The Holly chieftain., 1918-11-14
A BIT OF HOME
WITHIN The CAMP

long. low building Of frame con-
sfruction. attractively planned with
wide verandas and homelike aspect.
Outside are hanging the Aags--the
Stars and Stripes. which must soon
be taGen In rs II IL nearly sunset, and
another nag bearing q little triangle
Of blue and the letters 7. W. C. A.
1t is tall afternoon and the air 10 q
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 piano and some one IL
singing.
The woman. who II 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 listens 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 IL thrown open and q kind WON.
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. aud now maybe he never
will. for she has discovered that John
has just left on a two days furiOugh
to surprise her. Before she could get
train back to her hoine Johns fur
Tough will have expired and he will he
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
couple of days. Well send. 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 Is done and the little family
has Klu 'iOus day Of 1t.
The Young WOmen's Christian asso-
citation has established 90 hostess
houses Of this character for American
soldiers and sailors and their families.
In this brief bulletin of news lies one
At the most pUten: factors In the win
ming Of this war. Our boys are light
Ing for their homes. The i. W. g. A..
with Its hostess work Il this country
asnd In France In helping to Keep the
ideal OF American home life con-
stantly before the men who are pro-
tecting 1t. These men had to 60 away
from their Individual homes, but there
Is home which follows them-a place
} where they can go when they are of
duty and meet their families and rest.
There 10 q room in every Y. w. C. A.
hostess house with real fireplace In
1t and domestic hearth. There are
chairs with cushions on them; the
china 10 not Of the iron-bound bucket
variety necessary In camps; and best
Of all. the boys say, there are nice
women to talk to. No boy In camp
would hesitate to ask his mother or
sister. ~ fheNgirl he thinks mess of TO
meet hin at q Y. w. G. A. house. for
he knows dat the women she will see
there are Of the right .kind The very
fact that 1t is known that there Is
real, honey place near each camp au-
thorixed by the war department and
presided over by dignitied and refined
women, has served very largely to dis.
courage the other type Of woman and
keep her away from the men she for
Inerly preyAd upon. I ma@ a
The. .Ys w. G. A. houses are not; ess
tabiishfd With any view 70 marktGs
class lines hewever. although many oi1
the 9pStessss WHO assist led lives Of
greatest ease and. luxury, before the
war. aDemUcracy r,iles at the sign Of
the little Blue Triangle. sili8
A story Is told of great merchants
wife whose Individual fortune mounts
10 the million mark This lady Is y
mepiber of one OF the Y. w. C. A. cOln-
mittees, and on one occasion she was
helping In the cafeteria Of a hostess
! house at the Great Lakes naval train.
b akp., 81 ,,.k&. t.xnA