Page 31 - 1918 February - To Dragma

124 TO DRAGMA OF ALPHA OMICRON I'I

"What do you do all day?" we asked a little boy from one of the
loneliest of stations.

"Oh, nothin' much!" he answered in real boy fashion, as he vainly
tried to dig his bare toe into the brown rock.

But I am sure that boyish answer never rang so true as when he
said it.

They need some compensation for loneliness—some compensation
for doing "nothin' much" all day long—do these children of the
lights, which are helping to keep our coasts clear of a possible invader.
Shall we not, i n the brighter days that are to come, when the gray
coast patrol boats shall be needed no longer, and when the visitors
to the lights may again be made welcome, shall we not see what we, as
fraternity women of America, can do to give them more light-teachers
and better opportunities to go to the mainland schools?

I f those who represent you and me i n Congress knew more of light
conditions, of the absence of educational privileges which cannot
be enjoyed by the children because of the insufficient salaries paid
their fathers, they would be glad to turn their attention, when such
time shall come, to the possible betterment of such conditions.

I have thought, too, of the splendid field for national alumnae work
afforded by the conditions existing not only on the light-islands, but
by conditions far more sad because of ignorance, intermarriage, and
isolation which exist on the outer islands off the Maine Coast. The
Seacoast Missionary, who is a second Dr. Grenfell in his bigness
of spirit and in his unselfish, splendid service, welcomes help in any
form, whether it comes i n volunteer service for one or more of the
summer months, or whether it takes the perhaps more valuable form
of contributions, which can be expended where they are most needed.

" I am going to tell my fraternity about the islands and the light,"
I told him as we cruised homeward one September day last summer.
We had been living for two weeks upon an island—a friend and I —
doing what we could as .entertainers, mothers, "preachers," nurses,
and companions to bring a little new happiness—a better kind, let
us hope than has existed there—into the lives of the island children.

" I am glad," he said. " I t really after all is just letting people
know. I f they all knew, of course, they would help."

Such faith has been and should be productive of good. There
is wonderful lighthouse work in France of a different, perhaps more
wonderful kind. We are proud to claim one who has a part i n it.
But for us who cannot be in France there is work here for our own
children as well as for those across the sea. Shall we not think about