Albuquerque morning journal. [volume] (Albuquerque, N.M.) 1903-1926, 1919-11-09
80

Yes, indeed, this has truly been o
Red Cross week. Loi the poor society
editor. We have been frequently in
formed that the informer was going
nowhere but to her little card club,
and We have completely exhausted the
editorial breath hunting out the lit
tie clubs" which, in every case is a
different one and my, but they are
still about themselves, We don't think
we have found nearly all of them,
either. Kindly step forward. But it
was very fitting to step back for the
Red Cross and there was something
efficiently chic about those cars of
canvassers. Now was there not?
There is appealing charm in a well
groomed service worker. And we do
not doubt it is an ignoring of enticing
material to not write up the lunch
cons.
o.
'Twould appear by what we have
read that everything has not been
happening as it should in regard to
the prosperity of the drive. Isn't that
so? That we have been slow about
going way over the top? Wen, there Is
one more day for the last big pull and
apropos there is little story.
o.
CASTLES REBUILT.
That is what we win call it, be-
cause it is not the story of the Home
Service entirely, nor of Erna Mary
Ferguson, wholly, but rather of re-
construction and charity that begins
at home.
In the spring of 1918 the local Home
Service work was competently begun
under the direction of the late Dave
Rosenwald, and after his call to Camp
Cody it was taken up by Mrs. Louis
Ilfeld and Miss Ferguson who labor
ed many weeks over the organization
and creation of an extended bureau.
Though not shown by any stinting
of effort in this great war work, in
which she was not lacking in much
willing aid it was ever the hope of
Miss Ferguson to eventually go to
France. More than a hope it was
"A Castle in Spain" in the building
of which each stone was a brilliant
gem of glorified service "over there"
And with each mythical stone in the
castle went a forceful granite into the
concrete building of the Home Serv-
ice.
In August, 1918, Miss Ferguson
put in her application for overseas
work and passed the various examin-
ations, but the order to proceed was
delayed for one reason and another
till the armistiCe was signed and all
sailing orders were cancelled. She
then accepted the appointment of
field supervisor, for the state of New
Mexico, mountain division of civilian
relief, and gave to the work. a tre-
mendous energy at the same time
hoping for a call in the overseas work
of reconstruction.
The National Federation of Wom-
ems clubs sent Miss FERGUSON in
structions twice to report for sailing
on certain dates, one of which had
passed by the time it's announcement
arrived, and the other was annulled
by just some such trick of fate. With
but momentary disappointment she
hopefully went on with the work
here
At last came a definite conclusive
order from the Red Cross canteen
service, to proceed to New York on
receipt of Il telegram which would
be transmitted in time to catch a
transport sailing on such and such
a date. And OH but there was re-
joicing in the land, even those who
would miss her most including the
local office were glad for her. Miss
FERGUSON resigned and her friends
gave luncheons and dinners and there
was great preparation awaiting the
fateful telegram. 1t was glorious to
hear Miss Ferguson at this time,
always vivid, in listening to her then
one became carried away and imagin-
alton ran riot as to the marvellous re-
suit of the experience for her. Final
ly message did arrive but it an
nounced that there was an oversight
and the canteen service could not
draw on the personnel of civilian re-
lief. Division headquarters offered re-
lease but the national would not.
And thus the castle tumbied! But
she built another. out of wonderful
material close at hand. Her part of
the grand reconstruction program of
the Home Service in her jurisdiction.
All summer she has organized over
the state, here, there and everywhere.
She has dashed into the offices,
searched for the root Of tangle and
Strengthened it then into a movie to
render rouslng little speech, and
afterwards looked in on club to tell
them all about it. Taken the train at