The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1918-09-02
FINDS LOST men
Red Cross Searcher Goes Thru
Hospitals.
Brings Things to the Boys as
She Goes Thru.
IS SORT OF A REGULAR SISTER
The Boys Say She Is Like a
Ray of Sunshine.
She Is Furnished With Lists of
the Missing.
IS SORT OF A REGULAR SISTER
BY FRANK ]. TAYLOR.

With the American troops in Lor
raine, Aug. IA (by maiI-She was just
q regular American girl. like the
nurses in the hospital, but she wasn't
ia nurses uniform. She wore an
ordinary blue dress, the kind any
body's sister might have on back there
in the states.
Up and down the ward she went,
with some bags in her hand, visiting
every patient. She had a few words
and smile for each. All of them
seemed to know her, the new ones as
well as the old ones.
With the intelligent man she had a
few words of a more serious nature,
with the man from Italy who'd lived
but a short time in New York before
Joining the army, it was mostly slang.
The Russian with his head cracked,
who knew no French or English,
wanted to shake hands.
So she shook hands and he felt bet
ter. Want anything" she said. He
didn't understand, so she went thru
her bag and showed him tooth-paste,
shaving sticks, combs, brushes, cigar
cts. and he took the latter. He was
happy.
Sort of Regular Sister.
How do you feel today?" she asked
the Frenchman in his own tongue and
gave him few words EveryWnere
she seemed to have plenty of time to
visit, and she went up close to the
men on the cots when she spoke to
them, like a sister to brother. NO
long distance charity this.
Yet with all her visits she went thru
the ward in very few moments cheer-
ing up the negro doughboys as well as
the whites and treating everyone with
equal attention. -,
"Forgot your toothbrush, did you ~
she asked one man, You ought 10
know better than that. When you
come to a hospital you can forget your
pass or anything else but never your
+oothbrush. Here's another, I'll give
YOU, and don't go anywhere Wltnou'
it,"
In short hours she had made the
rounds of dozen wards, vlsltlng ever
patient, giving some little Dass VIII
soap. washcloths, toothbrushes anc
other necessaries in them. chatting
with all, and promising to get cigarets
writing paper. pencils or what no
for numbers of them.
whats my job?" she repeaIee
and then replied to the questioner, ,
I'm a Red Cross searcher. rms ism
NV regular work Going thru the
wards like that is only a side-line. TIT
Red Cross sends me supplies, tho, ant
it's lots of fun to visit those chaps II
there, and they seem to like it.
The Boys Like Her.
The "chaps in there" did. and YOU
could tell it by their faces as sh'
passed thru as well as one of them, al
English Tommy, did with words JUS
after she left him. He leaned towar'
a bunkie and said in unwritable COCK
ney, "Say, she's a peach, isn't she
Just like a ray of sunshine whe1
you're in the trenches up to you
neck in mud on a rainy day"
Come over to my office, II yo1
wish, and I'll explain what Re-
Cross searcher is,' she answered t.
another question.
1t was a little wooden office, nea
inside as only woman could max
it, with flowers around, and picture
on the wall, pictures that had nothing
to do with the war. There wer'
cushions on the seats and chairs, AM
magazines on the table. 1t looked Xix
a den in somebody's summer home.
Its part of the game to have
nice office" she said, smiling. "W
want the boys to like to come around
Anyway, like to have a neat offic
and get pictures up that are nothing
like these wartime surroundings.
Lists of Missing.
"See these lists They're sent GU