The Ocala evening star. [volume] (Ocala, Fla.) 1895-1943, 1918-07-10
IN THE RED CROSS RANKS
By Betsey Massey

/ Red Cross rooms this afternoon, it's
/ so warm said Mae, as she lounged
| in the porch hammock at home about
1880 O'Clock one morning talking to
her chum.
mo, / wouldn't" sympathized Janet.
you've been doing your bit and it
seems to me there ought to be enough
without YOU"
EYES," continued Mae, "You see it
is really work. you've no idea what
they make you do. Sometimes you go
down and you sit all afternoon long
at table just folding and folding all
j the time, and the next time they make
you wrap and pack and every one
seems in such rush your head fairly
whirls trying to keep up. it is most
trying. Then other times you stand
and cut and cut and cut, and it is
work. Why, I've gone so regularly
all winter. I've gone for half day
every week, and today it is just so hot
| can't go out"
II thought" interposed Janet, "the
workrooms were so cool. / heard that
some of the rooms were up way high
where there was fine breeze and
that the others had electric fans. /
should think it would be delightful.
Of counsel haven't been able to go
because I'm so busy at home, but
knit a little bit and that helps"
at is pretty COOL" admitted Mae,
| "but you see the trouble is getting
ready and going out. 1t is so hot, and
| I'm so comfortable here at home. /
don't think anything would move me
this Afternoon to get out in the sun, /
just couldn't do it. / suppose I'd
better telephone / can't go because
they are depending on me, but I'll
give some kind of excuse"
Mae started for the telephone, but
just as she got to the door, the bell
rang, and when she took up the re-
ceiver the frown disappeared, and
her smiles returned and in her sweet
est telephone voise said, "Oh, yes, I'd
love to, why of course, yes, I'll be
ready in fifteen minutes, sure"
And returning to the porch, Mae
enthusiastically exclaimed, ooh, Fred
just asked me to lunch with him at
the club, wasn't that grand of him, so
come ON, I've got just ten minutes to
dress"
| 81 thought it was too hot to go out
for anything" called Janet as she
followed Mae into the house.
"Oh, but this is different you know.
couldn't overlook such an invita-.
ton. All the girls are crazy about
Fred, and they'll be so envious of me.
I've got to go, and you know is really
isn't so hot when you get out, it's
just the getting started"
Now, dear reaoer, does this apply
| to you? Are you that kind Of q pat
riot? Just because the weather is a
little warm are you lying at home in
/ the hammock without thought about
the boys over there tslying out in
No Mans Land" waiting for the
stretcher bearers? Don't you know it
/ gets pretty hot in the trenches
Don't you know it is worse yet on the
ebattle field? Think of the suffering
of the wounded men who lie for hours
without drop of water to moisten
their parched lips! Think what it
would mean to those men, if when
| they arrived at the dressing stations
there were no dressings to bind their
wounds, because all the women of
| America had found it "too hot" to
work
Can't you learn to be Red Cross
soldier woman at home? Haven't you
any backbone, any grit, that your
patriotism should vanish the minute
| it is a little warm or rainy, or when
you have luncheon or picture show
| invitation?
Don't you know the soldiers have
to fight day and night, continuously
when the call comes, without thought
of heat or cold, rain or sun, sleep or
no sleep, and they are doing it gladly
without even murmur, and they are
fighting for you just as surely as if
you lived in devastated France, in
stead of being comfortably housed in
/ your own home, not even suffering
any inconvenience as a result of the
war?
And yet, in return for all your gov
eminent is doing for you, and despite
the needs of the boys "over there, "
there are still Stacker women in our
midst who are not engaged in Red
Cross work who still think too much
! of their own pleasure to help.
Don't you realize that if you say
you will do Red Cross work on a GER
tain day every week, you should con-
slider yourself obligated to fill that
engagement just as much as if you
were enlisted in the army and your
commanding officer called on you to
forward march 2"
Haven't you yet caught Whit of
the Red Cross spirit, the feeling of
joy in doing? If you will only work
in the Red Cross rooms, if you viii
picture in your mind how much the
bandage, or dressing you are making
will save suffering across the water,
you will grow to love the room, to!
love the work which brings you near
er to the brave men across the sea
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