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Show The Treasure Ship Within a few days there will sail from an Atlantic port the -most wonderful ship that ever left the American shore. j It is not a great battleship, a triumph of millions in wealth, auJ , th imfrnn nf thfiinand men's minds and muscles. It is not a priceless cargo of human lives a transport tarrying I new treasures of youth and manhood to the far-flung battle line. ! It is no rich freighter of commerce, heavy with grains, gold, fabrics, machines, metals, all the wealth of mine and field and factory. Great and glorious though such ships be, they are as unmeaning unmean-ing toys beside this ship now setting sail the Treasure Ship of America laden from bow to stern, from keel to funnel tip with love, and happiness, and golden dreams! It is the Christmas Ship, freighted with the deep, pure, selfless love. of women hurrying, hurrying to the yearning, reverent love of I men. . I From every corner of the nation is being gathered the precious I cargo. For weekf and months it lived only in the dreams off mothers, wives, sweethearts and sisters planning and corttriving its' riches. I Then the dreams took form in small economies and shining f self sacrifices that meant more dimes and dollars for the filling of! that parcel for the soldier. There was a joyful flurry of shopping! and stitching, and then, when the wonderful boxes I'nde Sam himself him-self had made for the Christmas kits arrived and the Red Cross -passed them out to: eager hands, what a redoubled flutter there was,! and what marvels of packing, fitting, selection, rejection were ac-1 complished in getting so much into such a tiny space. i But at length the strange, wonderful cargo is nearly ready. More than two million little three-pound packages witt make up the treasure cargo, and as the Treasure Ship sails away to France the throbbing of its engines will become as the heart' beats of the u-nm en uifh uhnce lnv an4 lihnr it it li.tn tnA oil imnnA it ; as it slips throuRh the dark, colJ water toward the waiting men in France will hover a guarding, guiding spirit that is almost palpable light the light of love which is both human and divine. |