The Washington herald., 1918-09-15

| for one or two week ends she has
| been right here in Washington all
summer. and really very devoted to
her own particular line of endeavor
singing TO the soldiers" She sang
at one or another Of the nearby camps
thirteen nights in succession. during
that awful August hot spell-and
probably felt the heat the less for
being continually occupied.
For the last week she has had stay
ing with her little Nine. Tamaki
Miura, the Japanese prima donna
who has been such an appealing lit
tie figure in the musical world for
the last few seasons-and together
they have gone here and there Sing
ing for the soldiers"-to Camp
Humphreys Monday night. to Camp
Leach Tuesday, to Dunbar High
School (named for Paul Laurence
Dunbar) where they gave a Joint re-
cital to a gathering of colored SOL
diers for whom an entertainment had
been arranged there; and at Walter
Reed Hospital where they entertained
n big audience of convalescents
Thursday: and to the National Serv-
ice Club Friday-ive nights in a row
was something of a record for a pro-
fessional grand opera lady, even
though 1t was not to be compared
with Mrs. Bakers transforming
record Of thirteen nights. Nine. Miu-
ra made a great Internationally she
sang some OF her music from Mad
anne Butterfly''-and seemed on her
part quite enthused with the expert
ence.
Mrs. Baker made no attempt to en-
tertain for her guests. We could not
do both, and Mime. Miura came to
sing" So nothing was allowed to
interfere with the singing. Perhaps
Mrs. Baker felt more like singing
when word of her husbands safe ar
rival in France reached her. She
confessed on being congratulated that
she had tried hard to keep herself too
much occupied to have time to wor-
ry. And then I laughingly told her
that 1t had been a great relief to me
personally when / knew / didn't have
to keep corked up any longer she
said: We'll, you wouldn't believe how
careless people are who ought to know
enough to keep corked up. The first
time Mr.. Baker went over. I didn't
even tell the children that he had
gone. I didn't care to impose on
them the necessity of corking up. But
four days after he had left they came
home from school telling me that the
children there were insisting that
papa was on the way to France
which they had of course strenuously
denied Weren't the children silly.
OF course, / told them the truth then
but it was perfectly evident that
some one had been talking who ought
not to have done so!"
Which but adds to the enduring
wonder at the immunity with which
our big men come and go. There 1:
another even now, in fact there arr
half a dozen others, but one in par
ticular, one Of our big executive men
the announcement OF whose arriva
is momentarily expected-and wht
will undoubtedly have arrived as this
is read. And yet'certainly hundred:
know when these men are in transit
and some one is sure to be careless
IL only in mentioning the fact befor,
the children who won't understand
the gravity Of the necessity for 81.
lence; or carelessly in street car!
and other public places where they
cannot know who hears.
The Cabinet people themselves are
very careful. Only the night before
word came Of Bakers safe arrival
Mrs. Lane was discussing over the
telephone the absurd rumors thai
have repeatedly come from abroad
that the President was likely to &c
over. And she asked. How about
that other arrival-isn't II nearly time
we were hearing of that?" 1t was
But since the word had not YET
come, though q few more sentence:
were exchanged on the subject
neither she nor mentioned any
name. Both knew, and each knew
that the other knew. There was
probably no one within hearing al
either end. But, well, 1t was better not!
Mrs. Lane, by the way. has beer
devoting all her energies to getting
a convalescent home which the Wal
Relief organization of the interior
Department is about opening UP
ready for its occupants. It is a big
house out on Georgia avenue. neal
Walter Reed Hospital. which ha.
been rented and fitted up by the
workers of the Interior Department
and which is designed to relieve, tc
a slight extent at least, the pressure
on the overcrowded hospital; and te
provide q place where convalescent
soldiers, still in need of careful
nursing, may be cared for in more
cheerful surroundings than those
provided by military hospital
The Interior Department Wal
Work Association has shown a pion.
eer spirit from the very beginning
and this convalescent home which
Is being opened yesterday and today
for inspection of the Interior De-
partment employees and will receive
| its patients Monday, is quite a new
departure for a government war
work association. 1t is a pleasant
country home surrounded by smooth
lawns and shaded by fine trees. Mrs
Lane has been up to New York once
or twice buying furnishings, and
a, every morning for the last two
weeks has gone downtown shopping
for it-kitchen furnishings and
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