The Catholic bulletin. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1911-1995, 1917-05-19
THE GUILD LADIES ARB|TRAIE

Mrs. Ryan remarked for the nun
dredth time.
"U-m-m," was Mrs. Rochford's
comment.
1T should have had name long
ago." Mrs. Ryan went on.
Pins in her mouth and her nina
obviously set on the hem she was
turning. "U-m-m was again the
only reply Mrs. Rockford had to o1er'
At which Mrs. Ryan's crisp temper
gave way.
"'Um-m all you like she burst
out wrathfully, "but | know very wen
you think the same as do; and When
think anything, l say it,! A TACT
which there was no contradicting.
Mrs. Rockford adjusted the last
encumbering pin, inspected the mem
critically to see if it was stra1ght'
and then looked up to smile disarm-
ingly into her friends cross face.
"Of course, l think the guild ought
to have name," she agreed cheer
fully, "but if we can't agree on one,
what's the use of talking about 1t!
To keep on discussing things like that
only serves to bring out new anlmosl-
ties, / think"
But we ought to be able to agree
on one," Mrs. Ryan argued. If some
of the members would only give up
their foolish prejudices-"
well" dryly, suppose you and
start by giving up some of ours
What! And let those Germans
and Italians have everything their
own way? l should say not!' indlg- |
| nantly. Besides as Mrs. Rockford
began to laugh, Il am not prejudiced
i have nothing against some OF the
names they suggested"
Except that they suggested them,
Mrs. Rockford interrupted with
uuizzical smile. 81 know"
A ludicrous sense of the truth OF
this lit up Mrs Ryan's eyes with an
answering CLEAN.
WELL" she admitted, shamefacedly
enough, do you blame me-"
The room in which the conversation
| took place was evidently consecrated
to the uses of the needle. 1t was large,
and bare of anything except two sew
ing machines, two long tables, and
several small ones. On these latter
were piled large quantities of cloth
ing neatly arranged and ready to be
distributed, and one of the long tables
was partly filled with articles to be
made-infants' and children's clothes,
wrappers and gowns of all sorts.
There was plenty of work for any
number of busy fingers, and if there
was anything the guild had a monop-
oily on it was busy fingers. And, per-
haps, busy tongues. But as busy as
the tongues were they had never yet
been able to suggest name for the
guild, now five months old, wholly and
entirely acceptable to all concerned
The guild was a loosely constructed
society which grew out of charitable
desire on the part of a few women to
help the families of striking glass
workers i'm the West End. The strike
was prolonged, the winter was bitterly
cold and there was much restitution
|
midst of the strike the steel mills
shut down, throwing another thou
sand men out of work, most of whom
had lived improvidently from hand to
mouth and who now faced what might
prove appalling conditions of hunger
and cold with the stoicism which the
foreigner brings with him to these
elastic shores.
Mrs. Ryan had learned of these
sad conditions through her husband,
whose business took him about the
e West End twice week, and with
: characteristic energy she had i'm
s mediately set to work to enlist the aid
r and interest of a few friends to look
:. after the needs of the strikers fami-
/ lies. AS the needs increased with the
n close of the steel mills, more women
|, were pressed into service until nearly
e scented in the number which gathered
e once week in a hitherto unused
e vestry room of centrally located ST.
S James Church, donated for the ladies
n use by Father Fender, the pastor
The ladies had done splendid work
u there could be no question of that
= Not only had they provided warm and
. comfortable clothing for innumerable
women and children, but they had
looked after the wants of the sick
and bounded their husbands, sons and
friends generally to secure some kind
of temporary work for the idle men
+ 1t was admirable work, and they die
y it we'll; and, since the guild had
5 proved to be such power for good
u it was decided to continue it, even
after the strike ended, the steel mills
= opened up, and prosperity reigneG
II once more in the populous West End
9 At various times various names haC
= been suggested for the guild The
:. Italian ladies from St. Angelo parish
had wanted it called st. Anthony
guild; the German ladies leaned tt
= st. Christopher; the ladies of the ex
clusively American parish of st. Anr
wished it called st. Rose; so appro
= pirate, you know, an American saint,
= and the few Polish ladies who came
Y in timidly each week, held out firmly