WOMEN AND THE WAR

North Otago Times, Volume CII, Issue 13461, 4 January 1916, Page 7

WOMEN AND THE WAR

TIIB MODE IN I'AIUS. I)i:VOTH)N Tllli KKYNOTI;. ■ Dr. A rlli lie Lynch -wiles in mi Knglisli c*xcli:iiijf« of the n&pects ol ! Paris to-day. The keynote.is devotion. Tim war, testing all filings in Ili'o crucible ot' nations, lias burnt away the superficial dross of French society, and llie pure gold shines forth. Take an example:— > Mine, 1)., before the war, was a Pari* sieune of the Parisieniies. Elegant to the linyor-tips, her wealth enabled her to make a distinguished appearance in the circles of fdsliion. She encouraged art and the drama. Site wore gems on several lingers; her robes, though rich, were distinguished by exquisite propriety. Mine. I), is now working as a trained nurse in Brittany. Immediately after the outbreak uftlie war she started to learn the work, she studied, she concentrated her mind, she'soon obtained her diploma, she offered her services, They were accepted. She stopped at nothing. - She prides herself, in her modest, smiling way, that she can beat her own charwoman at scrubbing floors; she muses llie wounded during the long, wearying hours of her duty, but the cheerfulness of her presence is not the least part of her ministration. A young girl of 20, I'onlinucs Dr. Lynch, whom 1 had at one time known as a butterfly of fashion! beautiful ns llelje, was found to b;\ a born nurse when she went lo the hospital near Calais, No (ask tired her patience, no work was too severe; the wounded soldiers call'od her "Rayon de soleil" (sunbeam); after their recovery they send her letters in which even the i|iiaint spelling cannot hide the pootie fervour oL' gratitude.

•Multiply Mine L). and Rayon de soleil by thousands, and you have the expression of one form oi' devotion in Trance.

Here in a carriage of the Metro (the Paris tube) is a woman of deep black; she lias lost her husband. Her l'aee is pale, but her wholt air calm, ilctcrinin.tid, proud. Only lior eyes show of weeping Presently* some recollection arises within her. She turns away iicr head so as to hide the Vxpression .of her grief, The chin trembling tolls its tale, She makes a great effort, she controls'herself, she faces round again; her face wears the calm, determined air, the look of pride, it (irst displayed. Grief is universal, and it has made men and women sympathetic to each other, more brotherly and sisterly; it Jias given a softening touch of kindness to the traditional politeness of the French. Everyone in France skeins to be working, working for tho war. That is, ol ! course, evident in the case of the men; as to the women, 0110 sees them el'crks, munition workers, post-girls, tram conductors, tvam drivers. This is not play. The young dames, with jaunty caps, who pouch your lickets in the trams arc always cheerful, but before tliWr long hours are finished they arc almost ready to sleep where they stand. Many of the little shops and businesses in Paris are closed; that looks sad; but in many others, such as ; 'must be continued, women have taken tho place of their husbands and are managing affairs. 1 know of a case where a widower, having been called up with the reserves, his little daughter, just entering on her teens, lias been carrying ou a banker '« shop, and satisfying the customer, Multiply such cases bv thousands and you havo another aspect of Preach devotion.

Aspects of Devotion. Here is a group of three midinettcs (the little milliners from the ifue de la Puix and neighbourhood), They have one hour for their lunch, Tliev liave brought il in a basket into the Tuilerics Gardens, with a bottle of red viu ordinaire. They are sitling near the statue of I'crrault, where the Chat liotte (I'uss in lloots) so quaintly figures. They laugh and joke; lliev put away the reina'ins of llieir frugal meal. They wear no hats, and the sun shines on the wavy hair of the heads dqsc together. They are now knitting stockings l'or the soldiers as fast as their needles can ply. The lunch-hour is not wasted, .1 talked with a waitress in a restaurant; she was not one of t'iie pretty type, but her plain features showed no lack either of intelligence or energy. She had a husband aud two brothers at the front, ami several nephews and other relatives, A brother had been killed in the Argomie. Another had recently obtained a "permission" to return 'home for a week. She was delighted to have him, but she was not sorry to see him return to the trenches. His duty was there, "We are not afraid of the' Bodies," she said, with a good'humoured smile. "Certainly we waitresses have endured a good deal of privation and overwork; but when we think of our peoples in the trenches our troubles seem light. Most of us here have lost friends or relatives. Well, that is war! Yoii.camiol make omelettes without breaking eggs. We ijid not want this war; but we will light il out now till we end that menace of I lie lioc'lies thai weighed upon onr lives. \\Y are all prepared to tight it out lo the cud. What is il lo die.'" she said simply, but gravely. "So many of our dear ones have gone on before lis! We are lightjug lo make this world belter Ihan il was; we will never see the fruit; i| will be for (hose Who come after lis. Voila!''

Ami in another moment she was joking and laughing all over her round, shrewd, good-natured fifcc. 1 look down her words, for,in this plain, simple, and not over-educated young woman, J thought I had found a spirit of philosophy unsurpassed iu Ihe School of the Stoics themselves,