern world.
 Our last touch of the "old country of death and destruction, passed from us one night, and we awoke to the dawr of fair day without the low gray shapes of torpedo-boat destroyers keeping pace
 with us through the waterways.
 And so, goodbye, old England, and th'
 Kings Navee!"
 Then came some marvellous moonli
 nights along the St. Lawrence with tn,
 northern lights looking as if all the star:
 in the heavens had been scratched by
 giant fingers and were shedding thei light through the skies like dripping
 translucent silver. All this light iron
 natural causes; and to meet it sprans electric lights from the shore! Fairylant
 indeed seemed all this glisen and gilt
 ter to eyes that for close on three year have seen only dimmed dulled streets
 trackless waste of gloom!
 LONDON AGAINST N. Y. WOMEN
 I feel like a child who, having bee
 punished, has been kept in dark cup
 board for a long time, Then suddenl
 she is released and taken into a brillian , room and shown a Christmas tree fu of lights. I am bewildered almost wear with the strangeness of everything tha see. Remember that to us in Englan
 the war no longer evokes a hysterica
 frenzy of knitting and gossip and ba
 zars We have passed that stage. It
 just stern slogging determination tha
 carries us along that road that mus
 have only one goal in sight. It is there that all the light is concen .. trated. It is only when we arrive ther ! that we will allow ourselves to expen all those pent up emotions with whic
 our hearts and brains are stuffed.
 Here in New York this gorgeous. vas 7 stupefying city, I am searching for some f thing that will keep me mindful of thos Q thousands of men who are doing an t daring lover there" I must confess g feel its reality slipping from me. I SC , hundreds of women in lovely clothes triI e ping along Fifth avenue. Eieht in ever : 10 carry huge, gaily colored silken c y velvet bags
 I w nat are they for?" I asked. s War kntting," I was told
 Very nice, very pretty. We in Englan Q used to do that too, but we were nev' n quite so ornamental about 1t, and nov :. adays when women are conductors ( f husses, trains and tram cars and al ticket takers and window cleaners ar
 van driveds and chauffeurs, they haven much time for knitting. Knitting is no a paid for industry that is organize v and distributed bv dana rtr1ents ? l notice that great baZars are beir N prepared and advertised Tn Englar !, there Is little time for them and too fe ;, women able to spare the hours or u ,a money necessary for their arrangemen Bazars are past and done for. Publ
 subscriptions that carry with them no q management and a great host of pou - try keepers paid little or no attentic " l t0 tho 2 H.. i'm et h QG