Accorpixe to reports there's an awful lot of roguish fun going on in the "dorms" of the Women's Territorial Army.
Explaining to a reporter that women in men's clothes are inclined to "lose sight of the gentler of femininity." a section commander added:
The girls realized this end set up a mock society, It started as a sort of rag in the dormie tories, and I believe that any one who is caught using an unnecessarily masculine expression is punished, probably by some practical joke like an apple-pie bed. But, of course, we officers are not told very much about that.
"Blast these buttons," roared Private Elsi Whapshott, as she flung down her button stick and polish, "I'm sick and tired of cleaning the domin things.
Private Elsie was the tomboy of her platoon, and had been several times before the commandant for insubordinate behaviour, dumb inscience, and conduct prejudicial to military discipline.
"Careful, Elsie," warned Corporal Mabel Worpleton, "I don't want to have to tell you again about bad language."
"Oh, put a sock in it, Flatfoot," Elsie shouted back. "I'm sick and tired of you, to "That's no way to talk to a superior officer. I shall have to report you to the company commander."
The quiet, even tones of the burly corporal cut icily through the dorm, and silenced everybody but Elsie.
"Tell her what you like," she said, "and give her another bunch of flowers, and you may become a sergeant, you crawling rat,"
Then, turning to the others, she called out:—"Who's coming out for a can of raught? I'm going to get stinko."
But nobody answered the wilful, defiant private, and she marched out alone, banging the door after her, That night, stumbling between the cots and cursing under her breath, Private Elsie Whap-shott fell upon her apple-pie bed too plastered to notice the knots and bumps in it.
But in the morning, bruised and aching in every limb, she was aware of a strange silence. The rough, hoarse greetings she gave to her chums were unanswered, and every eye was averted, Then she saw the reason.
Pinned to the notice board was a typewritten sheet:—
"Nobody to speak to Private Elsie Whapshott until she apologizes for the unkind things she said to Corporal Mabel Worpleton in the execution of her duty. By order of the Commandant, Well, to cut a long story short, as the saying goes, Private Elsie stuck it for a week.
Then she apologized, and after a lot of tears and kisses and nose blowings and powderings an ugly incident ended with a feast of cocoa and sardines in the dorm after lights out, And who do you think stood treat, girls?
Why, none other than Corporal (now Lance-Sergeant) Mabel Worpleton.
Needless to say, Private Elsie Whapshott is now the smartest and most cheerful girl in the regiment, and always gets a bright smile and cheery good morning from the kindly but hideous commandant.
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.