Harrisburg telegraph. [volume] (Harrisburg, Pa.) 1879-1948, 1918-10-16

eighteen stepped off a train at
Washington. She carried a suit
case, and she beamed a delightful
smile of Importance to which she
had every right. For was she not
at last in the national capital about
to embark on coveted war job.
Before the train drew into the
station she had been talking to an
elderly woman and she started up
and hurriedly secured her suitcase,
a knitting bag, books and what ap-
peared to be, from it's ribbon trap
pings, a box of candy. A moment
later she and her belongings were
deposited on the platform in rather
a scrambled fashion, and the train
steamed off.
The girl looked rather blank.
She had not realized how close she
was to her destination when she be-
gan to talk to that elderly lady; she
had it in mind to ask her something
about boarding places in Washing
ton.
But the girl was not in a mood to
be long dismayed by anything, SO,
with equal confidence, she went up
to a middle-aged man and asked If
he knew of good boarding house,
not too expensive.
The man looked her over. She
was pretty as a picture, inexperi-
enced, evidently from the country
or some small town. She also sup
piled the information that she had
come to Washington to do war
work.
He said he knew of such board
ing house. Automatically he reached
for her suitcase, which she handed
over to him with the same conf
dence she might have shown to any
of her neighbors at home. Now,
perhaps the man was just as trust
worthy and respectable as one of
these home town friends, but the
incident had been observed by one
who was taking no chances.
A moment later, woman con-
nected with the Travellers Aid So
ciety had darted up to the couple,
taken the girl and the suitcase un-
der her charge, and the man, who
may or may not have been trust
worthy, disappeared. The girl then
made the startling announcement
that she had come to Washington
without any idea of where she was
going to stop; that she knew no one
and had no letters of Introduction.
No, She Was Not An Orphan.
No, she was not an orphan, nor a
founding, nor a despised stepchild,
nor anything like that. There were
mother and father "back home"
and a couple of younger brothers;
and they were all devoted and SO
interested in sisters coming to
Washington to take the war job.
But not one of them had taken the
precaution to do the least investiga
ton in advance as to sisters board
ing place.
"Back home" every one knew ev-
cry one else, and a spirit of kindli
ness and neighborliness prevailed,
garded as worldwide.
This Babes-in-the-W point of
view in regard to a daughters well
fare is by no means unusual. There
are mothers who never seem to re-
gard the possibility of lightning
striking their own household.
They take the most blood-curdling
chances in regard to their daugh-
ter's associates, amusements and
environment and when something
does go wrong they have a feeling
that fate has been unnecessarily
cruel in singing out so careful a
parent.
Ask any member of the Travel
ler's Aid Society her opinion of
sending young girls into a strange
city when no arrangements have
been made in advance for their ac-
commodation. Out of the fullness
of her experience she will tell you
some stories that will make you
! think twice before permitting your