Page 13 - To Dragma January 1934

To D K A G M J L N U A R Y , 1934
low drinking himself, "there ain't no benefit
in it."
Nearby the four children have made them-
selves a little blaze with scraps from their
father's shingles and four pairs of bare feet
crowd near the fire. The least one is blue
with cold in spite of his sister's efforts to
warm him by hugging him close to her own
body. Comments on how plump and healthy
Len, the eldest boy, appears in contrast to
the pale scrawniness of the others, brings
forth the explanation that he and the big girl
went to the hospital a while back and had the
worm treatment. "Yes, the two little ones
had ought to go too—whenever we can find a
way to git them there."
The conference indoors ended, the children
need no urging to return to what little pro-
tection f r o m the wind the cabin affords. The
youngsters out of hearing, Mr. Baker explains
that Len is the boy who accidentally killed his
sister with a shotgun two years ago. " H i t wor- Authority, and is associating with himself ex-
ried him a sight, seemed like he couldn't git
hit offen his mind f o r a long while. He's
better now. ****No, they don't git to go to
school any more. There's ice on the creek
every morning now and it just about ruins a
fellow's feet 'thouten any shoes on. Stella,
she went to school 'reglar' until the weather
got so rough. Len, he didn't go much. Some
of the children teased him about that shootin'
and when they did that it would be days be-
fore he wanted to go again. M y wife and I ,
we don't have the heart to make him go when
he's feeling like that."*****
It is time f o r us to go.- Again we are urged reasons that motivated us originally, but be-
to help ourselves to the apples and Len fills
our hands with walnuts from his little hoard
beneath a dry ledge. Lula goes with us down
the creek a way to show us how to avoid a
rail fence that otherwise must be taken down
for our horses to cross.
*****
'Tis several weeks ago that I made that visit
to the Brown Baker's. I n the meantime the
new roof is on the house and some of the
worst cracks in the wall have been stripped
over. Between the Red Cross and The Fron-
tier Nursing Service, the clothing problem has
been made less acute and the family is again
receiving relief. But still that family haunts
me, the more so in that I have learned how
to read through what they say, to discover
suffering and privation they are themselves
unwilling to reveal. For example, Mrs. Ba-
ker's remark that she doesn't wear a wrap
when she is busy because the sleeves are in
the way—but there were no "unemployed"
wraps in that house the bitter day I was
there. M r . Baker's strained casualness when
asking about the possibilities of "road work"
(that is, work relief) being again available in
the county—the truth about his concern on
the subject was much more nearly revealed in
his next remark, " I don't know how we would
have made out last winter i f it hadn't been
for the road work."
I am haunted, too, by the things these fam-
23
ilies do in return f o r the things we sdloendfe0 rJ
them. Gifts of apples f r o m a too
store, gifts of nuts, pumpkins, popcorn
Lizzie Morgan's jelly, delicious jelly, but
desperately her own children need for these
cold days the energy that is in that jelly!
Weighing food value against values for the
giver in terms of self-respect and emotional
satisfaction derived from being able to
I always decide in favor of the latter,
the privation that accompanies their gifts—J
cannot forget i t !
Little Acorns
(Continued from Page 17)
not to be allowed to develop haphazard, as
such have done in the past, with exploited
workers, miserable housing, unchecked vice
hand-in-hand with commercialized recreation.
President Arthur J. Morgan of Antioch Col-
lege has been placed in charge of the social
and health aspects of the Tennessee Valley
perts in housing, sanitation, recreation and
social work. A model community is projected,
in which old abuses will not be allowed to
get a foothold. The effects throughout this
whole region of the South will be incalculable
—and we may be sure that the lessons learneq
at Wendover will be availed of.
So our tiny hill-project has, you see, wide
connections and implications that were not
thought of when we embarked upon it. It
is extremely important that we continue to
support Bland Morrow in her connection with
the Frontier Nursing Service, not only for the
cause of the strategic- importance of having
someone of her qualifications in the center
of such a rapidly changing situation, charged
with such important p o t e n t i a l i t i e s for the
future.
Psi Wins McCausland Cup
(Continued from Page 14)
Theta Eta; Gladys Phillips, I'psilon; Gret-
chen Schrag, Zeta.
I must acknowledge that, in computing this
rating, no reports have been received from
Beta Tau, Epsilon, Gamma, Iota, Kappa, and
Nu chapters. In several of these instances it
has been impossible to obtain the needed in-
formation.
This period of revaluation demands much
of the college student, demands an eager in-
quiring mind, an intelligent comprehension.
Real scholastic interest can not help but be
reflected tangibly in our chapters and their
positions on their campuses. We will, then
(again) to quote Anne, "be living our hveS
more earnestly, more intelligently, more
abundantly."
Not a
Will o' Wisp-
ha iol (*j
This
Social
Work
gjjjvy»j
•
By MARY DEE
DRUMMOND
Alpha Phi
I are now great enough for us to step out into
+ DID O U R National Social Service Work
spring up like a mushroom over night, or
did it mature into a plant of rare beauty
because of p a i n s t a k i n g cultivation? Alpha contribute to an ambulance fund. $2,050.00
Omicron Pi spent nearly twenty years in the
preparation f o r a National Work which would
enlist the interest of all members. The first
editorial on the subject appeared in the To
P R A G M A in 1914. I t stated among other things, done a great work and have done it together
*Let activity and service be our watchword
jor the coming year." I n another issue Marv
Ellen Chase said tersely, "Don't be local in
soul. That's the trouble with society."
, In 1916 an issue of To D R A G M A was dedi-
cated to social service. Jessie Wallace Hughan
Wrote an article f o r this number in which she
said, "Walk humbly and helpfully with those
whom life has not favored." Anna E. Many
Wrote on the subject of "The Modern School
Building as a Social Center." New Orleans
Was then as vitally interested in social service
problems as it is now. Margaret Weeks ( 2 )
and Florence Harder ( r ) had articles of note
in this particular issue.
Rocbelle Gachet became chairman of the
National Work Committee in 1919. The sub-
ject of social service has interested her always.
What she had to say then might be said with
equal conviction today. "These are difficult
grnes and in them no little thing can survive.
Here is a world calling f o r stalwart devotion
w tremendous services." Later as Vice Presi-
dent she said, "Our strength and resources
Mary Dee Drummond, Alphi Phi,
.is Second Vice President in charge
of National Work.
other fields and there give to others from the
abundance we have built f o r ourselves."
During the war an appeal went out to all
members of our fraternity asking them to
were collected and the money actually went
to reclaim little children from the ravages of
war in the Chateau Thierry sector. The late
Lillian MacQuillin McCausland said, "We have
For years I have hoped f o r alumnae work.
Let us unite in some big worth-while work
and make it a national movement."
A n editorial in To D R A G M A For September,
1921, had this to say, "The question of alumna?
or national work has agitated our fraternity
for a number of years. A l l sorts of schemes
have been advanced. These years have proven
conclusively that we need closer organization
among the alumnae than the existing one
before we can enter upon any great work
nationally. Two general plans were discussed
and voted upon. The first provided f o r better
organization of alumnae f o r local projects with
a national one to follow later. The second was
to begin at once on some national work f o r
which suggestions were given. The first plan
received the majority of votes and accordingly
was put into execution. When this is done we
shall be ready to embark upon some great
national work with the assurance of its being
a success and a source of pride to every Alpha
O." I t was at this point that local projects
came into being, such as those of New Or-
leans, Seattle, Nashville, Minneapolis, Chicago,
and many others. Chapters which had no par-