The War Romance of the Salvation ArmyHill, Grace Livingston
History
The War Romance of the Salvation Army
Hill, Grace Livingston
World War, 1914-1918 -- War work -- Salvation Army
He raised his eyes a little and there, slung out above the neatly
shingled porch, like any sign, swung an immense fat brown doughnut a
foot and a half in diameter, with the sugar apparently still sticking
to it, and inside the rough hole sat a big white coffee cup. His heart
leaped up and something suddenly gave him an idea. He fumbled in his
pocket, brought out a card, saw that this was the Salvation Army hut,
and almost shouted with joy. He lost no time in hurrying around to the
door and stepping inside.
There revealed before him was a great cozy room, with many easy-chairs
and tables, a piano at which a young soldier sat playing ragtime, and
at the farther end a long white counter on which shone two bright
steaming urns that sent forth a delicious odor of coffee. Through an
open door behind the counter he caught a glimpse of two Salvation Army
lassies busy with some cups and plates, and a third enveloped in a
white apron was up to her elbows in flour, mixing something in a yellow
bowl. By one of the little tables two soldier boys were eating
doughnuts and coffee, and at another table a sailor sat writing a
letter. It was all so cozy and homelike that it took his breath away
and he stood there blinking at the lights that flooded the rooms from
graceful white bowl-like globes that hung suspended from the ceiling by
brass chains. He saw that the rosy light outside had come from soft
pink silk sash curtains that covered the lower part of the windows, and
there were inner draperies of some heavier flowered material that made
the whole thing look real and substantial. The willow chairs had
cushions of the same flowered stuff. The walls were a soft pearly gray
below and creamy white above, set off by bands of dark wood, and a dark
floor with rush mats strewn about. He looked around slowly, taking in
every detail almost painfully. It was such a contrast to the noisy,
rushing street, a contrast to the hospital, and the trenches and all
the life with which he had been familiar during the past few dreadful
months. It made him think of home and mother. He began to be afraid he
was going to cry like a great big baby, and he looked around nervously
for a place to get out of sight. He saw a fellow going upstairs and at
a distance he followed him. Up there was another bright, quiet room,
curtained and cushioned like the other, with more easy willow chairs,
round willow tables, and desks over by the wall where one might write.
The soldier who had come up ahead of him was already settled writing
now at a desk in the far corner. There were bookcases between the
windows with new beautifully bound books in them, and there were
magazines scattered around, and no rules that one must not spit on the
floor, or put their feet in the chairs, or anything of the sort. Only,
of course, no one would ever dream of doing anything like that in such
a place. How beautiful it was, and how quiet and peaceful! He sank into
a chair and looked about him. What rest!
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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