Page 21 - 1918 October - To Dragma

316 TO DRAGMA OF ALPHA OMICRON PI

Another point which I wish to mention is that of the ambulance
bearing our name. I thought, at first, that it was an excellent idea.
Far from self-glorification, I thought it might inspire others to do
likewise; that the fact of. an ambulance bearing the name of a wo-
men's college fraternity might make others stop and think, and realize
what some other organization might do to help. But with the sub-
scriptions there came so many letters begging me not to do it, not
to mark it in any way, not to take away from the big. fine spirit of
giving, with no qualifying clause, no label, nothing to make it seem
petty or other than the finest emanation of the true spirit of our frater-
nity, that we should not "vaunt ourselves," but give in the best spirit
of giving, without personality, without letting our neighbor know,
that I was forced to reconsider. I f our girls are animated with that
spirit, our ambulance cannot fail to do a great work, a big, unselfish
work for our allies, with no difference between black and white, Jew
and Gentile, Catholic and Protestant, English, Italian, French, Bel-
gian, Portuguese, American—allies always, designated by the only
word we recognize—Allies! I n the light of this, the ambulance shall
go unmarked.

When I first sent out the notices, I did some rough reckoning. I
sent out more than 2,000 letters. On a basis of a dollar each—and
what fell under would be counteracted by those which exceeded—we
would have over $2,000. Out of the entire membership of the frater-
nity just 390 girls have responded, with a result of $892.75 to date.
Now, please do not think that I am asking any of the girls who have
already subscribed to do any more. They have done wonderfully.
Certain chapters have contributed decidedly large amounts. But,
girls, I wish every one of you might have read some of the letters that
accompanied the fifty cent subscriptions and the dollar ones. That
money did not come easily. I t came at great sacrifice. Many a
time, the tears ran down my cheeks, when I realized what these girls
were doing. I n almost every case, the husband was "over there,"
building a railroad, fighting in the trenches, and had left behind a
brave girl with some little children. And that girl was perhaps trying
to run a farm all alone, with no help available, doing not only the
actual farm labor, but also her housekeeping and the thousand and
one services for the children, all on a war income, an income not
large before the main support of the family was taken away, and
now pitifully depleted. I felt that I ought to send the money back,
and then I said, "Never. These girls are of the stuff of which heroes