The Anderson intelligencer. [volume] (Anderson Court House, S.C.) 1860-1914, 1898-05-11

opportunity to prove that to the best
of things she has still held fast, and
is very like the cold" woman, after
all.
Have you thought that this war-it
may be war ere this that [ write is in
cold type-calls for very deep devo-
tion to country and fellow men? |
was about to write deeper devotion
than any other war has ever made de-
mands upon, and perhaps | may safe
ly do so. There is not the inspiring
thought that immediate action means
defense against invaded homes, that
we stand right ON the very spot that
must be protected and among familiar
sights. Men quit their homes to go
afar off, maybe, as an invading army,
where death, perhaps, awaits them in
more forms than shot and shell. Wo-
men have said they would go-and
some are already gone-to lessen, as
best they may, the terrors OF war.
Woman has given the soldier to land,
woman has bade him go, and woman
prays God to help keep Americas
first invading army-if such this is to
be-and woman with tender hand
helps back to health and strength the
wounded. All this is woman's part
in war. Would she change it for a
chance to fight and show that in every
respect she is mans equal? I think
not. Ask the newest 'snew" woman
you know and I believe she will tell
you that I have not without good rea-
son believed thas her part in war
would be the same as that played by
her mother, and the great-great-grand-
mother, whose picture, in colonial
garb, is q treasured family heir
loom.
But there is still another part that
women play in war. This part be-
longs to the woman who may neither
go as nurse nor make great sacrifices
for her country's name and glory. 1t
is, the part that is played by the quiet
little home woman whose duty seems
to be in the direction Of keeping home
a CHEEKY place in spite of the gloom Of
war. She may have sent no one to the
field, but she knows how to cheer
those that have. She practices a
thousand economies, and the men that
are left at home-not only do the men
in the army feel the scars Of war-are
assured in athousand silent ways that
if times are ''hard" she will not mind
so much after all whether her summer
gowns are brand new or her hats Pa
risian. To man, home where there
is contentment in spite of misfortune
is the most encouraging thing in the
world. Whether stocks are up or
down there is always the thought that
all is not lost, that true happiness
may flourish on very small amount
of riches.
In days Of strife, directly or indi-
rectly. we are bound to face the stress
at home. Often, too, it is the harder
part to stay quietly at hone. Out
where all is activity, and, necessities
and emergencies press quickly against
one another, there is not the conscious
ness Of the long. anxious wait that
interyenes between the end of the
time Of peace aud peace renewed. It
is but natural thing that woman
should hesitate when it comes to the
giving up cf those she loves to battle,
and it is but right that those upon
whom she lavishes her devotion
should wait until IL is quite plain that
it is duty and not the excitement of
the moment that bids them go forth.
Once Of this they are sure, then the
women of the present SAY as bravely
as ever their mothers did, SEQ.
And they smile and wave adieux as
cheerily as they can: so the last the
soldier sees of the woman he loves
shall return to his memory encourag-
ingly when he is far away.
Someone has recently said, and tru-
ly, that ''the endurance and unsel6sh-
ness of women in their homes are
among the strongest sinews of war.
If woman wants to play a stronger
or more important part in the ''affairs
of the Nation | am certain [ don't
know where she will find it. Do you?
MARGARET HANNTS.