Every evening, Wilmington daily commercial., 1919-01-18
Mostly About People

packing case will leave old City Hal,
on Monday, that contains vas, ahoult
of 60 4 cheer and comfort for family ~
Belgium, and with IL are conveyed me
sympathy and the good wishes of many
people here who know of the 81ifennR8
this family hna gone through since August
1914 The box goes to Bonoit ven Yer
peit, his wife Mary aud their three litile
boys and one little daughter u y quite
full enough of things to share with Their
friends and neghbprs, and thus Wlli
provide for q little community over there,
where the Hun has left the lasting marks
81 his never to-be forgotten, ncver-tD-b be
forgiven. cruelty, the cruelty Of not only
the leaders. but Of the individual German,
who took advantage Of every opportunity
for murder and theft
The box is going because OF n letter
that camo q few days ago to Hortensc
Lore. Belgian refugee, who lett hfr
country on October y, 1914, spent two
years 10 Ireland, and then came over here,
So igr with the Brnghursts at Rock
vond She IS still here, but hopes -
return 10 her family this sprung, i con
fitiops warrant We cannot imagine the
Joy and relief that came to Hortensc
!, hen she got this letter, the first she has
In 1917 she heard of ono brother, taken
prisoner n Llprc, and then Kept ty NC
Huns ~ Germany Df her four sisters ana
her other brother She knew nothing 'li
tho letter camc from her brotheT-n lawi
E,enelt The letter Is IN Flemish, and ms
10 nc translated by Hortenqe, when 7hc
reads fo her friends here Some - if5
expressions are quaint For insihnee
Befr.4 griics No sheet Of paper would
bear ot,l <ufFcrinps and certainly This =
- Starvation, nc speaks d, ono pint ~
soup day, or \ few beans and iit1le,
rice Potaioes we're too expensive ana
scnrcc 10 think about especially AZ there
was no Worf. sith which 70 earn money
Can We possibly imagine what It wouln
10 IT, htio III holes ~ the ground ~ day, Il,
keet. rom bcinq captured tv the lliiS
Yot his Il whnt these peoi4e dId lith
they rtsted their lives - 20 out ~ niRhl ,
ami rut down trees to burn tor Wartntiii
knowing that tho Huns would either klll
III Inpr,4on them, Il they were discovered.
NiaAs nights were spent ID the held5 y
T,r.yon' he Germans finding them n th'ir
tsoa art unatclv they were more clever
Ht h~ Huns. and succeeded IA out
n. hcrn
Tbp armlstlce brought more trouble
C..rtaau4 III retreat killed an enormous iot
'eigIAus and they stole everything
II. ould find. horses, cows, bedding
thing the I}elglans had Germans
,,nt- l,ossrseon III the ven Verpeit
housr. killed their cows, and forced the
family 10 cook the meat Then the thieves
ate ii and denied the family any. hey
slept in the beds, and the family seTr on
straw But the song is too long TO sing,
was VI ven Verpclt' summing up o. thelI
mIseries Then he proceeds % say tna'
tbcv are in need Of everything IN the way
If clothing. and would De glad to nave
something from America. shirts are %
francs that used 70 Re or ? u francs, anc
socks are is to IL francs, that once were
and ! y francs. The only hope y thal
things VIII be better before long. The Do'
will make them better Tor . while, but 7
will probably be Il long time before any
thing permanent IN the way o. Feilet can
be brought about.
That i. whv women are asked 10 keer
on sewing at old City Hall md other lted
Cross centers. There are many many
+ thousands ef families ike the ven er'
pelts. The one way 70 DO anything Ioi
them il to help make them clothes. VINO
will denv few hours work week loi
people ike this, who bra-ely carry On nlllu
distress! i.nok over the Red ross
calendar and sec what time and place i
most convenient for sewing, and look a
the Monday night class at Old CITY Hali
/ IL IS in especial need Of sewers. 100
many cannot respond, too lew means
neglect Of the unfortunate,
Becoming thirty years OF age IS beng
taken more lightly than seriously py me
New Century Club, That very staid aua
conservative organization = having. q
real party. gentlemen invited, something
i that has happened very seldom since lt-
| career began III 1889, when a woman $
club was an innovation IN The community
! There is every reason why the club may
heave 4 sigh oi satisfaction, iook back
upon It's 70 wears Of endeavor-ior z
! began full grown and never had TO ~
/ coddled along-and then be gay about al
/ that It has done and hasn done, All
! that il has achieved and all that It stand
/ for in the city. II stands for great deal
as the FIVE minute speeches will show TO
night. after club members and their hus
bands and men friends have ''suppered
in the drawingroom. Mrs. Prentls:
Nichols, president Of the New Centur!
| Club of Philadelphia, ls 70 make one Of th'
coneratulatorv speeches. Every woman
club has a mother and the Philadelphl.
club is the mother OF the first club TO b.
! organized in Delaware.
! OF course there viii be fluctuations b,
| the president, Mrs. Robert =. Rayne
| and the corporation president, Mrs