Omaha daily bee., 1918-11-23
because such awful tales have been told
Need Layettes

we brought with us, ana been suppileu
again and have written for more. Our
mothers are working in usines, many OF
them. and the babies come between the
days OF work; so, since there IL not
time to make garments. our lovely ones
from home are doubly priced.
The politeness OF tho children and their
grateful paents, the expression Of appre-
citation from state authorities, makes us
very eager to do all we can: It is truly
never ending JOY TO see how grateful
and humble the people can be and they
do not abause nor take advantage. This
glorious land has never had poverty
stricken class we see them at home,
and charity is not organized and dis
pensed as Is ours Church and city look
after dependents. and others care Tor
themselves through honest labor Every
man. woman. and child works in the
fields and factories
We have ma! as 100 or more IN ohe
Iuneville clinic-which are three week.
Then at Einvile, much nearer the 'front.'
we have about 20; at Dumbasle. 80 to 4e'
st. Nicholas, so: Blouiville. 20 TO 30. This
is the newest one. We start another In
few days now. so every day VIII De
full We go to Vitrimont. the hamlet
being rebuilt by Mrs Crocker or CAN
fornia, several Sundays to look after @eo
inhabitants.
We have a Ford Camionette and
supplies in a big wooden box We made
ourselves and the clinics are held in the
Hotel de Vile. the Marie or In a hospital
for French wounded, wherever we could
best serve the women and children Ana
now the work Is growing beyond pelier'
We see so much to do, We hope to open
a house to nurse and feed and care Tor
early l. b. In children. We want TO send
more Of our children to Toul, IS miles
away, for operation, and there we can
row send our maternity cases, We expect
soon to have a dentist here to care for
our many troubled people.
No Dental Care
France has never had the dental care
that we In America think so important.
and since the war, there has been none
at all in such communities as ours There
are all tho rheumatisms and poisons of
such conditions, and the young women
who have had their teeth brutaly extract
ed so their gums are badly contracted,
would make you sick. And then. the
most wonderful part of our work. and
for which we are most grateful, Is what
we are able to do for our own boys.
You see We really are very near the
front line. a great and famous division
tThe Rainbow that was named for the
sign Of promise set In the skies, has
been on the job day and night since
March. They move IN and out Of the line.
back few kilometers for a rest and up
again. They have done gloriously in
bravery. In fineness Of spirit. as q big
generous sportsmanlike point OF view and
| sharing of responsibility. l am 80 proud
| or them. and to belong to the same land
of high Ideals that It fairly chokes me
sometiems. They are so astounded when
we accost them, for they think our uni
forms French. or at least only English.
and when they hear good old middle
west. they fairly weep. They do weep
In fact. sometimes as they sit In our Iiv-
ing room, and fall to talking of home.
| and the days that must pass before they
will go back
They all know they are going to face
death sooner or later, in friendly or in
cruel form, and they are very young and
boyish and lonely. Mrs. Dickson is really
quite unusual with them, for she has had
so much social experience on top of her
own motherly love for a 1s-year-old boy
who has served his year in the field
ambulance. She understands these little
Irish Mikes. the east sides, the hoasting
braggart, the gentleman from ole Virginia.
the lads who hesitate when we ask where
they came from because they have only a.
rural delivery address in Iowa or Arizona
She gives them doughnuts she has made
herself, and tea in CUPS from our local
century-old potteries. Riddles who never
were even at a county fair she PLAYS to,
These are the great things; and then the
passing Of the cigarettes, the sympathy.
the exchange OF hopes and ideas and plans.
They all want to talk about their girls
and their mothers
1t is surprising. even to me, how
strong an institution mother is--officers
tell us about their letters home TO their
mothers. ! have taken kodsks OF some
and sent to their mothers, and It Is glo-
rious how much II means. The French
do not know what to make Of our men
their tenderness and sweetness to chill
dren and women. When they are billeted,
as Trey are here near the line. with
famlles-they help the women work. and
join in the family life My brother frets
because the child In his house is sick.
and his colonel says all his boys are
helping their townfolks skin willows
the chief industry. done on the door,
step or in front Of the open fire of a
there are not boys here, and often for
meals.
Things are happening that can nos
write. We hear guns often though the
city has only been shelled twice since
we came and then only . few people
were killed. 1t has been a quiet sector for
three years. and here many thousands
come for rest day by day. We see them.
so weary but SO hard and sturdy. tramping
In the shattered bits OF regiments back
to fill up their ranks for the new attack.
France Is singing the song Of victory in
spite Of the losses so staggering the assur-
ance that this 10 the last supreme effort.
truly believe over here we are exhil-
arated and glorifled while you at home
are plunged In the depths Of despair.
The British losses are supreme, and
our own boys who went up some time ago
have tasted the cup to the dregs; but Goa
has begun the march back. and every
Frenchman is full Of courage and faith.
There is new quality that enters into
men--not blood but valor flows in their
veins at such an hour. We know this is
the last chapter OF the hell that has ragged
so long. 1t may be long-page after page;
but 1t is the end, and so France holds
with her heart torn. being exposed to the
front while her eyes look back at the
hordes that are marching up to help her.
You can not think what It means to be
an American and know that on US rests
the hope Of the world
My patient women whose men have
gone, who have wee babies, and are alone
to face the new world that already Francs
sees opening before her; my young girls
loverless--going into factories doing a
mans work dressed in breeches and germ
ed with powder; my proud boys aching to
be men and in the war; the babies fat
and rosy, or thin and blue and scaley; all
the people--lve only for the things We
have sung and written about but never
dreamed we should be living and making
come tEpe. This is something of what it
means 70 be in France today. and nothing
seems too much to give. We are very
busy, very happy, very sure we are rlgh,
Can life hold anything more1 Thank you
for all OF US. for the layettes and the
love you have put into them VIII you
tell your friends. dear American women,
the new meaning OF these words. how
deeply we appreciate the thoughtfulness,
the self sacrifice Of time and work OF your
hands, how grateful our mothers are, how
sweet our babies are? Should anyone
want to do anything special. we can use
money best Of oil: It pays for medicines,
food and supplies and shipping Is 50
difficult
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