New-York tribune., 1919-02-16
~ Girls Fudge Pan
Routs Gen. Gloom
In Big Irish Battle
American Soldiers We're Sad
and Complained of Rain
Until They Caught Sight
of ''Faces from Home''

LONDON, Feb. 15.-When il became
evident to the authorities that even
sailor was not meant to live by
scenery alone, even in Ireland, it was
fixed up that Y. M. C. A. girl hostess
be sent to the "Y" hut in Aghada to
help tighten the dragging hours, for
time hangs as heavy as the clouds
there. And the clouds are the very
reason. They spill over every day and
make Ireland a land to dream about.
but not to be in.
Ruth Tattershall. of White Haven
Penn. was the first girl sent. and she
was followed two days later by Miss
Caroline Arbus, Of New York City
Miss Tattershall went with a guilty
conscience, concealing something, the
fact that her only accomplishment was
making fudge, She had always
lamented this lack of training. 1t had
kept her for months from volunteer
ing. Sorrowfully, she watched her
talented friends go across to sing and
Play for the soldiers till at last she
could stand it no longer. She volun-
teered and went to Aghada, opposite
Queenstown, in Ireland.
Muddy Road to Dublin
All the mud that wasn't in Flanders
was in Ireland, and most of it in
Aghada. The war was too far away to
give the sailor something big enough
to keep his mind off the mud No
matter where his mind was in heaven
wherever you like-his feet we're in
the mud, and it told on his morale
The sentiment was: "If Ireland is
heaven, bury me with my raincoat on"
1t was. with this mountainous job
of combating nature that the first Y
VI. c. A. girl landed in Aghada. And
she had nothing to do it with except
fudge pan.
For a while she felt that she needed
the "Y" more than the sailors did
But her morale picked up when she saw
the men. Look A 'Y' grill" she
wou1> hear them say. "An American
girl! girl from home!"
"You are the first American girl I've
seen in fifteen months, and I want to
talk to you so much. I've just lost my
mother, and it would help so much to
talk to good American girl for lit
tie WHILE" said one sailor, approach
ing, cap in hand.
Quite naturally, and without think
ing that it was her sole accomplish
ment, Miss Tattershall replied:
"Why not come into the hut and we
will make some fudge and have a little
chat ?"
And from that hour fudge had a
more important bearing on the morale
of the American forces in Aghada than
any inspiration of the war. The fudge
pan became sort of cup of friendship.
The next day when a second "Y" girl,
Miss Caroline Arbus, appeared two
heads got together with the result
that the two young ladies asked the
sailor if he wouldn't like to take them
to dinner-at his mess.
ooh, Fudge" Routs Gloom
"Would you really go?" the sailor
asked in delighted surprise. And that
night the Y. M. C. A. girls dined at
the enlisted mems mess. The next day
it was the petty officers who invited
them, then the warrant officers and the
commissioned officers This completed
a circle that is still running. In the
mean time the girls brought out the
fudge pan every evening and holiday
afternoon and gave a crowded fudge
party.
Finally they reached standing
where one of them was asked if she
would 60 walking with a certain sailor.
She went-in slicker nor'wester and
rubber boots, and the lad spent the
whole time telling her about the girl
back home, and asking if she would be
waiting for him when he got back there.
One night an older sailor, on learn
ing that the Y. M. C. A. girls we're in
terested in everything that interested
the men, held party attended by
more than a score of jackies who
proudly displayed to them all their
treasured photographs of folks back
home; The older sailor had just re-
ccived a picture of granddaughter,
and he was so proud of it that he con-
tributed 8 shillings' worth of sugar
to the party.
What They Think OF
One of the "Y'' girls ideas was a
Happy Thought Book" for collecting
all the witticisms and epigrams Of the
sailors. Most of these followed one
line of hought-1reland.
"God bless Ireland; He's always for
gotten it BEFORE" Keith Horning, of
Portland, Ore wrote
Others and their particular inspira-
tions were:
Frederick J. Andrews, Merrimac
Mass.-"Ireland, but not forever"
J. c. Townsend, Baltimore-"You
can't live on scenery alone"
R. B. DeRonde, Peekskill, N. Y.-"If
Ireland is Heaven, bury me with my
raincOat when I die