The loyalty of Pocahontas, the patriotism of Molly Pitcher and Dorothy
Quincy, the devoted service of Clara Barton, the heroism of Ida Lewis,
the enthusiasm of Anna Dickinson, the fine work of Louisa Alcott--all
challenge the emulation of American girls of to-day. Citizen-soldiers
on a field of service as wide as the world, young America has at this
hour of national crisis its chance to win recognition for fidelity,
for bravery, and for loyal service, with victory for American ideals
as its golden reward, in a world "made safe for democracy."
My first aim in bringing the lives of these ten American girls from
history to the attention of the girls of to-day has been to inspire
them to like deeds of patriotism and courage. Second only to that
purpose is a desire to make young Americans realize as they read these
true stories of achievement along such widely varying lines of work,
that history is more thrilling than fiction, and that if they will
turn from these short sketches to the longer biographies from which
the facts of these stories have been taken, they will find interesting
and absorbing reading.
May the book accomplish its twofold object, and so justify its
publication at this time of the testing of all true Americans.