Shoshone journal. [volume] (Shoshone, Idaho) 1884-1931, 1917-11-23
A VISIT TO CAMP
CBy EDNA FERBER)


garments known as track pants He
was always crouched in a Ready, On
your mark. Set, Co. attitude and f,
was plain that he was already TO run
around something or other Sometimes
I that picture was varied by another
showing the young man reday to dive
/ into a large, lively looking swimming
tank On yes One more thing.
knew that the YM c. A was a sub
stantial, square. red brick building, rich
in windows. and with printed notices
Of meetings and classes tackled up on
the door. and in the hallway. That's
all
Ny knowledge has 50 widened and
broadened, and deepened in the last
few minutes that it seems imperative
TO give all Of it to someone, and some
Of II 70 everyone. know now that
the Y. NJ c a. is going to be one OF
the biggest factors in the winning Of
the war. I know what a well known
editor OF a widely circulated maga-
zine meant when he said; Every
cent that 7 have to give in this war
is going to the Y NJ c. 4 That's
where II will do the most good" I
know that that young man in track
pants is a young man in khaki now,
and that the 7. NJ c. \. is going to
mean more to him, and 70 you and 10
this country in the next few years than
it has ever meant in the past It's 60
ing to mean books. and comfort, and
welcome and warmth. and cheer, and
help and direction.
Any person who has visited a train
ing camp in the last few weeks knows
what the Y. NJ. c. A buildings repre-
sent to the soldiers Multiply that
by winter cold and the strangeness Of
a foreign land. and trench hardship.
and lonliness, and you'll have the
answer to what its going to mean to
them over there.
What the Red Cross does to his
wounds, the I. NJ. c. A is 10 his
what's the word. Spirit? Soul? Men
tai and Physical well being2 All four
thrown into one. There is that in the
Y. NJ. c. A. hut TO heal his Ionliness-
It sews up the stitches in the gap
made by absent family and friends
Il is a refuge. A clubhouse. A meet
ing place. 4 library. A lounge He
can't smoke in his barracks. but he
can in the Y. NJ. c. 4. He can get the
new books, and the magazines there
and the newspapers. He can learn
French there, and English too. which
he needs much worse. It's the well
mans hospital. is the Y. VI. c 4. And
a whole country Of men and women
left behind in comparative comfort
and ease must be made to realize this
fact.
The Y. N. C. A. above all is a
place to go. Any one who has ever
been lonely will get the significance Of
that. New York. and Chicago. and
Detroit. and Pittsburg. and Philadel-
phia and every other big city is full I
of men occupying mahogany desk po- I
sitions now who can look way bacS 7.
down the years TO nippy November /
nights when they used 10 have the I
chores TO do before coming into sup I
per. There was the milking. and the /
stock TO 1ed and bed down. and 4
water and wood 10 carry in, most
likely. \ frosty. hungry. tirssome
business. all Of il. for the farm boy.
But the thought Of that warm. bright
kitchen awaiting him.
with the yellow glow OF it in his mind
and the savory smell Of it in his ina
yination. kept his lips puckered into
/ whistle while he went about his
work. and made his nipped fingers.
md his red nose. and his weary
imbs things OF little conseque-s-s.
since they were soon to be allayed-
Any man who has known that reeling
be he ever so surrounded now by f,
late glass. and brass grills. and ma
iogany. and secreteries-must ne
made to realize that what the pros I
'ect OF that warm. bright. cozy
itchen meant to him in those days.
he Y. NJ. c. A is going to mean to the
older in this war. And more. In
nitely more. without the aid and q.
omfort and support that the Y. NJ C. {
!. can give him. a night OF cold and ,
tars and frost, and lonliness. viii {
e followed by other nights OF cold. I
nd stars. and frost. and lonliness. ]
o bright spot TO relieve the blackness a
it. Nights like that. unrelieved can L
-eak a man. e
They who tell US that they set down
fundamentals out there. And that
e same thing that brought comfort !
Id happiness, and peace 20 the boy in
fifteen works the same magic with :
e boy of twenty-five and thirty. A |
ance TO set together with his crowd W