Ripley County democrat., 1918-11-22
IA WALLED CITY
or WOMEfl

~ 'ttAttt t,NtfAA fthAt~ ffrt~f ff'f'frr 'ftTi
inside a high wall ID France within thel
Inst year. Its square int houses standl
IN stnllght even rows and along oneI
side % the city wall Is d long dormi
tory for single women. There are many
more OF them thnn OF the families 'nl
the drab little houses. The village Isl
full Of woinen--old. young middle
| aeed--whose faces, hands and hnlr
slowly are turning yellow from thel
| powder which 1t IN said will eventually
affect their lungs. But most Of them
are refugees aHd the fnct that theyl
are giving up their good looks thcIrl
health. and perhaps their lives In thei
muniton factory. Is OF little moment tot
them. They have come Into the walled
town from ruined villages and deyns-
tatei farms with their frightened liltlel
children, their despairlng old people.
carrying all their earthly possessions
In tiny bundles. In their individual
lives there Ii no future; In all their
world there Is no Interest Uut tne con-
quest of the Hun.
4 No one comes into this little war
community that centers around the big
new munitions plnnt bnt those who
work. Because OF the danger and the
hlghting yellow powder, the work Is
| highly paid and all the workers are
volunteers.
'rhe women wear overalls or apron
dresses some Of black satcen, some
nondescript. The duh garb harinonlSca
with the yellowIng faces and despair
Ing eSe;.
Into this modern walled city Of del
spalr the Blue Triangle has flashed theE
first message OF hope. The Y. w. O. a.
foyer Is the only recreational centerl
within reuch. The cars which indg
cafes at the end Of the line nllcl
away, stop running at seven O'Clock tol
save fuel. The city Is three miles
from the factory.
MY problem" writes the Z. W. C.I
A. secretary In charge, sis TO keep the
Women occupied IN the evenings. TO
give them good healthy amusement so
tliat they VIII forget their sorrows aud
e, =, 's,,.. ,.' p IEs.lses ss:ca!.y IIEsi
she goes on to tell or some or the
= women md girls who come to the
foyer:
y "There Is n pretty little round, rosy
Y checked girl here who Is just beginning
9 TO show the effects Of the powder. The
% roots OF her hair and her forehead nre
a pale yellow. The palms Of her hands
y nre deep burnt orange and her hands
d md arms a bright yellow.
2 "There is an ex-professional dancer.
9 an interesting girl who enjoys tlel
q forcr and helps entertaln the other
\ girls. There is n professional pianist
!. who does her bit at the noon and eve
. ming hours. There Is vni, r,ush-and-
ready girl who speaks English, whose
father was an innkeeper 10 northern
. France. There Is pretty little girl
!. who Is engaged 10 n French soldier
: who still Is rejoicing over the Eve min
utes she had with him recently during
an air raid. His mother Is the care
taker here and he " one of six sons In
y the war. Two OF them are German
military prisoners. two are civil pris-
D oners In Germany and two are soldiers
r IN the trenches. Her home III the
. north Of France was destroyed and she
escaped with small bundle Of such
: things as she could carry IN her hands.
r "There Is swcet-faccd girl who
) was lacemaker In valencleuness Who
4 came direct TO us from the German.
4 ridden section after a, hard experience
b in getting away"
These are the women the BIne Trl-
4 angle Is helping TO forget--perhnps
q only for an hour at n time-the hor-
q rors that have blnckened their hearth
' stones and dnrkened the world.
Ill MY foyer" the secretary writes.
4 consists Of a hall and two large rooms
with cement floors, One has writing
\ table and paper, pens. and Ink, sewing
machines. n cupboard with teacnps In
II, q large table with papers and maga.
! zines, easy chairs and my desk. The
/. other room has pinno. more tnhles,
! chairs, ironing boards and victrola.
There nre unframed French pictures
II and American and French war posters
=. around the room. The walls are paint
ed grny nnd white
\, Saturday evenings they aine and;
dance. First they have chorus"
!, writes the secretary. "sticl rs lie liese
! Pnsse' Or the 'tIymne des AvIafeurs, Or
something equally thrilling, and M the
ilnal notes OF triumph d Voice al my
ears begs. 'Un poliin. mees. The polka
finished there Is call for the LYNNE
AmerlealH' and we sing the 'Star-
Snangled Ranner,. lie psupeau EfoIie)
In Two languages.~ h.
These foyers have been established
In several mnnltion centers In France
Each ONE has 4 cafeteria. recreniIon
hall and rooms fitted up a. rest
rooms. writing and sewing rasua, AT
4 night these rooms are Ilileti' with
= ' French girls learning English book.
keeping Or stepography, that they may
work Inl TIE oiIldas of me American
Expeditiouary Forces N connectIon
with each is q laege recination Geld or
: uark