New Britain herald., 1928-09-01

Here is a picture of Mrs. Rheba Crawford Sommers as she appears today, snapped at her home in Cali fornia. She is an ardent tennis player and is quite expert at the game.
 San Francisco, Sept. 1 R-The girl they called the Angel of Broadway helped scores of the White Ways victims to find happi- ness and contentment-but she hasn't been able to find either of those things for herself.
 Broadway's Salvation Army lassie, known in private life as Rheba Crawford, quit her work on the big street four years ago to get married. And now she and her husband, J. Harold Sommers, war veteran, have separated. Home life. she has found out, is not for her. She has gene back to her first love-preach- inS the gospel-and is now serving as the ordained minister of large Congregational church here.
 There is no legal separation, and we haven't talked of divorce" she says. We both realize that we are victims of environment anr heredity. Both believe that God expects of us only to render the best service to the world that we can, and get as much happiness, light and laugh ter in return as possible"
 Preached on Broadway
 Miss Crawford was one of the ! best known women in New York q few years ago. Nightly she preach- cd on the street corners of R-oad- way. And cynical. wise-cracking Broadway-lookinE for a selfish motive behind everything. and often | failing to understand the meaning of the word "service"-accepted her face value. She was winsome end pretty and charming: but Broadway has seen many with those attributes. What stumped Broadway was the fact that she was utterly unselfish and utterly sincere. Those are rare qualities in the White Light district.
 So, when she gave up her work to get married, Broadway united in wishing her happiness. Broadway felt that if there was one girl any where who deserved a happy mar ried life it was Rheba Crawford. l Miss Crawford at first tried to continue her work. But she felt this was not fair to her husband so. presently, she retired, and the two went to 8 Florida city and she tried to settle down as a regular stay -at-home wife.
 But it didn't work. The small talk of their new social set failed to interest the girl who had been a sort of mother confessor to yegs. men. dancing girls and down and cutters. And, by the same token her own experiences were some. what "out of bounds as topics fol polite conversation.
 T just found I didn't fit in,' she Cays. T couldn't work up any en. thusiasm over bridge parties. I did not seem to understand parties Pleasure, to me. had to be spelled in different way. I felt so sorry for my husband, but I was too old to learn. Even my husband could not understand. I couldn't work uI any enthusiasm over gossip when remembered real heartbreaks ant true stories I had seen and listened to. F
 T sensed the race on tn, march. and was out of the pa rade. I wondered about the pull pit. about Broadway, about som, of my old charges. The town wa too small. too filled with religiou feuds. for me to chance loca work" Her husband offered to let he return to the platform. but sh refused. vowins that she woul' stick to the new role she had un dertaken. It was no use. nervous breakdown resulted. He husband summoned doctors and
 long consultation was held: an 1t vas agreed that her place wa back in her old envornoment.
 In Another World
 We came to realize that m marriage had taken me out of m r world into his, and that I woul always be q stranger there" oh , said. And. in turn. he realize , it would be just as bad if he trie to enter my world. So, with ever r good wish his love could give, h . sent me back to the platform"