Oxford Democrat. [volume] (Paris, Me.) 1833-1933, 1917-11-20

OF all the cities In the British Isles
Glasgow has sent more men to the
front than any other In proportion to
her size. The business firms Of the
city encourage their men to enlist and
do all they can to make things easy for
them to leave their families. In many
cases firms continue to pay men their
salaries while they are at the front
The street car company in Glasgow
has sent thousands. and their places
are taken by women while the men are
away.
Not only are there women conductors
on the street cars. but women drive the
cars too. When one arrives at the sta
ton In Glasgow It seems very odd to
have a woman step up and ask to carry
your bag. Women have taken the
places Of the porters in the stations.
Scotland has responded nobly to the
country ..::: N many Of the small
villages the entire male population has
gone to the war. excepting, Of course,
the men who are too old or those who
are physically unfit.
In the British isles during this war a
great many of the women have been
helping recruiting" by walking the
streets and putting white feather In
the buttonhole Of every man they meet
who Is not wearing khaki.
was standing just outside the Gen.
tral station in Glasgow when q woman
walked up to man who was standing
near me, and without a word she pulled
a white feather through his buttonhole.
He was great big fellow, and she had
to do some reaching to get at him. He
smiled when be saw what she had done
and said "Thank you. madam" very
politely.
That was like waving red dag be-
fore a bull, and she grew crimson and
started telling him what she thought
Of him. He listened until she was all
through, and then he asked, "Have you
another one of those feathers, by any
chanceY
Eyes, l have, you coward" she snap
ped, and she put another feather on
him. AS she did so he pulled Vic
toria cross from his pocket and pinned
1t right under the feathers.
That woman gasped and suffered
and stammered trying to make an
apology. and she reached out to take
the feathers back, but he stopped her.
mo. madam" he said, "I'll keep these
as souvenirs, II you don't mind, but
I'd like to say few words to you
about what you are doing.
Because l am in civilian clothes does
not signify that l am a coward. For
all you knew l might have been med
ically unfit for service. might have
been a married man with ten or a doz-
en- small children depending on me. I
might have been any number Of things
that would have prevented me from
joining the army. but you didn't even
wait to inquire.
"You simply thought that because I
was not in khaki I was coward, and
you thought to shame me into Joining
the army. As matter Of fact, I have
been at my home recovering from
wounds / received when won this lit
tie cross, and I am now on my way
back to join my regiment.
IF you win accept q suggestion from
q man who knows men, you win stop
this silly business. for you are doing
more harm than anything else, and II
/ were civilian aud you had done 1t
to me then, would have faced firing
party before would join the army. ]
trust you have learned something.
Good afternoon"
found out later that he was q ser.
geant piper In one Of the most famous
Scottish regiments and that he won
the cross for saving three officers when
wounded himself.