Emmons County record. [volume] (Williamsport, D.T. [i.e. N.D.]) 1884-current, 1918-10-24
THE BLUE TRIANGLE
AT RUSSIA'S FRONT

Inc Blue triangle cl0Df0Omo- 10
Petrograd were in hak shadow. A
few scattered candles flung CLEANS a.
persistent and AZ vague a. Russia's
hope Of liberty. A hundred Russian
girls and six young men were guests
Of the first Young Women's Christian
Dssociation In oil Russia. It was o
rnla afternoon tea but II was dark
because the winter days end at three
O'Clock and there u restriction on
the use Of candles and kerosene as
well as Of electricity.
The girls were making merry even
IN the gloom Of winter. the twilight
and the tragedy Of war. One slender
white-faced girl with purple-shadowed
eyes was merrier than all the rest.
Her wit and ringing laugh were con-
tagious.
'Stnuya il wonderful tonight" one
girl whispered to another as she
stirred gently into her tea the one
lump Of sugar doled out carefully for
the party. The 7. W. G. A. secre-
taries had been saving the sugar fol
months-putting aside at each meal
one Of the two Jumps served with the
coffee In the restaurant, that there
might be bit Of sweet for this frn
party. There was no bread.
'Sonya 10 not drinking her tea
her pale little admirer went on, yet
she tainted this morning at tie fac
tory and the forewoman said slle was
hungry"
"we're all hungry" was the mo-
notonous reply. 1T wasn't that"
Something stopped the laughter and
talk suddenly but the hush that fell
In the dimly lit room was az Joyous as
the gaiety. One Of Russia's greatest
singers stood by the piano and lifted
up her glorious voice filed with the
tears and heartbreak that people at
peace call thrills.
They went away early when the
music was dane-these sad.eyed. half
starved little guests Of the Blue Tri.
angle-for danger turks in the dark
Of Petrograd streets, robberies and
murders-sharp little by-products Of
Q nations chaos and world at war.
Sonya fingered after the Others
were gone. She was stant.:ng close
by the secretasy-hostess' chair when
she turned from saying goodnight to
the last one of the other girls. The
laughter had died out Of the girls
eyes and the gniety from her voice.
Win you give me q note to the
factory superintendent" she asked,
"telling him I'm attending classes
here at nightr' She spoke In French.
for she knew no English, and the sec
Rotary, no Russian.
ayes. II 1t will help you" The ser
rotary was glad to give her such a
note but she was curious. Tell me
why"
IF he knows the girls ore going 3.
night classes he won't put us on ..ae
night shift. He will let us work days
70 we Gun come. Yesterday asked
for the night shift Today have
changed my mind"
The secretary wondered. Sonye
had not been in any Of the classes
Hnd the bright little party given he:
an interest In the work Of the associa.
tions Had the friendliness Of the
American secretaries reached herr
Was 1t the music that had given her
IN impetus to study toward something
beyond fnctory1
"What Is 1t that interests your the
secretary asked her. lyon are not in
any Of the classes now. are youi What
IL It you want to take up?''
'Th's morning looked ont the fac
tory window" and Sonya's voice re-
minded the secretary Of the call Of a
slight bird before q storm. "Down In
the courtyard was a crowd and three
men we're killed. Killed by the 20
lice-the bolshevik police, while
stood there and watched. They said
they were anarchists. One was my
bruther. Another was my sweetheart.
came here tonight to forget. But j
.annot forget. Always I will remem.
her. want nothing now but to car.
~ on their work, and to do that I must
study and learn must learn English
and many other things. I want to 60,
In all the classsA II the foreman 1t
the factory knows I do that. he will
help. He will let me work dayA.'
In the dark, the hunger. the cold,
and the terror Of Petrograd, the Blue
Triangle Is sending out its shining in.
vitation to the bewildered women and
young girls Of Russia. 1t is Offering
a little oasis In the midst Of the
chaos where they may come and res,
and relax, play games. listen to
music. study English, French. stenog.
raphy. bookkeeping. or music, and as
one tired girl expressed it. forget for
the moment that they are In Petro-
grad. Most of the girls who gather
at tho sign OF the Blue Triangle are
bookkeepers and stenographers. but
scattered among them are factory
girls, domestics. and girls who never
have worked.
'ID Petrogrnd and elsewhere in
Russia says Miss Clarissa Spencer.
world secretary of the Y. w. C. A.
who stlrted the work in Russia, ''girls
formerly employed in government of.
fees come to us y.lAD hive Struck