Courier Democrat. (Langdon, N.D.) 1891-1920, 1918-10-10
A Bit OF HOME -
WITHIN THE CAMP

"A Vii INV OuAlNAhS VI J. S0A
struction, attractively planned, with
wide verandas and a homelike aspect.
Outside are hanging the flags-the
Stars and Stripes, which must soon
be taken in as it is nearly sunset, and
another flag bearing a little triangle
of blue and the letters Y. W.. G. A.
1t is a fall afternoon and the air is a
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 q 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 listens g 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 a 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 q long journey, tired and
sad, is given the welcome which only
the Y. w. c.. 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
will, for she has discovered that John
has just left on a two days furlough
to surprise her. Before she could get
q 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. c. A. worker. "But
cheer up. You can just stay here for
a 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"
t This is done and the little family
: has a glorious day of it.
The Young Women's Christian asso-
citation has established 80 hostess
houses of this character for American
: soldiers and sailors and their families.
In this brief bulletin 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. G. A.
S with it's hostess work in this country
and in France is helping to keep the
ideal of American home life con-
t stantly before the men who are pro-
e tecting it. These men had to go away
from their individual homes, but there
q is a home which follows them-a place
where they can go when they are off
o duty and meet their families and rest
There is a room in every Y. w. 9. A.
n hostess house with "a real fireplace in
it and a domestic hearth. There are
chairs with cushions on them; the
china IS not of the i%ron-bound bucket
d variety necessary in camps; and best
h of all, the boys say, there are nice
!. women to talk to. No boy in camp
would hesitate to ask his mother or
sister or the girl he thinks most of to
a meet him at a Y. W.. G. A. house, for
k he knows that the women she will see
n there are of the right kind. The very
it fact that it is known that there is a
t. real, honey place near each camp au-
d thorized by the wal department and
Is presided over by dignified and refined
women, has served very largely to dis
le courage the other type Of woman and
t, keep her away from the men she for
lie merly preyed upon.
r, The Y. w. G. A.. houses are not es-
d tablished with any view to marking
le class lines, however, although many Of
y the hostesses who assist led lives of
greatest ease and luxury before the
war. Democracy rules at the sign of
the little Blue Triangle.
l. A story is told Of a great merchants
Is wife whose individual fortune mounts
le to the million mark. This lady is a
Is member of one Of the Y. w. c. A. com
IN mittees, and on n occasion she was
N helping in the cafeteria Of q hostess
IS house at the Great Lakes laval train
to ing station. A little shopgirl who had
is a day off" from her work il the base
ment Of the great store owned by the
Y. w. C. A. workers husband, and who
IN had come to see her sailor brother, was
1e in a State street hurry for service
er She sharply ordered the merchants
er wife to "look alive with these forks
1t. grille"
I'll The lady addressed as "g;rlie" quite
g, humbly saw to it that the pile of forks
IN was ~replenished. Then she vent ovel
and talked to the girl, helped her tt
lie locate her brother and sent her ava!
1t happy. The shopgirl never knew tina
n she had been talking to her employer
~ wife.
IN There are two hostess houses at thu
le Great Lakes station, and it is a won
e derful sight to see the crowds of WON
m on rolotiyoc and friends IF tho sailor!