New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1917-09-02
n FLORA LEWIS MARBLE

lSA Mountains. Il lies in fertile
,SS2 valley covered with productive
n.y. farms roted for their milk anc
- butter. The mountains and a
.,r;,r have made of the place some
a a summer resort, yet the social life
u.s ,,rn goes on quite as apart from the
g. Of these summer people as it is from
n,o,p rigorous life Of the farming commu-
nv ~. ronen Of the town are the Village I'M
u.rt Society. Few of these women are
rhey mostly do their own housework
"' .,3 the washing out; or keep one maid,
lave the washing done at home.
nils nobody Is really rich. nobody is really
,rIe object Of charity is hard TO find,
h case comes up there arc several So
-, ~ pyiyate parties to give instant help.
p.,,sylvania has not given women the vote.
aorsn have been running this town for
-,'y year.
p.,;3,s their home keeping and the welfare
-. town thew have ample leisure for their
,..,oor, I have counted fourteen wom-
:, elpbs, from music and card clubs to the
NC. T. I.
an these are distinct from the various
.n,,b societies and Sunday school classes,
,.,,, mean so much to the social life of the
.r There are six churches in town, each
:, various societies TO earn money. There
4 ,o,t,D some rivalry between them.
Now imagine a town of twenty-four hun
,.,s rsople with fourteen women's clubs and
:, churches, and you see at once that it is
avn Of cli0ues and factions, even when you
r.,y. serious political feuds out of consid-
; grafton. 1870.
risa town Of little exclusive sets, Of little
.vr.s and little fchtS-in fact, 1t Is place OF
EXPRESSED ndividualism.
i is not unique 1t is typical of hundreds
q towns.
THE START OF THE RED CROSS
Ne were slow to get the Red Cross spirit
The first Red Cross organization here was
,gb Of little girls Following in their
Mothers footsteps they had been for year
.Ju;t.for-Fun Club
One Of their members is a little Mexican
n whose parents had fed from the strife of
tsr own land. This child had lived through
,e7oluton in Mexico City. she knew what
Twas 10 huddle in the cellar and hear the roof
stu from over her head. Through those ter
rbs DAYS the Red Cross workers in Mexico
CITY had come bearing the Red Cross flag, and,
1 udsr fire, brought them food. The Red
! C,oss is practical working machine to this
little girl.
The club reorganized for Red Cross work.
They call themselves now THE Loyal Daugh-
ters Of 1911" They sent in 81 subscription
} made out for the club in the name of its presi-
dent This allows the club a membership, but
only one membership button. The button is
worn week by each child in turn.
These little girls meet once a week. They
4 are cutting scraps Of cloth left from the sew
! ing committees work into snippings smaller
han the end of the fngernail These are used
70 tgi fracture pillows.
They also collect old linen and cotton cloth,
k1g sure it is freshly washed These are
C., into table napkins fourteen inches square,
the material happens to be an old table
10th, or handkerchiefs eighteen inches square
I It is old muslin, or wash cloths ten inches
sasre, if it is old. heavy towels.
These the children hem by hand. They
also make hot water bag covers of pieces Of
outing fnannel, and every scrap is made into
/ MlppngS.
WHEN THE WAR CAME HOME TO US
For two months these children worked be-
lore our Red Cross organization was formed.
We are so far away from the centre of
hhgs We did not feel the horror of war until
'l' sons and brothers enlisted. 1t is per-
s'nal experience with suffering that begets
I sympathy.
srsghtaway when this sorrow Of parting
zane to US we wanted the Red Cross. Knit
ing and sewing became another way to pray
ia' our soldiers.
An ensign in the navy married one of our
a&e girls. Tie was a New York man. She
ssied here with her heart standing still
vale her ensign made a trip on one of the
"Nnlps Conveying troops 70 France.
w the same ship was a common sailor
"o'e home is also in our little town. His
Shsr was waiting, too. These things pull
Npe together
Nhen the Red Cross was formed here people
"go sects and creeds, fashions and cliques,
~ worked like brothers and sisters, side by
'1' Tor common good. Ministers who, dur
yhtlr mid-wuter revivas, have been known
y M bitterness of sectarian warfare creep
forgot it all now.
me home committee was formed Of all the
III -, fret /
sSF the Catholic priest sat down in the