The daily banner. (Cambridge, Md.) 1897-2008, 1918-08-29
A Woman Refugee and Baby

| The days of the American Red
! Cross via Giusti Home for Refugees
| are numbered. One by one, family
| by family, its inmates are leaving
some to new homes of their own and
J others to join relatives, lost in the
confusion of flight and now found
through the efforts of the Italian au-
thorities or the American organiza-
ton When neither relatives can be
found nor work be secured, because
of age or ill-health of the refugee,
the doors of the "PaIaZzo Reals"
tRoyal Palace at Monza, a short
ride from Milan. are opened to these
homeless ones. At the Palazzo
Reale, given over by the Royal Fami-
ly to Italys old and destitute, these
victims of a cruel invasion find a
permanent and grateful refuge. Par
ticularly do the old women sent there
revel in the softness of the blankets
and the whiteness of the PalaZzo's
sheets.
But there still remains at the
home in 2S Via Giusti the prize baby
born at the Refuge, and his mother
There are many sad stories of that
flight from Northern Italy before on
coming enemy troops-stories of chill
dren torn from their parents, of mo-
theirs seeing their little ones swept
from bridges to the swift current of
a river below, of old people trampled
under foot. Maria Daniolis' story is
only one of many heart-breaking
ones. but it carries the added sting
of suspense-of the truth, whatever
it may be, unknown.
When the last hour came and all
were forced to flee from the home
village, Maria's three little girls
were at the home of an aunt. Maria
herself. a small son and two nephews
were hurried into a crowded cannon
and driven away What was her re-
lief when but a short distance on the
way to see, as she thought, the faces
of her three little girls in a cannon
behind Poor Maria, great disap-
pointment and grief was in store for
her. When the camions at length
had passed the Tagliamento bridge,
and arrived at place of safety, 1T
was found that her eyes had played
her false-no trace could be found
of her three little girls. Then fol-
lowed the trip tc Milan, the birth of
her baby-but no word of the three
children now on the list of the miss
ing.
Week has followd week, and mon
tn followed month, but they are not
to be found, at least in free Italy.
For the official list of all refugee
children separated from their parents
and cared for in different places
throughout Italy, is now complete,
but the names OF Maria's three little
daughters do not appear among the
number. Whether they were left be-
hind and are now within the enc
Imy's lines-which, dreadful as 1T
sounds, is what the mother hopes
or whether, they were among the
many lost forever, is the unanswered
question ever haunting the mind of
poor Maria Daniels.
1t is Maria's Growing beautiful ba-
by, Pietro, the pride and joy of the
nurses at the Via Giusti Home, that
keeps her sane and if not happy, at
least not wholly respondent. AS soon
as he is little older and Maria can
secure work that will support her
and little Pietrc-and perhaps the
older boy-she will leave the Home
like all the rest and begin life anew.
l'.Dope la Guerra" CATER the war; ,
the phrase that is on so many lips
these days. With Maria Daniels it
means not only the hoped-for re-
union with her husband soldier
at the front-but, who knows, the
finding of her little girls, safe, let
us hope, behind the enemy lines.
| -O---