South Bend news-times. (South Bend, Ind.) 1913-1938, 1919-01-26

I hlSS tG4SIA
typical Of Miss Little that she should
determine to 20 TO New York in 1917
in orde: to make herself more pro-
ficient by taking a summer course in
Y. w. c. A work At that time she
had not thought of foreign fields,
but was simply aiming TO make her
self more lit TO serve her own De-
troit girls.
Her work, however. was watched
by many Observant eyes and very
soon the call came. Would she go
to France? Thus it came about that
Miss Little sailed in May. 1918. She
had intended TO stay just six months.
was she signed up for another half
year.
Miss Little went first to Paris.
From there she was assigned to a
permanent location at st. Etienne.
St. Eetienne is a French industrial
town. Great munition plants were
located there. Girls from every
where worked in these plants. Many
of the girls were refugees from in
vaded France. where they had seen
things horrible enough to craze them
forever.
At St. Etienne. as in many other
French cities, a foyer was construct
ed out of bare boards and a great
park turned over to the use of the
American Y. w. C. A. The appear
ance of the interior of the foyer
was soon rendered homelike by the
clever young women workers. There
were tables where the girls could
write to their soldier sweethearts
and husbands, there were coy cor
ners where they could snuggle down
with magazine or book after the
days work. And for those who
wanted to use them there were sew
ing machines and ironing boards.
Presently evening classes were es-
tablished, in which the girls studied
English. Amateur theatricals were
worked up: entertainers and lectur-
ers from Paris came down. Thus out
of the desolation came a little order
and a little hight.
Inc AlllGIlCdslS dAoo AdaoAAN NAAC
French the use of their own great
outdoors The girls were led TO the
park on summer evenings. Here
they would build fires and make cof-
fee to drink with the luncheons that
they brought with them. SO under
the ancient French poplar trees they
learned 10 enjoy a real American pic
mic.
The younger girls were taught
games. for French girls never have
played. They know no games, but
are delighted with them, once they
learn the way of them. Then they
were taught folk dances, too, which
they executed with charming grace.
The Story of Maria.
What this recrea ton and home life
means to girls fresh from lands Of
suffering and agony is almost be-
yond comprehension unless YOU are
ACQUAINTED with a little bit of their
personal history. For instance,
there is Maria, who lived through
the storming of Lille OF whom one
worker tells in her report:
Before the war Maria was a
happy little housemaid in the town
of Lille. She lived with her parent
and was frugally saving for her dot.
Already her linen chest was piled
high.
when Lille was bombarded
Maria's first thought was TO get her
aged mother TO safety. Regardless
of the falling shrapnel she hurried
home across the town.
Just outside her door she met a
neighbor's little girl screaming with
terror. Trying TO comfort her. she
took the child by the arm. The child
screamed again and Maria found
herself holding only 10 an arm. The
child had been hit by a falling shell
and her arm literally torn off.
when Maria climbed the stairs
she called TO her mother. There was
no answer. And there across the bed
she found her. killed by a shell
which had crashed through the roof.
"A few days later Maria heard
that her father h:d been killed in
action After living through the Ger
man occupation she was sent back.
q physical wreck"
such is the typical story OF a
French girl munitions worker which
the y. w. c. A secretaries at the
Powers des Allies" as the Y. w.
c. a. club houses in France are call
ed frequently hear. For the four
years Of the war great numbers have