The herald-advance. (Milbank, S.D.) 1890-1922, 1918-01-04
TO AID THEIR MEN
British Women Disregard Former
High Social Positions.
Female Population May BE Found Any
Place Doing Such Work as Will
Help the Cause.

"By Jove, I never felt more like an
ass in my life, old chap" 1t was an
old British colonel speaking. He had
just returned from a government mis-
sion to the colonies, and seated before
a great open fire Of his London club,
he was relating to Il crOny some OF
his experiences while away. 1T was
while l was in Sidney. Knew a chap
out there and thought I'd drop in on
him. Walked up to the house and
rang the bell. Deucedly pretty maid
answered, and, by Jove, so strong was
the force Of habit, don't you know, J.
up and kissed her before l realized
she was my own niece"
And don't think for a minute that
the old ~colonel's experience was
unique, except in a few minor details.
Others may not have developed such
%osculatory habits, but many an office
has come back from the frost and
found his women folk working as do
mcstics in London. The pretty young
work of the hospital waiting room or
busily busting the furniture Of the
club parlor may be a duchess or coun-
tess or the daughter Of n millionaire
wine merchant. There's no telling
| these days, and the English public is
| 50 accustomed to being waited upon
by its ~:entlewomen that it has come
to accept it as u matter Of course.
Not 81 with the Sammy, though,
| says an exchange. He'd be the first to
resent the charge OF being undemocrat-
ic, but still the thought Of being
served by one Of the "4OO" is almost
| too much for him. He was a pretty
fresh young man when he first hit
England. He had a reputation for
breeziness 10 uphold. and by the spike
of IIeinic's hat, he was going to live
| an to it. But when he learned that
the young woman servant was the
daughter Of one Of the peers Of the
realm he wilted.
For one may find the English gen
tlewGn,an any place and doing any
kind OF mental labor. She isn't the
petted and pampered dollhouse product
popular %novelists would have YOU be-
Iieve her once TO have been. Instead,
she's a mighty sensible, industrious,
patriotic person. Her brothers and
Sweethearts are "olt there doing
their bit ard she is carrying on" back
home. It's no longer Il novel sight to
| see her manipulating the intricate ma
| chinery OF the munitions plant or
l Sl-illfpIlr <.y,iIsnr - fo-i thrnrrh fha
fog-shrouded streets of London. In a
| white uniform she wears the red cross
in the hospitals of France and her ma
tive island. And now she is plying
the dust cloth and the mop, washing
; dishes, answering doors and doing the
thousand and n other things that
have to- be done.
Nothing is too mental for her to at
\ tempt if it adds to the comfort OF the
men who have given their all for Bri-
tannia. There's Lady Evelyn King,
! eldest daughter Of the earl and count.
ess Of Lcvelace, who Is Il hOuseInaid
at a Weymouth hospital. She was a
debutante just a few years ago and
at the time she was presented to King
George she was expected to become
OF the leaders of London society
She is tall, with dark brown hair and
eyes Of the same hue, and is consid.
cred one of the most beautiful women
in London. When war was declared
; she was rapidly fulfilling the predic.
tons made for her popularity at the
time Of her coming out. But now she
is Il servant in one OF the many hos
pitfalls ia England.