Perth Amboy evening news., 1919-05-31
Hostess House AID
Families Of Men
From Overseas

HAs NNA@
sess.)
Coblenz, Germany,
March 2s lBy Mail.)
1t happened right here In Coblsnz.
A big corporal came into the 7. W.
O. A. Hostess House and asked for the
director, Miss Ruth woodsmall, who
comes from Colorado Springs, Colo.
"Could my mother stay hsref" he
began at once, trying his best to cover
his excitement.
"Your mother" gasped Miss Wood
small. "How did your mother evsr get
heref"
well, she isn't here yet, but II she
comes will yop keep herr"
"of course I will, but
Sh didn't euish, for thu boy had
smashed his back on his head and
was out Of the door on a run.
The corporal's visit remained q mys-
terry for two days. Then n evening
Just at dusk a little white haired wo-
man dressed exQuisitely In black ap-
peared In the sitting room Of the Host
ess House, and the corporal WINS hover
ing behind her, trying to be beside her
and back Of her and In front of her
all at once. He was carrying her
coat-a big fur one. With them were
three doughboys, pals Of the corporal.
They tried to keep In the background,
but their eyes were glued on her face.
Everyone In the sitting room sat at
attention. There are no English
speaking men or women out of uni
form in the Third Army area. Yet
here was q woman in civilian clothes.
Mothers are unheard Of with the army,
But this was a mother. everyone knew.
After awhile someone found out
about this mother.
Had Been Interned During War.
She and her husband, who were
born In Germany, but had been nat.
urnllzed, lived In San Francisco. Be-
fore the war they left for weisbaden,
Germany. that their invalid daughter
might have treatment at this famous
health resort.
They brought their other children
with them. One wal Walter, q small
boy, and the other was Ralph, now
Corporal Stepp Of the American Army.
When the var was declared they
sen Ralph back to America, because
he was Of military age, and they did
not wan him to fight for the kaiser.
Then America entered the war.
Mrs. Stepp-Mrs. Anna Stepp she is
told this part Of the story:
until a month ago ] hadn't heard
from Ralph for two years and q half
ever before America got In the war
mail was held up. I didn't know
whether he was In the army or not
but / was nj he was, because-well,
because he Is an American" Here
she stopped a minute to smile up at
him. ~
"After awhile we heard from some
friends that he was In the army-7and
that he had come yer here. That was
all I W knew. It's nearly FIVE years
since i have seer him
"Of course II was awfully hard|
couldn't get word to him and he
couldn't to me. My husband used, to
tell me 1t wouldn't help Ralph any for
me to cry. Ttffedanot9 toa-before the
rest of them anyway. My daughter
got worse steadIly-she is no better.
We couldn't get the proper food for
her after awhile. = And she hated to
see me worried about Ralph, so I used
to try to keep up before them.
Last January my husband came to
Coblenz about his citizen papers. An
American soldier In Ralph's company
who vas in the office heard his name
and asked him II he was any relation
to Ralph. He didn't tell him Ralph
was In Coblenz, but went after Ralph.
He didn't tell Ralph his father was
here. When they met they couldn't
believe their eyes.
Ever since then I have been trying
to see Ralph. He couldn't come to
weisbaden because It was out OF the
American area. and I couldn't get
through until today-more than two
months"
They asked her II her Ralph had
changed much In all that time.
"Oh, yes-very much. But do you
know, I think 1t Is because all that
iOu8 tllue WhcH Il uluH l kIOW Wu6Te
he was OF how he was-I got In the
habit Of thinking of him as he was
when he was a baby| kept seeing
him as a baby end remembering the
way he felt when he was little. Isn't
that queer7 And now look at htmi"
And the corporal tried not to see the
alteration In her eyes.
"Ffve years is a long time to wait |
TO 0 your boy" she murmured, and
kept her eyes on him. Again she had
forgotten the people around her.
The corporal cleared his throat. |
''Thts is why / Rsk-d you II you could
keep my mother, Miss WoodsmnI. II
didn't want her to come unless she
had a good place to stay. All. e-e-r-
thanks awfully."
And flint fu fha etorv ~ how fha /