The Delta independent., 1918-11-29
THE BLUE TRIANGLE
AT RUSSIA'S FRONT

The Blue Triangle clubrOOms in
Fctrograd were in half shadow. A
tew scattered candles flung CLEANS as
persistent and as vague as Russia's
hope of liberty. A hundred Russian
girls and six young men were guests
of the first Young Women's Christian
association in all Russia. 1t was
gaia afternoon tea but it was dark
because the winter days end at three
O'Clock and there is restriction on
the use of candles and kerosene as
well as of electricity.
The girls were making merry even
in the gloom of winter. the twilight
and the tragedy of war. One slender
white-faced girl with purple-shadOwed
eyes was merrier than all the rest.
Her wit and ringing laugh were con-
tagious
'.Sonya is wonderful tonight" one
girl whispered to another as she
stirred gently Into her tea the one
lump of sugar doled out carefully for
the party The Y. w. C. A. secre-
taries had been saving the sugar for
months-putting aside at each meal
one of the two Jumps served with the
coffee in the restaurant, that there
might he bit of sweet for this first
party. There was no bread.
"Sonya is not drinking her tea,'
her pale little admirer went on. yet
She tainted this morning at the fac
tory and the forewoman said she was
hungry"
We're all hungry" was the mo-
notonous reply. 1T wasn't that"
Something stopped the laughter and
talk suddenly but the hush that fell
in the dimly lit room was as joyous as
the gaiety One of Russia's greatest
singers stood by the piano and lifted
up her glorious voice filled with the
tears and heartbreak that people at
peace call thrills.
They went away early when the
music was done-these sad-eyed, half
starved little guests Of the Blue Tri-
nngle-for danger turks in the dark
of Petrograd streets, robberies and
murders-sharp little by-products of
| n nations chaos and world at war.
Sonya fingered after the others
We're gone. She was standing close
by the secretary-hostess' chair when
she turned from saying goodnight 10
the last one of the other girls. The
| laughter had died out of the girls
eyes and the gaiety from her voice.
''Will you give me a note to the
| factory superintendent" she asked
| 'tclling him I'm attending classes
| here at night?" She spoke in French
for she knew no English. and the sec
| retary. no Russian.
Yes. if il will help you" The sec
rotary was glad to give her such
| note but she was curious. Tell me
| why"
IF he knows the girls are going to
| night Glasses he won't put us on the
| night shift. He will let Us work days
so we can come. Yesterday l asked
| for the night shift. Today have
changed my mind"
The secretary wondered. Sonya
had not been in any of the classes.
Had the bright little party given her
an Interest in the work of the associa-
tionl Had the friendliness of the
| American secretaries reached her?
Was II the music that had given her
an impetus to study toward something
I beyond factory?
''W'hat is II that interests YOUR the
secretary asked her. You are not in
any of the classes now. are your What
is il you want to take up:"
This morning looked out the fac
! tory window" and Sonya's voice re-
minded the secretary of the call of
| night bird before a storm. Down in
the courtyard was crowd and three
men were killed. Killed by the po-
/ lice-the bolshevik police, while
| stood there and watched. They said
| they were anarchists. one was my
! brother. Another was my sweetheart.
| came here tonight to forget. But ]
I cannot forget. Always | will remem-
her. l want nothing now but TO car
ry on their work, and to do that must
| study and Learnt must learn English
ind many other things. want to go
! in all the classes. If the foreman al
the factory knows | do that. he will
help. He will let me work days"
| In the dark. the hunger. the cold.
and the terror of Hetrograd. the Blue
Triangle is sending out its shining in
| vitatlon to the bewildered women and
Young girls Of Russia. II Is offering
little oasis In the midst of the
| chaos where they may come and rest
and relax. play games. listen To
music. study English. French stenog-
raphy. bookkeeping, or music, and as
one tired girl expressed it, forget for
the moment that they are in Pe,ro-
grad, Most of the girls who gather
at the sign of the Blue Triangle are
bookkecpers and stcnngrapherS, hut
scattered among them are factory
| girls, dcmcstics, and girls who never
| have worked.
I'm Fetrocrad and elsewhere In