davidaulloa/AmericanStories huggingface dataset:
New-York tribune., 1918-06-16

and sich like. l sure do dread to tell Mar
jory. You see, we're mighty fond of each
other, but I'm countin' your help there, an
I know you'll comfort her on the way home"
couldn't hail this prospect with any great
degree Of joyful anticipation but I swallowed
the lump in my throat and asked the usual
bromidic question,
care you glad to be going?"
The answer was far from bromide
"Gad?" he repeated with a flash of his blaz-
ing eyes. "Glad don't half express it, ma'am;
I'd jes' like to see the color of the fellers eyes
that wouldn't be glad to go," Then ne added
with a smile, "Can do any little favor for
you over there'?"
Eyes, l replied, 'kil Hun or two for
me-"
with pleasure, ma'am; that's my object in
goin' over, but it's too easy; give me some
thing really hard to do"
Every WE'LL" said I, "here comes Marjory
Take her back of the car and tell her. I'll
keep the others away"
He obeyed, and they had five minutes for
their farewells before the chauffeur threw in
his clutch. 1t was very teary young woman
that he gave into my keeping.
"She's soldiers sweetheart" he said. "She
will be brave; won't you, honey? Think how
proud you'll be when your boy comes marchin'
home, major gen'rall"
We left him standing there bareheaded in
the moonlight.
But that wasn't quite the end of the story
Our chauffeur was unacquainted with the
roads, and for long time we wandered about
in circles, inquiring our way of every sentry
and invariably taking the wrong turning in
vain search for the great highway that would
take us home.
We were still cropping about in the darkness,
for the moon had gone under cloud, when we
heard in the distance the tramp, tramp of feet
on the hard road, and we drew up at cross
road to allow the passing of company Of
khaki clad soldiers, each carrying full kit who
were marching off in the darkness on the first
stage of their long journey. There was no
blare of trumpets, no beat of drums, just the
rhythmic thud thud of feet on the macadam
road. And somewhere in those khaki colored
ranks there was a Southern lad whose eyes
were blazing with light such as never was
seen on land or sea. Just one boy, only one
Of a million or more, off for France to fight
for you and me!
New-York tribune., 1918-06-16
CALLING A SPADE A SWORD IN LITTLE ITALY

for gates; tin roofing, boxes, tar paper. laths.
wire, stones, kitchen utensils, parts of baby
carriages.
And it was here last summer that Papa
italy sat, amid scenery which for confusion of
outline and epitome of discomfort resembled
nothing if not a crazy mans idea of a battle
field after thunderstorm, in his two-by-six-
foot summer house"-which may be con-
structed OF anything under the blue heaven
provided always that it is graced with the in
evltable grapevine. Here he smoked his pipe
IN the cool of the evening, observed the slow
growth Of the green things planted by his own
hand shifted the good brown smell of the earth
his spade had turned, watched his fat babies
tunbling about among the hardy, gay-tinted
blossoms which even his thrifty soul could not
deny to his love of beauty and brightness, and
felt that at last he had taken root in this new
land, America.
Between these extremes Of nature and Gus
tom in the hodge-podge population of Yonkers
stretched the 1875 gardens of the firemen and
police, the suffragists' gardens, the school chill
dren's gardens, the sugar refinery's gardens,
the chemical works gardens, the elevator fac
torys gardens, the carpet works gardens. the
hat factorys gardens, the wireworks' gardens.
the gardens of the butcher and the baker
and the junkman right next to Mr.. Famous
Architects garden, and the garden of Mr..
Commuter who went to New York every day
but devoted his two weeks vacation to hill
of beans and presented cellarful of glass
jars to his wife for birthday present as a
sequel to his task.
Perhaps all this is the answer to the query
OF the old English lady: "Yonkers? And,
pray, what are Yonkers?"
New-York tribune., 1918-06-16
English Poultry Take Over the Bathhouses

N ENGLAND men and women did not be-
lieve in bathing in the same part of the
ocean before the war, or of gambolling on
the beach afterward. 1t is too cold for the lat
ter, and British decorum forbids the former.
instead, when John Bull wanted a swim he
got into nice, roomy bath wagon, with a horse
attached to it, and while he undressed himself
ie'surely within and hung his clothes on hang
ers against the sides, the old horse drew him
out into the briny where it was deep enough to
hide himself. Then he opened the door hur
rledly and jumped right in before any one could
stare at him.
Inc bath wagon drew back upon the beach
and waited for him to signal distress. Then it
went and got him; and when he emerged. latsr.
New-York tribune., 1918-06-16

tors in Llanfairfechan, Wales, bethought them
Of the bath wagons and bought up the whole
supply. These they sold or rented as poultry
houses. They make capital coops for chick
ems, ducks and geese, and everybody wants
one. John Bull will certainly have to undress
on the beach if he bathes in the sea at Liam
fairfechan.
And when German zeps bombed Westgate
the survivors of row of demolished cottages
drew lot Of bathing vans from the beach up
to the sites of their ruined homes, set them
neatly along the street, salvaged cooking uten-
sils and bedding from the wreckage, and lived
in the bathhouses all summer AS thew them
selves said, "The barthhouses were high and
dry and had plenty O. room to move abaut in"
Certainly, people in Flanders live in worse
places.
NAY BOSNIAN.
New-York tribune., 1918-06-16

when they were not at work in factory or office
to earn living.
There were the Irish gardens, where Pat
and Bridget insisted upon hilling their pota-
toes three feet high as they used to do in the
boggy Gould counthry," in spite of warnings
that few weeks Of our hot, dry summer
would make baked potatoes of them. Over at
the other end of town, by way of contrast,
were the Persian gardens, sunk deep down so
that the vegetables will be sure to get every
drop of moisture possible, as would be neces-
sary in the desert land. Here, though there
seem to be no wine and nightingales, no books
of verses underneath the bough, there was still
the flavor of the Orient in the way stray
stones at the edges of the plots are heaped into
pointed piles, reminiscent of minarets, instead
of the squat, practical heaps in other places,
and the very way the planting is done shows
Oriental thrift and not little of the Oriental
religion-which, for one thing, directs that
work may be done on Sunday, but no seeds put
into the ground on that sacred day.
New-York tribune., 1918-06-16

Not far off in actual distance covered, but
separated from these by miles of custom,
centuries of change and vast difference in
topography, were the gardens of Little Italy,
situated, as the Italian must be situated to-
feel at ease, at an angle of about forty
five degrees. Here on the toppling, stony hill
sides, irregular patches were each inclosed in
a crazy goat-proof fence fastened with man.
proof padlock-for, though the Italian may be
sunny he is wise as well, and he knows his in
separable friends, Nanny and Bill, tied to a
tree on the steep slope, are not the only Great.
ures who depredate garden.
But those fences! Money is scarce in Little
Italy, but there is energy and junk to spare.
Following few of the items which COM
pose these fences: Automobile tops, chair
backs, bedsprings, bedsteads, head and foot;
wagon wheels, washboards, hinged and used
New-York tribune., 1918-06-16

He sat in the very front row of the audience
In the Young Mems Christian Association hut
in one of the camps where our "troupe" was
giving an entertainment, his eyes fairly baz-
ing with excitement
Those eyes haunted me. and when T came
off the stage at the end of my "stunt" l said
as much to of my fellow troupers, whom
found standing in the wings.
There's big, brown eyed boy in the front
row." l remarked, "whose eyes hypnotized me
so that almost forgot my verses"
The girl l was talking to is dear little
thing, with golden hair and big blue eyes, and
she blushed as pink as the roses on her hat
He's very great friend of mne," she re-
plled Il have been watching him through
the peekhole. May l introduce him to you
after the performance? He's perfect dear"
l scented a romance Immediately, and will
ngly consented to meet the young man. NV
part OF the programme being over, I went out
IN front to watch the "show," and presently
l was joined by the girl in the case, and the
next minute the lad with the blazing eyes was
beside her. They exchanged greetings, and if
| had thought that his eyes blazed before
was mistaken, for they were as smouldering
ashes compared to the fire and sparkle that
were in them as he bent over that girl.
When there was lull in the programme
she introduced him to me-
"1t certainly is an honor to meet YOU.
ma'am," he said in his soft draw Its mighty
good of you all to come way out here to enter
tain us soldiers. I hope you-all understand
how much we appreciate it,"
Its the least that we can do," replied.
Have you been here long?"
"Only bout fo' weeks" he answered. sour
company are all railroad men. We enlisted
together in Tennessee and we came Moth to-
gether, an we're goin' to stick together all the
way to Berlin and back"
Then turning to Marjory he said, 81 got
pretty good news fo' you, honey; was made
co'pral yest'day That's the first step up.
an Pm jes' gon' to keep on goin' till get tc
be major gen'ral. There's only one thing
that don't like bout the job. In my squad
New-York tribune., 1918-06-16
Just One Boy Off for France
BY ELENE FOSTER

is the man that used to be my boss in the
railroad Office back home He's heap sight
older than me, old enough to be my father I
reckon, an it didn't seem right fo me to be
orderin' him about, so I jes' went to him an
'pologized fo' havin' to do it,
"Im mighty sorry, sir I says, to be
obliged to order you about so rough like. I
hope you'll understan' an excuse it, SIR
"He jes' put his arm around my shoulder
an he says, That's what I'm here fo'-to take
orders. Go to it, boy, an quit yer worryin.'
"That's the spirit that you'll find all through
this camp" he said, turning to me- "It's a
New-York tribune., 1918-06-16
BY MARIE DE MONTALVO

is in the small towns that the back-to-
the-land wave reaches it's height Such a
town is YonkerS, whose one hundred
Thousand inhabitants speak at least eight diff
terent languages. Most of them are emploved
IN the six immense factories around which the
city has grown up.
At first it was difficult to convince the people
that this new venture was not some sinister
attempt to exploit reform them The fear
was hard to dispel, but gradually it yielded to
craftily worded posters in eight languages
which told in diplomatic phrasing that it was
the desire Of Mr.. Wilson, the President of this
great and glorious country, and Mr. Whitman,
the Governor of the state, that the people
should raise vegetables
Anything resembling a personal message
from throne has magical effect even vet
upon those who have forsworn the lands of
thrones. But it soon became evident that at
heart Mr.. Wilson and the people of Yonkers
were as one in this, for the applications for
garden space were limited only by the time
and ability of those in authority to put them
on record. But many of the population found
it more practical to register as Tony Smith
and Mike Jones than under their own unnro
nounceable, unspellabe and unwriteable cog
nomens, and so almost missed their notices
when Uncle Sans mail carriers were nut to
it to identify them ALL
1t was plain that the only reason they never
had had gardens before was because there had
been no place to plant things Once the space
was given no ground was too stony. no
tnderbrush too dense for them to clear and
plant and hoe to earn an eating in the hours
New-York tribune., 1918-06-16

goin' befo' very long," And then as Marjory's
back was turned for minute, he placed his
finger on his lips in token of silence, and I
realized that he could probably tell pretty ac-
curately the date Of his departure if he
wanted to.
had few minutes conversation with the
young while Marjory was in the dressing
room collecting her belongings. He walked to
the motor car with me, and noticed that he
carried dress suit case.
"Why the luggage?" l asked.
"That's what I wanted to tell you, a'am,"
he replied. "Maybe you can help me to break
New-York tribune., 1918-06-16
Tbe Drun1

lis heart has heard drum
With its "Come come Gomez
- And the bugle with it's Follow, follow met"
His eyes have caught the
ALI a-dazze a gun;
He has gone where blood stains be-
And he doesn't know the for it all
But not to 60 is treason when they call,
The wild and wicked drum with Come, come GOMEZ
And the upon the bayonets, and ALL
All, we'll
Perhaps there's reason in it, who can tell?
The country needs it's
For the chsel pick and pen
We had trained him year year
Drums easy things hear.
His heart has heard the drum
With it's Come, come GOMEZ
And the bugle with its Follow, follow me"
Just another gone that's all
But he the call
And everything is quite it should be-
MARY CAROLYN DAVIES
In "The Surrey" Of December 12 1914
New-York tribune., 1918-06-16
The Florists VOL
unteer for Hos
pitaI Work

<kCAY it in flowers" is the war slogan
- used by the New York Florists
Club in the work they are doing for
our boys in the hospitals.
Fretting with impatience to get back to the
camp or trenches fearful lest their COM
panions be sent overseas before they are we'll
enough to go with them, it isn't always easy
for the visitor to say just the right thing to
inspire them with the patience and courage to
bear their hardships, but the flowers can say
all this and more. They never say the wrong
thing. Furthermore, they speak universal
language which the Italian or Pole, whose
knowledge of English is very limited, can
understand as well as the boy in the next cot
who was graduated from Harvard University.
This is the volunteer work that florists Of
New York doing to bring cheer and cour-
age to the soldiers and sailors who are lying
sick or wounded in the hospitals of greater
New York
New-York tribune., 1918-06-16
Only the Best Are Good
Enough for the Hospital

Every day at noon truckoad of fragrant
flowers is sent to one or another of the
big war hospitals. These are not the left
overs, not the dropping, half-withered BIOS
SONS which could not be sold in the shops, not
by a good deal; they are the most perfect
blooms to be had and they come, fresh every
morning, straight from the greenhouses in
the country to headquarters for distribution.
This work has been going on every day since
the middle of May, and practically every florist
in New York, wholesale retail, together
with the greenhouse owners and shippers in
the outlying districts, has a share in it. 1t
was the idea of the florists themselves. Early
in May committee was appointed by the
New York Florists Club to visit every florist
in the city and ask his cooperation. Letters
were also sent to nursery and greenhouse men
and to the shippers out of town. The response
was immediate and unanimous. The flowers
are sent to the headquarters, on Twenty
eighth Street, and the National League for
Women's Service does the rest
Every day at noon a motor truck piled high
with flowers and driven by members of the
motor corps of the National League leaves
the distributing Office on its errand of cheer.
Doubtless you have seen it; it bears on the
front in blue and white the motto, "Say it in
flowers"
New-York tribune., 1918-06-16

Not all are idle, Of
course. A so per cent
increase in the number
Of small and large
chicken raisers is re-
ported in the British
Isles during 1916 and
1917, and there is a
great scarcity of ma
terial for new chicken
houses and of workmen
to b uild them. All
available males can be
used for munition max
ing and shipbuilding.
So ths beach prepris-
New-York tribune., 1918-06-16
No War Profits
For the Florist

While no one could fail to appreciate the
kindlness and the desire to be Of service
which have inspired the florists to carry on
this work. it might not occur to the casual
reader that to make this Offering day after
day entails goodly amount Of sacrifice as
well. For be it known the florist business
is of those which has been hit the hardest
by the changed conditions brought about by
the war. Flowers are luxury and they are
one of the first to be cut out when a curtail-
ment of expenses becomes necessary. Fuel
conditions, too, have deepened the injury, for
the New York florists have not always been
able to get enough. flowers even to fill the
orders that are received. 1t looks as if the
fuel situation, so far as the greenhouses are
concerned, would be no better the coming
winter, SO that the outlook for better times
is not very encouraging.
Do Ex-Warriors Scorn Flowers?
They Do Not!
do the men really enjoy the fiowers?" |
asked of one of the girls on the truck.
do they" she exclaimed "Come along
with us and Judge for yourself" And ac-
cepted her invitation.
The Columbia Base Hospital was our des-
tination. We were met at the entrance by
one OF the surgeons, a major, who acted as
our escort through the various wards (and
there were miles of them)
There were 1,100 patients in the hospital
that day, and after each one had received his
flowers there were still hundreds left. and
these were made into big bouquets to be placed
on the table in the centre of the ward. co that
when we finally left the hospital grounds with
an empty truck and very tired feet, every one
OF those long, white wards was bright with
bloom.
And did the men enjoy the flowers? Ask
the nice blond boy in the rheumatic ward
whose face burned with fever and whose eyes
gaowed with joy at the sight of sprav Of
cool, white blossoms he eagerly seized "This
Is like the honeysuckle that grows on the hack
porch at home"
ASK the big husky Irish lad, sitting up in
bed impatiently awaiting the time when he
could return to camp, who placed one of his
roses between the leaves of a magazine 70
press for his mother in Minnesota. that she
might have proof of the kindness he was vet-
ting in New York
ASK the boy recovering from shell shock.
whose hand trembled as he took up piece of
forget-me-not and then brought out its cousin.
1aded and dry from being carried about in
his pocketbook-a mascot that he had carried
with him in the trenches
Ask the men in bathrobes and slippers who
were convalescing on the porch outside the
ward for those who are mentally derangcd.
Their appreciation was the most heartrending
of all, for it was like that of little child
who finds the first dandelion in the spring.
II the gratitude Of these sick and wounded
hoys Of ours could be "said in flowers" III
wager that big green laurel wreath would
adorn the brow of every florist in New York!
ELENE FOSTER.
New-York tribune., 1918-06-16

it to Marjory. We are off tonight got spe-
cial permission to go to the Show. but the
rest of my company are in the barracks packin
up an waitin' orders. I've had pretty busy
day. had to do my packin' in between times
an jes' befo the performance I went around
sayin' goodby an colectin' my things-books
New-York tribune., 1918-06-16

0@sAO
of him was true Of his
wife and his daughter,
h is unit and his
mother. If the Eng
lish saw a lady drying
her hair outside her
bathhouse the Church
would look into her
morals.
But very little sea
bathing is indulged in
to-day on the coasts of
England and Wales
for obvious reasons.
And hundreds Of thesa
New-York tribune., 1918-06-16

privilege to be livin at time like this, ma'am,
an wonderful chance to show the stuff you're
made Of"
"Have you any idea when you will be sent
over?" / asked
I'VE never know" he replied "but some
times we can make guess. l reckon we'll be
New-York tribune., 1918-06-16

WAS man in the ranks,
one Of the million that are
being hurried across the seas
to help to make this world safe
for you and me. Just a big,
broad shouldered, brown eyed
Southern lad from little
town in Tennessee.
New-York tribune., 1918-06-16
s'Wur'' An1uzO,,s
Appear in
England
By MAY BOSNIAN

T<HTS war and its demands on wome,
will produce race of amazons. say
sociological workers Of Great Britain
and say it seriously.
It is said that the census figures show thai
40 per cent Of the strongest children and Ga
per cent of the healthiest babies born in 1917
were the offspring of women who work in iron.
that is, Lady Barrett, M. D., is sponsor for ths
claim that the women who are riveters in shin.
yards and cannon factories, who pound steal
WELD heavy hammers, make rough chains and
munitions along the floors of the fac
tories have borne the strongest children during
this war time. Sne has so been quoted in Loa-
don papers.
The next sturdiest set of infants was born
to women in the land army, and the third 10
those who are employed in choppng down
trees in British wooded areas.
New-York tribune., 1918-06-16

OH the beach he was dignifed, fully clothed
gentleman again.
New-York tribune., 1918-06-16

clumsy, topheavy bathhouses are lying idle in
seashore resorts,
New-York tribune., 1918-06-16


trees in British wooded areas.
War Babies Are Better Babies
The reason put forward is not so much thu
unusually healthy muscular development Of
the mothers (although that is pointed to as re-
sponsibe for the majority Of the better births,
as the superior food and living conditions that
these working women can now afford for their
children and themselves. They have moved
into better, lighter homes; they get enough TO
eat; they wear warmer clothes and shoes: thev
are freed from the tyranny Of drink; they are
saving little money. This last tem invested
in war savings, has done a great deal to up
lift the English poor.
Then, too, with the progress Of the war the
government has undertaken more and more to
safeguard the young families Of working moth.
ers. Day and night nurseries abound through
out the United Kingdom. Wherever there is
a munitions plant (and their number is le-
gion) there also is house equipped and pre.
sided over by unlimited workers and teachers
where children and babies may stay in com.
fort and security for day, a night or month.
roof during mothers illness or during heavy
night shifts. The conviction that her children
are safe while she is working is of incalculable
help to the mother.
Instruction in the care and upbringing Of
children is given to the mothers by physicians
and nurses during and after work hours: med.
ical attention is free or provided for at nomi.
nal rates. The mothers are induced to dress
sensibly and to eat wholesome food and enough
Of it, particularly during working hours. >
Heavy Work Results in Vnility
Many of the women in munitions gradually
take on a masculine aspect not to be entirely
explained by the working costume of trousers
and tightly covered hair. Sociologists speak Of
this as the virility produced by heavy work.
forerunner of the amazon women who are com.
ing.
British "women policemen" show this virls
development most strongly perhaps of all the
women workers in England. They are towers
of strength, usually big women, and they ham
die crowds and bullies in q mastery manner.
In a munitions factory in London not long
ago difference of opinion arose between
woman constable and her inspector, also
woman. 1t is the duty of the woman constable
to guard the morals of her sisters about the
factory and see that factory rules are en-
forced; the inspector guards the constabia
The ladies waxed wroth. Suddenly the con-
stable picked up the inspector and hurled her.
feet first, into muddy stream that runs
through the factory grounds.
The stream was more mud than water, and
almost swallowed the inspector. She was pulled
ont 1tx, b,,+ lofx bor
in the mud
A mere male onlooker permitted himself to
laugh, and the Undiscovered inspector, balanc-
ing unsteadily, managed to swing about and
box his ears.
By the ringlets of Amelia and the shades Of
the harpsichord-what "lades" are these?