Grand Forks herald. [volume] (Grand Forks, N.D.) 1916-1955, 1917-11-09

,freshments and amusements to bring
home over here to us and to remind
US that the civilians are thinking of
us. Well. when I hear some woman,
or an exempted man saying, But I
gave money to the Y. NJ. C.. A. last
year, I feel like saying. We'll. 1 gave
you my blood last year. as this little
goid stripe on my sleeve shows, and
III probably give it again this year,
if I don't give my life II you saw
US fellows crowding into the huts,
and those that can't get inside gap
ing In through the window. you'd
know we haven't enough Of those huts
and that we appreciate to the full
those we do have. Lots of US feel
like saluting that red triangle almost
as we salute the flag. That's why we
pun off our caps and yell Good old
Y. NJ"
Scarcely a week afterwards, one
Monday afternoon I was walking from
one little country village in Kent to
another when I fell in with a me-
chanic's wife. She had just returned
from doing a days washing for a
farmers wife in the neighborhood.
I never worked out for anyone be-
Iore,, n said, for I always'ad all
!! could do at ONE. but my eldest.
'e's in France, and it's what he wrote
me made me say to meself I'd get up
at ali past twelve Monday mornings
ana DO my own wash and then do
Mrs. Williams and give The nav 7
earn to the Y. NJ. c.. A. Because INV
Doy. e wrote and said I never could
Know what the Y. M. C. A, 'ad done
for i'm out there. Mother e wrote.
II o can think what a comfort
prayermeetlng was to Grandmother,
n whiskey to Grandfather, and the
trade union is to Father, and the
a.orcas society is to you, then you
d nave just a little idea of what the
Y. NJ. A. is to me. Do you remem-
Der e says, that time I got lost
when l was a little fellow and ran
nome crying, and you were coming
Gown the road to meet me? Well.
the way I felt hat night when I saw
your face and the lights of the cot
taEe way up the road-that's the wav
! reel when I get my three days out
and bring Up in front Of a Y. M. hut
THAT'S what e says.
of course. Ma'am that was all his
nonsense about his grandfather's
whiskey; Grandfather never got so to
say ugly drunk. And I don't know
why he thinks I set store by the Dor
cas- society. But when he said that
about the time when he got lost, it
MADE me cart go queer. Because 7
saw as I didn't see before low lonely
n boys must get and 'ow much thew
must like a place to sit and smoke
-Write,,ome-fTem-.So- send my
llttle money up to 'eadquarters every
week. It's not much but it helps
something"
Many times I have seen English and
colonial boys pouring into Y. M. c,
A. nuts In different places in England
n France. They are sure Of shell
ter, good food and recreation. In the
din1ng-rooms of the English huts,
English women wait on them for the
sake of their own boys: give them
help IND companionship, try to with
hold. them from the temptations Of
the street. In France there Is equal
zeal. Once I was in a certain sea-
port. AN English transport had safe
~ crossed the channel, escaped from
submarines but not from rough
weather. The soldiers, were disem-
barking, young unseasoned troops
fresh from their training in England,
n now going to a base camp in
France. Some of-them we're a little
pale from seasickness; all looked
tired. The glamor of a foreign land
had not begun to inspire them, and
some of them, I am afraid. were suf-
fertng from a touch OF inconsistencies.
Then they saw a Y. M. c. A. hut,
Some of them cheered and charged,
and went in boldly: others went in
timtdly. Once inside they were all at
home. On the walls. indeed. were
French posters instead Of English.
but the good old red triangle was the
same. There were the tables for chess
and checkers: there were the English
maeazines: there. above all, were the
paper and ink. In a moment. every
aYailahle deak and .fahla snaaa ua q