Richmond times-dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1914-current, 1918-12-31

the poem advocated was moral and NOT
r rioS s,sa'. II was really fine. impas-
;,d appeal. and: widely circulated.
undoubtedly eXerted an influence.
Some time after writing It. Mrs
wilcox did thing which she doubts.
sne tod me. If any other versifer has
poem: This parody: which is called.
II Did Not Come Home Clean" runs
as follows:
This IS the song for IL woman.
AS she crosses the seas of storm
10 the lands afar. where bathtubs are,
And water that runs and is warm.
On. turn on the faucet fully
me not. hot faucet mean.
ana MI up my tub for grand old
For I have not come home clean.
! have done my bit for the soldiers
| have helped wherever | could.
! have lived Il life that was moral
And my thoughts have been high and
But no matter where labored.
IN hospital hut or canteen.
lhoush ! tried and tried and wept and
could no; come home clean.
On. not the tram or the railroad
And not the French hotel,
Not even war bread. the worst has sa id
or woman's part in this he'll!
But the old shrill cry for a ba,htub
Can Ca, , tel What VIVA, that word may mean
For ] have not come home clean.
oh. it is not medals of honor.
Or badges for which yearn
E But l do hope that a box of soap
VIII wait me on my return.
And ,d, the time I spend in the bathroom.
VIII not be short j ween,
For in praise and prayer l will linger
there,
Until come forth clean
SENDS cory or POEM
TO TELEPHONE CONTROLLER
When Mrs. Wilcox wrote to the CON
tTToiier Of London,s telephones, she in
Clean" with her missive. The latter
was couched in the following terms:
My Dear Mr.; C8ntroller,-The in.
explain the difficulties under which 1
labored during my seven months in
france in trying to get a bath. l real
have taken Charming apartment at
the American Women's Club. and this
apartment contains the latest double
alas; telephone OIL the wall left by
the late Red Cross workers. who used
inc rooms for offices. prevents the de-
scent or the hath TO receive my wait
ing form.
"A request has been In your Offices
Tor three weeks for its removal, yet
pray. plead and iniplore that You send
a man to remove said phone and al
low said tub TO descend 10 receive said
ii earen.
Very respectfully yours.
ELLA WHEELER WILCOX"
EFFECT OF
LETTER WAS IMMEDIATE
The electrical effect of my letter
was Immediate" said Mrs. Wilcox. AL
troller could have received it, an ennis
sary OF his arrived on the scene and
had in the telephone out in no time. BY
controlIer himsef e ie exeia mem th fne
The The necessities ,ce Of the war had obliged
stating telephones. with the result
mat u, rd there had to be certain delay
Blu, he added that he wa was deliEhted to
"lle declared that my verses had
he would appreciate very much my
permission to publish them in the Post
Office and Telegraph Journal, which
"Finally. added Mrs. ' SneS s'y :the
Mr.. G. L. Preston. was kind
visit TO one OF their exchanges would
interest me, and that he hoped that
s would name me. an early date which would
very interesting experience. and it is
now arranged that I shall have it this
lish friends are assuring me that with
my letter combined with my poem, i
have succeeded in accomplishing what
it is doubtful IL royalty itself would
be able 10 accomplish in the same space
OF time. OF course. am very pleased
about II, and, as l have already told
you. ! am literally wallowing in my
bath"
Mrs. Wilcox says that she now in
tends to be in England until April or
possibly June. Then she will return to
The United States. She is known to
be tremendously interested in ''psy-
chic" matters. which the war with it's
Wholesale bcreavcments has brought so
much to the fore in England OF late
and she is constantly writing and lee
turing on the subject. She is coming
100, into close touch with the many
prominent people, Sir Oliver Lodge
among them, who are leaders in the
and during the last week
end, she tells me. was one of a house
party. which also included Sir oliver,
Lady Dewar, Lady Amy Palmer and
other prominent spiritualists. The
scene OF this house party was The
'riory." near Windsor. and the hos
less was Mrs. Kelway Bamber, who
recently published an extraordinarily
volume entitled Glands Book" which,
like Sir Oliver Lodges Raymond"
consists of the spirit communica lions"
Of her late son. who fell in France
Copyright, 1918.