ENGLAND'S WOMEN.

Ashburton Guardian, Volume XXXIX, Issue 9476, 13 December 1918, Page 8

ENGLAND'S WOMEN.

(By Captain H, F. \Y. Jloes)

A smooth-running express train was hurling up to London from the north, at the rate of 50 miles an hour-. It was a pleasant, .day, the carriages were comfortabile, aud a book and a smoke made excel lent tra-velling companions. Then, quite suddenly; there wimo a dull noise liko very distant thunder, and the carriage -windows shook a little.

Half-an-hour afterwards we pulled .up in a big station.. The platform was crowded with munition girls—-hearty, healthy lassies in khaki dungaree overalls and mob caps. They were chR-tter-iug ,excited:ly. One, 'just opposite my carriage' window, had nor arms round a- companion, whose pale face and tremblin.g limbs were obvious-'iy the result; of a nerve storm. A trying day in a hot factory, we thought. You see •she was t-be only one. Had there been more like her, one might- have suspected .-tlia-t things .had happened.

We watched the girls in :i hatfmterested sort of way. They >vere-, it .seemed to us; just waiting for a local train to take them -home-—for it was the time of .day when factories close or change shift. Then, quite sradde-nly :auc| without any show, a porter pushed through"thecroud carrying a gi.rJ in-' his arms. .'Wo -sat up and began to take notice-. Thou <m« of -the male factory hands- oanu\ along supporting aboy who had a l)lood-stained handkerchief bound round his i-ight teg. Jt was at this point that we- began asking question*.

One- of the girls told us all al>oui it. There had been, she said, an. explosion; in the filling room. Scores had' been killed. We doubted her figures; but, as-a matter of fact, the subsequent official report did not contradict liw overmuch. The girks had 1 all befji sent home-. "Sent borne? 'Wiry, didn't- you want to come?" 1 "We had to, anyway"—that with a shrug of the shoulders—"There was no place Mt-where w« could work.""

Ones or two more slightly injured girls were brought througli the crowd. Their friends wore tender and sympa-thetic-with thorn, but there were no hysterics. Every woman there was calm and sure of li.er.self. Throe years ago many of them would -have shrieked, at the- sight of a mouse. Now 'ttiey were Englishwomen doiiiK their share iii' fighting the tJochf, bra-ving dangers like their luisbfwuLs and brothers.- If their men-folk could, stand uncomplainingly the hell of the -trenches were they., to blanch and sliiver over an 1 They are women, indeed, these warworkers of EtvgUmd. A race that can. even on its distaff side, meet its emergencies in this fashion has little to fear •of the future. 'Whilo the fi.onoi.ir. of our posterity rests with women like these we lia.v-e nothing to fe:ir from our bitterest foe. ' ■',-.' .. '• ,

-When I am in fee line—-■•when, perhaps., ft- feel Just-a- little tired of Ih all,. I shall,only have t>rf tliinlr of that shrug; of ' .tho.. • shoulders and those? wptxls .of simple.heroism. "Wo had to, anyway!"