Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1919-07-17
FORTY FRENCH BRIDES
COMING TO BURLINGTON
Home Service Department Of
Red Cross Will Try to Make
Women Recently Married to
Men of Third Cavalry Feel
at Home 4,...

What is perhaps the most important
home service work they have ever done
has been asked of that department OF
the Red Cross, and they have been found
ready and eager to respond. 1t is to well
come, to make comfortable and 70 Amen-
canize the forty French brides Of tho
men of the Third cavalry who are ex-
pected in Burlington soon. 1t is probable.
too. that men of other cavalry squadrons
VINO have married French girls will also
he assigned to Fort Ethan Allen. for yes
terday morning a man from the Sixth
, cavalry arrived with his little 19-year-old
bride. Everything was new.to her, the
people. the country. the customs, and
she could understand very little of the
language; but when she got to Burlington
with her soldier husband she found that
America is ready to welcome the soldiers
French brides for at the station was
Mrs. j. W. Goss in her car ready to take
them wherever they wanted to go. The,
husband had to report to the Post yes
terday afternoon so he left his wife in
the care of Mrs. n. E. L. Austin at the
Neighborhood House.
When it was learned that the wives
of the men of the Third cavalry were
called on the local Red Cross to help
care for them when they came and 10
make them at home. Immediately, the
home service department secured from
| the the trustees the old Neighborhood
House as n temporary home for these
girls. To-day cots and other necessary
| furniture will be brought from Fort
| Ethan Allen and men will be sent down
| to help to clean up the house. Then
there will be bee" of Red Cross work.
| ers which will put the place into condi-
[ ton so that it will be comfortable and
| cosy.
The pay Of an enlisted man in the army
| is such that with the present price OF
| food aand clothing it will be necessary
for the wives of the men to assist in
I earning money toward their living OK
penses. So this house will be used as a
! receiving station where the girls may
J stay until suitabl employment for them
! has been found The girls represent
every class of family in France and each
one will be studied to find out just what
are her capabilities. There probably
will be among them good governesses.
good seamstresses and good cooks. and
the home service department will be glad
to know of places where they can place
l
what they can do. Mrs. Max L. Powell
already is conducting a canvass of such
possibilities.
Miss Anna Benedict is securing promises
of enough cooked food to last for two
days, and after that ii is expected that
the girls will cook for themselves Theirs
will be a matron in charge. but il ~
| planned TO have the work done on sort
| Of cooperative plan. Then il IS
planned to place these brides eventually
, in homes where they will be comfortable
and happy.
| But placing the women in homes is not
the only plan of the home service de-
partment. 1t also will try TO help them
| to become accustomed TO American ways
and the English language in fact, 10
become thoroughly American in every
way. All of these plans are being car
4 red out under the direction of Miss
Sybil Pease, the very competent execu-
tive secretary of the home service de-
partment who also is busy thinking up
new ways of. helping the women to BIO
happy.
| YAH of the girls who married men Of
the Third Cavalry came either from
| Bour Bonne les Bans, which was the
headquarters OF the squadron fop over 10
rounding towns, as all of these 40 Young
women have come from the same part
of France.
The home service committee has found
everyone that II has asked to assist in
this work enthusiastic to help in every
! way possible. 1t is receiving especially
valuable service from some Of the women
| of this city who can speak French
huently. among whom being Mrs Joseph
Turk. Miss Anna Benedict, Mrs Marie
! Pepin and Mrs. oliver Martin.
BY tonight the house will he in readi-
ness as temporary home for these
French brides and committee has been
chosen to meet them at the station when
they come, for ii il expected that most
of them will arrive in a group. This is.
however, one of the biggest tasks the
home service department has ever been
| called upon to do and il will need tho
hearty cooperation of everyone TO carry
IL through successfully and to make these
new Americans happy in their adopted
country.