Douglas Island news., 1919-08-22
HOSTESS HOUSE
 WORK IN PARIS
Y. W. c. A. Girl Tells of Some of Her Experiences in This
 Kind of Work

as city leader Of thc Buro9u or Con- sorvauon. dictated what and how much Now York should oat laat ycar. Miss Monroe ls in charge of Che din-
 ur room at Hotel oxford and Cam bridge. ono of Che throo Y. w. c. A.
 Hostess Houses In Paris. and she hasn't much sympathy for friends 0ack In tho States who are feeling
 orry because she is "s,uck in tho
 un and uumtorcslng restaurant of a womon's hotel iu Paris"
 "I suppose that they would think had rcar job. worthy Of my tmo and thought if was feeding soi- alters or circus employees from @ portable stove In a hot tonl thresh-
 ue hands or something l.ko that' lhe says. It is tho girl who is as-
 Irncd Co strictly American onicc
 yho ls missing Che glory of France md Che war. have wonderful
 opportunity Of seeing thc people
 themselves. their Hives and chorac-
 crlstics by mingilng with them
 lauy in Che market as ] ann forced to do As for Che Americans well. ! [ meet them when they come Co Che hotel Co eat and get hcIr c2peri- once Chen.
 "The Hostess House was opened Into n January to entertain repre- sentative women from an over France who wcro Che guests Of Che .Y. ". c. A. for the first meeting of Che Provisional Council held In Paris. French courtesy charm and appreciation wore all they have been painted by thoir most ardent admirers at that time. There was ihc woman from Brittany who wrote home Go her husband every night of . Che wonders Of having two Jumps or sugar for her coGcc and real cake. There was countess who wanted to stay where beds did not have Go bc heated by hot stones and water bottles. Permanent war workers .n
 Paris were officially received the drst Of February and Che house was swampcd with women who arrived with an their luggage SO that mo- one else could possibly be given Che room after their belongings wcro es- tabllshod. A central heating sys- ! tenn meaning a furnace. hot water and free baths and no t.ps had charms for Che war workers with cold rooms. chlblains. frozen bath- tubs and distant metre stations siuco that day mouotony has bcon unknown In this Y. w. C. A. Hostess House. Some of tho unexpected ! things result from market conditions. some from French tcmpormcnt but most of them from rhe language.
 "Wo have considered putting a ! sign on Che restaurant door to Che odcct If you cdnuot talk French. please do not talk French Go Che waltrcsses.' A dining room for war workers needs am interpreter badly. Helene comes along deeply distress cd and carrying two nicely fried GEES. Madame ordered them and now refuses them Madamos order interpreted. was really for apricot pie. Nest. Che interpreter. gets a frantic signal from a corner table where a polite lieutenant is trying Go nnd out just how to order two Iboucd eggs. Marcel not being ablo ! to understand why anyone should want eggs with their coats on.
 There is am advantage in having . ho prestige Of American customs to back up ono's demands" Miss Mon roc says." If a waitress is alarmed ! at rcqucat for mashed potatoes with meat instead Of In separate course. tho short explanation Amer lean custom caused them Co bc brought in with a pityng glance from Che waitress
 "The chef formerly pursued tho young pastry cook with a long knife when Che boy didn't obey. Ho stated that it was Che custom Of tho French chefs and that be would never strike Che boy. On hoing-told that it was not done n America and after an It was an American hotel he changed This ways. The pastry cook is drench- ed with cold water now when thorc is occasion for a display of power Miss Monroe really feels that she is getting quite am insight Into both French and American character and quito enough excitement out Of her war job. In regard to Che Hostess House itself she says Che greatest improvement which could bo made made would bc Co build on six moro stories and just double her present duties.
 For three years Miss Monroe was Ian Instructor In Foods and Cookery at Teachers College. Columbia uni- vcrs.ty She was graduated from Washburn College and also has taken work at Simmons College. Bos- ton.
 NEWS