The Raymer enterprise., 1918-11-28
4 WALLED CITY
or WOMEN

- Sts6t8Ut WITH ttSNF anu 0tO31S OuC
side Of the city wall is long dormi.
tory for sinsIe women. There are many
more 0f them than Of the families 10
the drab little houses The village Is
fun VI women-old. young. middle
aged-whose faces. hands ana hair
slowly are turning yellow from the
powder which II u said will eventually
affetI their lungs. Isuf most Of them
are refugees and the fact that they
are giving up their good looks. their
health. and perhaps their lives In the
munition factory. II of little moment to
them. They have come Into the walled
town from ruined villages and deyas-
tated farms with their frightened little
children. their despmiring old people.
carrying all their earthly possessions
In tiny bundles. In their individual
lives there b no future: In all their
world there Il M Interest but the con-
quest Of the Hun.
No one CONES Into this little war
community that centers around the big
new munitions plant but those who
work. Because Of the danger and The
hIighting yellow powder. the work Is
highly paid and all the workers are
voluns .erS.
The women wear nveralls or apron
lSeAses. come OF black suteen. @nle
p0ndsserjpt. The dgll gurb harinonlzes
With the vsIlowIns faces and despair
ing eyes.
Into this modern vailed city Of de-
spair the Blue Triangle has flashed the
0rst message Of hope. The Y. W. c. A.
foyer II the only rrreuliauM center
within reach. The cars which find
cafes At the end of the line mlIe
away. stop running ut seven o'clock to
save fuel. The city Is three miles
from the factory.
@My problem" writes the 7. W G.
A. secretary 10 charge. rs to keep the
women occupied In The evenings. to
give them good healthy amusen,ni 50
DAT they will forget their SORROWS and
- n hsd and sleep. physically tired
put from plavins."
She goes Qp ta tell Of some Of the
women and girls who come to the
toy@,
: ~Thsre y 3 pretty little round, rosy
cAauhs1 81 hsse rho b just beginning
to shew the effects Of the powder. The
roots II her hair and her forehead are
. psls yellow. The palms Of her hands
an : Aset burnt orange and her hands
and arms 3 bright yellow.
!. There h n sx-professional dancer,
an Interesting stfl who enjoys the
foyer and helps entertain the other
girls. There Il professional pianist
Who doss hss BIT at the noon and eve
nlng hours There IL ons rougl-and-
ready girl who speaks English, whose
lather was m innkeeper In northern
france. There u pretty little girl
who 10 engaged to q French soldier
who still Ia rejoicing over the Ave min
utes she had with him recently during
ap cir raid. His mother is the care
faker here and he IL one Of six sons in
ths Has. Two Of them are German
militssy psisopers. two are civil pris-
oaers In Germany and two are soldiers
In the trenches. Her home 10 the
north Of France was destroyed and she
escaped with 4 small bundle Of such
things a. she could carry In her hands.
There is q sweet-faced girl who
was / lecemaker in valenciennes, who
cane Grsat to us from the German.
ridden sectton after 4 hard experience
IL getting away"
These are the women the Blus Til.
angle u helping to fOrget-perhaps
only for an hour ct q time-the hor-
rors that have blackened their hearth.
stones and darkened the world.
+. my foyer" the secretary writes,
ssnaWsIats Of hall and two large rooms
with eement noors. One has a writing
tahle and paper. pens and Ink. sewing
maehiass. cupboard with teacups ln
Il, 4 large tabls with papers and maya.
sines. easy chaiFs and my desk. The
othse room has . plano, more tables,
chairs, ironing boards and yictrola.
There are unframed French pictures
ana Amsriean and French war posters
Dround the room. The walls are paint
"a gray and white"
saturday evenings they sing and
dance. "First they have Z chorus"
GJtss the secretary. ''such a. lie Reve
Pasa< or the 'Hymne des Amateurs or
somsfklal equally thrilling, and at the
lnel notes of triumph voice at my
sass bess, 'Cs pelka. mees.' The polka
0nished, there IL I call Tor the 'Hymne
Ansricaip' and We sing the Star
spaneled Banner lie Drapeau Etoile)
ID two language4s
These foyers have been established
IN several munition centers In France.
Each one has 4 cafeteria. 3 recreation
kall and rooms fitted up AZ rest
rooMa writing and sewing rooms. AT
nlghf these rooms are flled with
1Toneb girls learning English, book
hssping o. stenography. that they may
WORK Ii the Offices Of the American
ExpedItlonasy Forces. In connection
With each Il q large recreation field or
park.
At shs request Of the French minis
try Of war the Young W0men's Chris
rian association has opened club