The Devils Lake world and inter-ocean. (Devils Lake, N.D.) 1915-1920, 1918-10-02
A BIT OF HOME.
WITHIN THE CAMP

WITHIN the CAMP
8 ..,::,s g. - :.
4 long, low building spe frame con
struction, attfaetively planned, with
wide verandas and a tomelike aspect.
Outside. are hanging the flags the
Stars and Stripes, which must soon
be taken in as 1t is nearly sunset. and
another flag bearing = little triangle
Of blue and the letters r: w. c. a.
It Is fall afternoon and the air Is I
bit sharp. Through the front windows
Of the house the woman approaching
up the walk can see the cheerful glow
Of an open fireplace. There Is the
sound Of a piano and some one is
singing.
The woman, who is slight and young
and tired-looking, puts her heavy suit
case. down on the walk and shifts the
baby she is carrying to the other arm.
She listensa q minute. then picks up the
luggage and walks bravely up to the
front door. Some one has heard her
coming and is there to meet her. Some
one always Is in places like this. The
door is thrown open and kind wom-
ans voice says: "Oh, do come in and
rest. Let me take the baby" The
baby Is passed over and the stranger.
worn from long journey, tired and
sad, ia given the welcome which only
the Y. w. G. A. hostesses know how to
give.
She explains that she has come to
see John before he leaves for the
front. She has been saving her money
for travelling expenses, and has come
to surprise him. John has never seen
the baby, and now maybe he never
will, for she has discovered that John
has just left on two days furlough
to surprise her. Before she could get
train back to her home Johns fur
Tough will have expired and he will be
on his way back to camp. The little
. mother does not know how to meet the
situation and tears of fatigue and dis
appointment begin to flow.
"Well, that's too bad" says the SYM
pathetic Y. w. G. A. worker. "But
cheer up. You can just stay here for
q couple Of days. Well send a wire
to John at the first place his train
stops and tell him to take the next
train back. He can enjoy his furlough
here"
This IL done and the little family
has a glorious day Of 1t. ~ 80.
=. The Young Women's Christian asso-
ciation.: has established 92 hostess
houses of this character for American
soldiers and sailors and their families.
In this brief buRetin of news lies one
Of the most potent factors in the win
ming of this war. Our boys are fight.
ing for their homes. The Y. w. c. A.
with Its hostess work in this country
and in France Is helping to keep the
ideal &3of American home life con-
stantly before the men who are pro-
tecting It,, These men had to go away
from their individual homes, but there
Is home which follows them-a place
where they can 60 when they are of
duty and meet their families and rest.
: There Is room in every Y. w. G. A.
AVSle.oo AVunC WAtA q ACtA ulCpAuCS Ia
it and a domestic hearth. There are
chairs with cushions on them; the
china is not Of the iron-bound bucket,
variety necessary in camps; and best
Of all, the boys say, there are nice
!, women 10 talk to. No boy in camp
would hesitate to ask his mother or
sister or the girl he thinks most Of to
meet him alta 7. w. c. "A. house, for
he knows that the women she will see
there are of the right kind. The very
: fact that it is known that there is q
:: real, honey place near each camp au-s
thorized; by the war department and:
presided over by dignif1ed and refined
women, has served very largely to dis
courage the other type Of woman and:
keep her away from the men she 4plY
meriy preyed upon. nm sts ss
The Y. w. G. A. houses are4pt 90
tablishede with any view to making
class lines. however, although many Of
the. hostesses who assist led lives of
greatest ease and luxury before the
war. Democracy rules at the sign Of
the little Blue Triangle. ss