The Tabor independent. [volume] (Tabor, S.D.) 1913-19??, 1919-01-09
A BIT OF HOME
WITHIN THE CANT

struction, attractively planned, with
wide verandas and q homelike aspec'
Outside are hanging the fags-th
be taken In as 1t is nearly sunset, n
another flag bearing a little triangle
of blue and the letters Y. w. G. A
1t Is a fall afternoon and the air Is a
bit sharp. Through the front windows
of the house the oma approaching
up the walk can soc the cheerful glow
of an open fireplace. There is the
sound Of a piano and some n Is
singing.
The woman. who is slight and young
and tired looking, puts her heavy suit.
case down on the walk and shifts the
baby she is carrying to the other arm.
She listens n minute, then picks up the
luggage and walks bravely up to the
front door. Some one has heard her
coming and Is there to meet her. Some
one always is In places like this. The
door Is thrown open and a kind WON.
ans voice says "Oh, do come In and
rest. Let me take the baby" The
baby Is passed over and the stranger.
worn from a long journey, tired and
sad. Is given the welcome which only
the Y. W. C. A. hostesses know how to
give.
She explains that she has come to
see John before he leaves for the
front. She has been saving her money
for travelling expenses, and has come
to surprise him. John has never seen
the bRby, ard now maybe he never
will, for she has discovered that John
has Just left on a two days furlough
to surprise her. Before she could get
a train back to her home Johns fur.
Tough will have expired and he will be
on his way back to camp. The little
mother does not know how to meet the
situation and tears of fatigue and dis.
appointment begin tosaow.
"Well, that's too bad" says the sym.
pathetic Y. w. G. A. worker. But
cheer up. You can just stay here for
a couple Of days. Well send a wire
to John at the first place his train
stops and tell him to take the next
train back. He can enjoy his furlough
here"
This Is done and the little family
has a glorious day of 1t.
The Young Women's Christian asso-
citation has established 90 hostess
houses of this character for American
soldiers and sailors and their families.
In this brief bulletin of news lies one
of the most potent factors in the win
ming of this war. Our boys are fight.
ing for their homes. The Y. w. @. A.
with it's hostess work In this country
ind In France is helping to keep the
ideal Of American home life con-
stantly before the men who are pro-
| tecting 1t. These men had to 60 away
from their individual homes, but there
IL q home which follows them-a place
where they car go when they are of
duty and meet their families and rest.
There is a room In every Y. w. @. A.
hostess house with a real fireplace In
1t and q domestic hearth. There are
chairs with cushions on them; the
china Is not Of the iron-bound bucket
variety necessary In camps; and best
of all, the boys say. there are nice
women to talk to. No boy In camp
would hesitate to ask his mother or
sister or the girl he thinks most of to
meet him at q Y. W. @. A. house, for
he knows that the women she will see
there are Of the right kind. The very
fact that II Is known that there is q
real, honey place near each camp au
thorized by the war department and
presided over by dignifed and refined
women, has served very largely to dis
courage the other type of woman and
keep her away from the men she for.
merly preyed upon.
The Y. w. G. A. houses are not es,
tablished with any view to marking
class lines, however. although many OF
the hostesses who assist led lives OF
greatest ease and luxury before the
war. Democracy rules at the sign Of
the little Blue Triangle.
A story Is told of a great merchants
wife whose individual fortune mounts
to the million mark. This lady is 0
member of one of the Y, w. g. A. com
mittees, and on n occasion she was
helping In the cafeteria Of a hostess
house at the Great Lakes naval train
Ing station. A little shopgirl who hat
q "day off" from her work in the base
ment Of the great store owned by the
Y. w. c. A. workers husband. and who
had come to see her sailor brother, was
In a State street hurry for service
She sharply ordered the merchants
wife to "look alive with these forks
grille" .1s
The lady addressed as "girlie" quite
humbly saw to 1t that the pile Of forks
was %replenished. Then she went Owe
and talked to the girl, helped her t.
locate her brother and sent her ava!
happy. The shopgirl never knew tina
she had been talking to her employer
wife.
There are two hostess houses at tn,
Great Lakes station, and 1t Is q won
derful sight to see the crowds of won
en- relatives and friends Of the sailor
who fhrono IN tham IN tho Wpdnpsdo