Courier Democrat., 1918-10-03
THE BLUE TRIANGLE
AT RUSSlA'S FRONT

few scattered candles flung CLEANS as
persistent and as vague as Russia's
hope of liberty A hundred Russian
girls and six young men were guests
of the first Young Women's Christian
association In ali Russia. 1t was a
gala afternoon tea but it was dark
because the winter days end at three
o'clock and there is a restriction on
the use of candles and kerosene as
we'll 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 We're con-
tagious.
"Sonya is 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 Y. w. G. A. secre-
taries had been saving the sugar for
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 first
party. There was no bread.
"Sonya is not drinking her tea,"
her pale little admirer went on, "yet
she tainted this morning at the fac
tory and the forewoman said she was
hungry"
"We're all hungry" was the mo-
notonous reply. "It wasn't that"
Something stopped the laughter and
talk suddenly but the hush that fell
in the dimly lit room was as joyous as
the gaiety. One Of Russia's greatest
singers stood by the piano and lifted
up her glorious voice filled with the
tears and heartbreak that people at
peace call thrills.
They went away early when the
music was done-these sad-eyed, half
starved little guests of the Blue Tri-
engle-:for danger turks in the dark
of Petrograd streets, robberies and
murders-sharp little by-products Of
nations chaos and a world ut war.
Sonya fingered after the others
were gone. She was standing close
by the secretary-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 gaiety from her voice.
will you give me note to the
factory superintendent" she asked,
telling him I'm attending classes
here at night?" She spoke in French,
for she knew no English, and the sec
retary, no Russian.
'Yes, if it will help you" The Sec
rotary was glad to give her such a
note but she was curious. "T'ell me
Why"
IF lie knows the girls are going to
night classes he won't put us on the
night shift. He will let us work days
so we can come. Yesterday I asked
for the night shift. Today I have
changed my mind"
The secretary wondered. Sonya
had not been in any Of the classes.
Had the bright little party given her
| an interest in the work of the associa-
ton? Had the friendliness of the
| American secretaries reached her:
Was it the music that had given her
an impetus to study toward something
beyond factory?
"What is it that interests you?" the
secretary asked her. "You are not in
any Of the classes now are you? What
is it you want to take up?'
'"This morning I looked out the fac,
tory window and Sonya's voice re-
minded the secretary of the call of g
night bird before a storm. "Down in
the courtyard was a crowd and three
men were killed. Killed by the po
lice-the bolshevik police, while
stood there and watched They sale
they were anarchists. One was my
brother. Another was my sweetheart
l came here tonight to forget. But
cannot forget. Always I will remem
Der. want nothing now but to car
ry on their work, and to do that mus
study and Learnt must learn English
and many other things. I want to e
In all the classes. If the foreman a
| eAAS AdSIokJ hAONS uO tAdI, uc VIII
help. He will let me work days."
In the dark, the hunger, the cold
and the terror of Petrograd, the Blue
Triangle is sending out it's shining in
vitation to the bewildered women ant
young girls of Russia. 1t is offering
little oasis in the midst Of tn
chaos where they may come and res
and relax, play games, listen t
music, study English, French, stenog
raphy, bookkeeping, or music, and a
one tired girl expressed it, forget TO
the moment that they are in Petro
grad. Most Of the girls who gathe
at the sign Of the Blue Triangle ar
bookkeepers and stenographers, bu
scattered among them are factor
girls, domestics. and girls who neve
have worked.
''In Petrograd and elsewhere. II
J Russia" says Miss Clarissa Spencer
world secretary Of the Y. w. G. A
. who started the work in Russia, "girl
formerly employed in government OF
: fees come to us who have struc