t to have said outside the family
circle.

The spirit manifest in these letters has been that of hundreds of
girls wearing the same colors, doing faithfully and perseveringly the
work that was given them to do, whether it chanced to be dramatic and
exhilarating or plain drudgery. To each one of them as she doffs her
uniform I would say, in the recent happy phrasing of a statesman: "Let
us not demobilize the Spirit of Helpfulness!" and with sincere homage
I dedicate this little book

TO OUR "Y" GIRLS.
M.C.S.

September, 1919.

A "Y" GIRL IN FRANCE

A "Y" Girl in France

Monday, Dec. 23, 1918.

Well, dear Family, here I am at sea, and everything is fine. At noon
on Saturday our tugs pulled us away from the dock ahead of the
"Prinzes Juliana" which lay alongside. Great waving of handkerchiefs
between the blue-hatted crowds of Y.M.C.A. girls on both ships. The
harbor was misty and the sky line of New York was very beautiful and
shadowy. As we steamed out we passed the "Baltic" coming in, laden
with troops. The boys were wild with enthusiasm at returning home.
Many had climbed way up the rigging and as we passed they all cheered
and we cheered back, and handkerchiefs fluttered and hats were waved.
Then we went by the Statue of Liberty and out to sea. Before long the
deck was covered with tired Y.M.C.A. girls lying prostrate in their
steamer chairs with their eyes closed. You never saw so many green
capes and blue hats in your life! We are in the great majority on the
boat. The sea was calm and silvery, and it was delicious to have
nothing to do but to enjoy it and to let that salt water lethargy
creep over you. However, I also felt a cold creeping over me, in
spite of "red pills" and fresh air, and Sunday when I woke up I had a
feeling in my chest that made me decide the better part of valor was
to remain in bed. It was a nuisance, because the weather outside was
like a day in June. I looked out of the porthole onto a level blue sea
and warm, balmy air blew in. It was unbelievable. The ship's doctor
visited me, tapped me and put on a hot compress, and I lay in my upper
berth all day in a sort of feverish stupor, enjoying the faint motion
of the ship and the singing from the church service which floated in
to me clearly, and this morning I woke up practically well. I have
been out all day, walke