The Leader, enterprise and press. (Fitzgerald, Ga.) 1915-1921, 1917-11-21
Red Cross Notes
By MRS. LON DICKEY

All interested in the work of the
local Red Cross chapter will be en-
couraged in the achievement of the
past week The work room in the
library building has been equipped
with four additional sewing machines,
telephone is to be put in at an early
date (the gift of the Bowen Tele-
phone Coz, new material has been
| purchased to encase comfort pillows,
to make triangular bandages and
other much needed hospital accessor-
les, hundreds of trench candles are
to be made by the children, and
night class is TO be organized for
business women and young girls, to
meet each Tuesday night from 7 to 10
o'clock to be in charge of Miss Rhea
Wise and Miss Nell Frazer.
Behind all of this is a band of
earnest women, waiting for the re-
turn of the vice chairman, Mrs. c. A.
Holtzendorff, and one Of her super
visors, Mrs. Lula Bowen Shepherd,
who are attending the great Red
Cross Convention in Atlanta, to be
shown how to proceed with new
work
One OF the greatest nee Is just at
present is said to be surgical dress
| Ings. AS the instruction of a physi-
clan or trained nurse is needed to be-
gin the making of these, Mrs. E. H.
Frederick, formerly Miss Julia Hold
or, and Miss Fitch, Of the local hos
pital corps have, volunteered their
services
The executive board and members
Of the chapter, by visiting other chap
ters and getting all information pos
siblc, have worked out a systematic
arrangement whereby each member
can do her share in order that it may
not work hardship on few. A
register is to be kept for the workers,
and Stacker list is to be made out
and placed on the wall each day.
Appropriate signs and posters are
to be procured from headquarters
and every thing is to put on hustling
appearance. Prepare to do your
share of this hustling. Every woman
knows how dreary it is to sit and sew
alone, and how much it helps one to
forget the horrible things of war to
meet and work and plan together, so
try and plan to come to the work
room in a systematic way and do not
take your sewing home.
Getting the Vision
A recent visitor to the city, a wo-
man greatly interested in the cause of
the Red Cross, in speaking of the lack
OF interest shown by large number
of people said: What they need is
to get the vision, the rest is easy"
AS no enthusiastic speaker seems
to be available just at present, and as
the writer has always been blessed
Cor afflicted with a healthy magma
ton, if the vision" she has might
serve to inspire anyone it is freely
given.
The Way 1t Seems to Me
Having no son to give, l am not
qualified to speak on giving one up,
but | suppose the feeling is very
much the same with daughter, and
II should see my daughter embark
on a voyage, not knowing whether
or not she would return alive, the
dread uncertainty would make me un-
| utterably sad and sorrowful.
SO if am asked to give a certain
portion Of my time to this cause,
stop and ask myself "What is this in
comparison with the giving up of
much loved son to perhaps die for me
and mine, and what is this in COM
parison with this young man giving
his very life for his country"
We are not allowed to make note
OF the departure of our soldiers for
France, but when we see mothers and
fathers rushing hither and thither to
see their soldier sons and give them
perhaps last farewell, we know that
soon they will be in France and the
deadly trenches, all of the one hum
dred and sixteen volunteers and Sc
lectmen from Ben Hill county, if they
escape the submarines on the waters
We need but to close our ewes
while making an ambulance pillow TO
see shattered hand or foot resting
on it, or in making surgical dressing
to see the ghastly wound it is to
cover, or when we make a black
sateen shroud, to see the mutilated
body that is to be laid away in it.
We know that the hand we love is
the gentle one of the Red Cross