The Lakeland evening telegram. (Lakeland, Fla.) 1911-1922, 1917-06-13
Woman S Courage
A Story Of 1920
a., OSCAR COX
By OSCAR COX


Austria and Turkey on the one side
and the rest OF the world on the other
the women of the world who had for
some years been taking over the du-
ties of men surprised every one by
assuming a variety Of work, which re
lieved their brothers and husbands so
that they could be spared for fighting
at the front. Besides this, women
drilled in the manual OF arms for home
defense.
Toward the close Of the war regi
ment of Engishwomen who were not
content with defending their country,
protected by the English channel de-
manded to be sent to France to do
battle beside the men. Their applica-
ton was refused. whereupon they
Stormed parliament and compelled that
body to pass bill for woman's
corps.
Regiment 4 of infantry-it was de-
cided to classify the wOmens corps by
the letters of the alphabet-rea the
a
that was supposed by the allies to be
made with the intention Of shortening
their lines. A portion of the British
army, including Regiment A, was fol.
lowing the Germans, whose trenches
had been made untenable by the Brit
ish heavy artillery. and there occurred
some Of that open fighting which was
rarely seen during the war.
The women's regiment being raw re-
cruits it was not expected that they
would show the bravery OF veterans
Their colonel, Mrs Lillian Vavasour,
anxious that her troops should give u
! good account of themselves In their
! first fight, had made provisions against
! any sudden panic that might seize upon
them. AS the line advanced the brigade
commander noticed n number of light
vehicles following Regiment A and
! asked Colonel Vavasour what they were
! for. The colonel whispered her reply
In the generals ear. who seemed to be
i perfectly satisfied with 1t.
1t is no disparagement to the courage
! OF the women to say that the opening
i of a cannonade all along the line af-
! fected them seriously. 1t was not the
! missiles that frightened them, for the
German shells fell far behind them
while n British curtain of fire over
4 their heads fell at safe distance III
front of them. 1t was the frightfu
noise that caused their faces to pale
! And incidentally to this pallor 1t may
be mentioned that on the cheeks OF
nearly two-thirds of the officers and
soldiers appeared dark patches, which
was to he accounted for by the rouge
which lost its natural hue In contrast
4 with bloodlesS skin.
Colonel NavaSour, watching heI
troops and seeing that they were about
! to break and run, called her bugleI
! and babe him sound n certain order
He did so. and the wagons in the real
j of the regiment drew up In line, anC
an attendant entered each wagon
Just then the din became so great thai
the women could no longer endure 1t
The line wavered, then broke.
\ At another signal from the colonel's
bugler minute animals were seen e
pour from the vehicles toward which
the women were fleeing There wer,
shrieks from the women and haltinl
all along the line
"A mouse!' was the cry In the cen
ter. a mousew was the cry on tho
TANKS. From the whole line shrek;
were mingled with the cries of -
mouse" a mouser' A thousand
mice were scattered, running wildly
here and there, stopping the way be
fore the regiment.
Soldiers cried the colonel, choose
between the enemy who stops your re
treat and that which checks your ad
vance! The one Is a tiny four footed
animal but couple of inches long; the
other is a man armed with rifles, can
non, streams of fire and poisonous gas
By turning upon such an enemy you
will show the world that woman is en-.
dowed with all the courage that has
for ages been claimed by men. Re.
form
So great was the women's fear of
the little mouse, which was itself SO
leiIIHeu tndl IL Was racing III every
direction, that not a woman soldier
heard one word the colonel said New
ertheless every woman turned from the
frightened mouse to the terrible Ger
mans. The colonel, seeing them moving
forward and believing that her spirited
words had rallied them, seized stand.
ard and, placing herself at their head,
led them on to victory.
In. vain the Germans poured liqu'6