Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1919-03-25
IF YOU GAVE OF
CLOTHES YOU'LL
HARKEN TO, THIS

] ROCK 1SlAHu QcOpf6 WuOt66sS OAS
clothes to the Red Cross in the ole
clothing drive which terminates to
morrow, or who<wfll give. will b<
interested in the = following storJ
which, tells something about how
the needy obtain thesapparel in the
destitute sections of \the wr-torn
countries:
Three refugees came in through
the door a little timidly, as If un-
known places were still fearful to
them. They stood silently before
the desk where the woman was
writing. She did not raise her
head until she was ready to ques-
SCOTS Vestiaire. in the stately old
/ house in the Faubourg St Honore,
; have given out clothing for refu-
gees for four years now and in the
| last few months they have handled
the distributions for the American
Red Cross for all Paris. 1t is not
that they do not notice. 1t is only
that they aresso very busy.
She looked up only to see the
number in Thea family, to ask the
name, and If they had been given
clothing before.
Belle, madame. This is Lucien.
He is g. And Germafne is s. This
is the first time, madame"
The attendant reached for a
blank record card and copies on It
swiftly the facts she found on the
blue card clutched in the woman's
hand 1t indicated that they were
a worthy refugee family, tnvesti-
gated by a Red Cross@worker, very
poor, badly in need of clothing.
She looked up quickly at the end.
Now what is it youaneed, mad
ame?''
Whatever madame wishes to
give" The little group stood 81
Ientty, grave eyes on the question
er. Their clothing was ragged.
the little boys feet were almost
bare through his worn cloth espa-
drilles. But after one had learned
what IL IL to be refugee one has
nothing left but that waiting look.
The woman behind the desk
wrote on q slip Of paper.
"a skirt for You. perhaps, mad
amT'
"If you will, madame" was the
murmured answer.
And . blouse and two chem
ises?"
Again the murmur, always duiet,
always with that holding OF the
breath. "ff you will, madame"
And q pettieoat and a shawl.
And for the children. Germaine-"
But Gefmaine was too young to
remember always what il was to
be a refugee. She thrust her little
tousIed head forward. "A new
dress. madame, please, Please.
new dress.~ And she held out her
tiny skirt, torn, thin, wet with Feb
ruary rain,
A visible shade came over the
calm face Of the woman behind the
desk. Her fingers still wrote rap
idly. "Germaine Bolle. one pair OF
shoes, two pairs Of stockings, two
flannel Yetticeats. two pairs of
drawers. But-but I'm afraid,
Miss Jenkins" she interrupted her |
self hurriedly and in English.
See IL you can possibly find q |
little girls dress for me. know |
they haven't been sending us any
from the Red Cross, but maybe
this child does want a new one"
And she wrote out the list of the
boy, putting in two extra pairs of |
stockings because he would be the
worker of the family.
Then the three, clutching their
slips Of paper with the writing on
them that meant warmth and COM !
fort, moved slowly down the hall |
to the room crowded with bundles |
of clothing gathered from the |
workreoms Of America,
Past the desk moved other
groups. First, two old, old women,
with a little boy. Their cards |
showed they had been twice eyacu-
ated Ia two years, and that the lit
tie boy was . child they had
found. They needed aprons and
good warm petticoats, and he
needed shoes and trousers, Then
next came o young mother with a
baby and her old father who stood
with dim eyes blinking1out of the
window. He was bent with rheu-
but, you must appear in
person, for fear you should be
His sabofs dumped
heavily toward the room where the
men are dressed. Two young boys.
In nondescript huddle OF gar
ments, came in, one with q horri-
bly, distorted face, bandaged. The
other had such cold on his lungs
that he only wheezed when he
talked. They had been prisoners
In Germany and had walked in
rom far beyond Nancy. Some SOL
Tiers had given them a little cloth
ng, but 1t was not warm enough.
Then came three young girls.
speaking French with a pretty.
accent; charming girls,
With refined, cultured manners.
rhey were SeTbians, their cards
lead. and their histories indicated
and educated parents
But they were grateful for the stiff,
muslin underwear and
he flannel blouses which was all
he Vestiaire could give them.
All day long the procession went
" the desk, out into the clothing
'ooms and then again across the
Dom and out the other door. AL
vays the groupS waiting by the
lesk had that air of holding the
'reath. Always at the outer door
hey paused. with that instructive
Of the French, turn
d and murmured to the room,
Bon jour, mesdames. Thank you,
nesdames." And then they would
mile, the old people vaguely, the
'eungeF women with renewed
outrage, the children-oh, the chill