The Birmingham age-herald., 1919-05-11
Dolly Daymple Dons SaDation Army Bonnet and Miring and Lasses n Seruinq D0uqnuts and Coffee 10 he I67h
By DOLLY DALRYMPLE

their memory with splendid and thrilling pictures; of lines of marching men; of sloughs of ''jazzing bands" of arches of victory; of trophies of battle; of car loads of wounded men, and all that went , to make up the days programme. But not so with me, for, although ] was right on the scene from early morn. ing until dewy eve, and surely in the very best place possible to see every. shing that went on, ail my mbrances ot glory and splendor are and must al- ways be inseparably mixed with dough nuts and salvation Army lassies." whose bright eyes and sweet smiles greeted the soldiers from beneath the most becoming of blue bonnets, while they dispensed delicious edibles from the Salvation Army hut in Capitol park. where nice Staff Captain David Main and his assistants were the most charm ng and cordial of hosts.
 The association in my mind of Rain DOW division day and Salvation Army ioughnuts' is not quite as incongruous as it might seem, if you'll just stop to think about it. for among the very first things that happen to heroes is that they get hungry and the inner man, you znow, must be fed and the Salvation Army hut had been erected a replica, as it were, of the Salvation Army huts over there, and the boys felt very much at home the steaming. delicious ,doughnuts'' and coffee were dispensed just as these blessed people dispensed them in the thick of battle in the rain lrenched trenches of No Mans Land"
 But how on the face of the earth did YOU get in on it, Doly?" I had hundreds of people ask me Saturday, as they noted my pretty Salvation Army bonnet and
 eaized my enthusiasm over the beauti- tu days work I had neen privileged to participate in. and so I'll tell you:
 Back to a bit of history: just a little more than a year ago, the boss asked ne one day if r. like to go to Europe If course I said I would
 Get busy then" he instructed. and inc up with some welfare organization 70 I can get your passports"
 Red Cross, Y. NJ. C. A., Y. W. C. A., X. of Ca dozen others suggested them.
 elves to me-but my heart drfted to ny beloved Salvation Army. I took the natter up with Mai. William Qurk, then Birmingham, now lover there, and ater with Capt David Main, who suc-
 eeded him here, and pretty soon I was n direct communica ton with Salvation Army headquarters and certificates and
 ouchers and recommendations and all ;orts of things that had to be signed on dotted lines stared me in the face and etters began to fly between here and Washington and also New York. and MT 1eorge Creel and Commander Evange-
 inc Booth and the boss" and Dolly Ill got busy and my 90 little two by four photogra phs had all been made to 20 on my passports, and nice Maj jor Allison was instructing me to get some body to swear to my age" Che didn't know how easy that was-just dozens of people would have adored to give testi- mony to that fact) misunderstanding when To and behold! something happened. The boss got a gorgeously compliment tary invitation from the British govern nent to join a party of 12 American edi- tors to visit the battle fields of Europe so he called me in one day and asked me if I'd be disappointed if 1 didn't get to go over just at that time. Of course, said no, and with promises of a sev- eral months visit to Europe as soon as he got back, "the boss assured me that I'd have "easy pickings' getting stories and meeting wonderful people, and all that sort of thing, and so I was Sort Of pacified.
 Of course, the rest is history; the ar mistce was declared and I am still peg ging away at the same old stand, on the same old typewriter and on the same old subjects, but fate, destiny, whatever you will, visualized my dream to some ex- tent Saturday, when I had a little easte Of what it would have been like to have been over there' with the Salvation Army, and how sorry was hadn't had the chance had so craved to be on the oattlefields of France with these won derful people,
 Saturday was a red letter day" ;n my life my friends. It was a lesson of beautiful Christian courage and spirit and humanity and kindness. l was with the Salvation Army from the time the soldier boys began to circu- late about Birmingham until--weii dear knows what time. I stole little intervals to rush out on the line of march to see our heroes now and then, but most of my day meant work, for right hungry for "doughnutsH and coffee were those precious Rainbow division boys. And eat? Gee, it just did my heart good to see them "gobble up" those big, fat, juicy doughnuts and smack their lips and thank the Salvation Army lassies for them.
 One handsome young soldier that I gave some doughnuts smiled as he hummed little song that adored: I'm d poor buck private,
 But love the army game;
 l should have been captain,
 Or som ething-just the same"
 -A4id iio W iiitC, pcdIl ltctu CIQHCHC0 into the sweet, soft doughnuts as he laughingly turned and asked for "morew
 As the soldiers left the Salvation Army hut. filled with doughnuts and coffee. they were as happy as larks-- praising. lauding the wonderful work of the Salvation Army. They were a happy, happy lot
 Just lay it on in gobs' when it comes to those Salvati Army folks and what they did for us boys over there." said punches of men to me everywhere and on every side. They are the finest people in the world. God bless em and prosper 'em"
 What? Salvation Army folks fine" said another. 'You can't use a simple adjective like that to describe them: use the superlative. Finest is the only word that fits 'em. We love of France loved ern. Praise be to the Salvation Army and the grand work they did for us soldier boysw
 Gee! All that made me happy. I Just felt myself beaming and smiling with pride, like I was a real captain or lieutenant a major. or some thing, in the Salvation Army, instead of just simple, new born buck pri- vate."
 Rainbow division swung from Capitol park: great public buildings were law ishly decorated; homes of the mighty stood welcoming the boys home as they turned into fashionable avenues in the residential section of the city, Certainly patriotism levels all bar riers.
 On the white marble steps leading to the palatial abiding places of Bir- vr,ir n rrr1o ,c