The Richmond Virginian. (Richmond, Va.) 1910-1920, 1917-12-22
THE UNIVERSAL APPEAL
BY MARIAN BONsAIL DAVIS.

Children-Catholic. Protestant and
Jew-have one answer to the Ped
Cross.
There is a home for crippled chill
dren, a Protestant institution in Fits
burg, where the little ones were told
something about the Red Cross, and
how Il took care of many children
and soldiers and hurt people" who
otherwise would suffer.
Perhaps because their own arms and
legs were so much awry, and they
had TO prospect of the running, jump
ing, jubilant youth of other American
children, their eyes saw straight into
the very heart of suffering This is
what they did: They poured their
precious savings, pennies and nickels
which had been given them from time
to time, few larger pieces and
bill or two, into white box marked
with the Red Cross.
Some influential men OF the city
were seated around a table talking
about raising money for the Ameri-
can Red Cross. That small whiss box
was there and some made as X to
drop in contributions But one OF
them held 1t up. and said. Mono
further gift is permitted here. We
could not add to this" And In the
presence OF this gift to the American
Red Cross from the home for Grip
pied children, there was Sudden
quietness among these men of the
world.
In the Convent of the Sacred Heart
in New York. where two or three hun
bred sheltered children, rich in kind
ness, receive their early education.
/ the reverend mother speaks often of
the children abroad. without asking
for direct sacrifices, she has men
toned that sometimes when one Is
about to buy a new hair ribbon. or
a pair OF silk stockings, on stopping
to think one finds they are not needed
so much. perhaps. as food and cloth
ing may be needed for children of
the war. And so many a radiant little
gift of girIish sacrifice has been placed
in her hand sto send TO them
I One day--it was long before VIE too
were in the war---these children, girls
from four to fourteen years, heid
conference among themselves. They
+ decided TO ask the reverend rnpther
/ how much II would amount 10 In
money or barrels of -four X they gave
UP their "gouter'' for the rest OF the
! year; that little daily treat at half
/ past four, of plain cake or toast and
sweet~-the party" that was at the
i high point of the day. Learning its
{
denied them. and the money sent to
/ those other children overseas
:. a woman who had done
war relief work in France WAS speak
/ ing for the Red Cross war fund last
June TO several hundred school chill
dren in an American public school
They were nearly all Jewish children
/ In that particular assembly room. and
very poor
/ The woman had lived In social
/ settlement In the center OF tho Jew
ish district of the city at one time,
and as she looked at the rows Of faces
before her, she remembered with SUD
. den vivdness the almost forgotten
scenes OF ten years before, of little
Jewish boys IN the back room OF a
synagogue, after public school hours,
swaying back and forth IN concert as
they shouted out long passages from
the Taimud; of the girls In the sew
ing classes listening hungrily TO sto-
ries, with their quick racial response
to anything dramatic.
Her own imagination duickened.
she felt deeply moved. and humble
TO address DEMONSTRATING OF their
eagerness for knowledge, their pas
sfonate desire to be young Americans
I--these poor chifdren fron< many
IL 4,9a